Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-08-29
THE MESSAGE
IN THE BOTTLE
A Romance That Began In a
Most Unusual Way.
You are acting like ninny. sir.


father wished him to be. And what
his father wished him to be was this:
First, he should be devoted to business
and predisposed to carry on the con-
Germ his father had built up; second,
he should marry and bring forth a son;
through whom all this growth Of
wealth could be transmitted. To the
old mans chagrin. the boy would
have nothing to do with the business
and showed every symptom Of becom-
ing confirmed bachelor. Since he
phrey's sole hope.
Joe Humphrey, matrimOnially con-
sidered. was like wild animal that
needs to be caught and trained. after
which 1t loves its master devotedly.
leaving his father to nurse his dis
appointment. he went to his boathouse.
intending to have pull in his boat
on the river. Just as he was about
to embark he saw something red
dancing on the wavelets among some
rushes near by. Getting into the boat,
he gave a couple Of strokes. seized the
red thing and drew out bottle Of
pickles, as he supposed. the red thing
being sealing wax covering the cork.
1t was a pickle bottle. but no pickles.
Breaking the seal, he shook out card.
on which was written. "lrma Whiting.
aged eighteen years. six months and
twenty days" Tackled to the card with
bit Of thread was lock Of auburn
hair In circular form. Below this was
the address.
There was nothing to explain why
the articles had been placed In the
bottle. If there had been there would
be no story. Nature has laid mum.
Der Of traps to insure the propagation
Of the human species. but the one she
keeps for a starter in difficult cases IL
curiosity. BY this she excites atten-
ton. which is held and enlarged by
romance. In this case the starter was
Miss Writings card floating in a bot
tie without reason given. The in
terest It excited was enhanced by the
little circlet Of hair.
Joe Humphrey pulled to the shade Of
and. with the card in his hand. gave
himself up to wonder. What did the
girl want anyway? What was she
fike1 He had had girls in dozens
thrown at him by designing mothers
without feeling anything but repug-
nance. There was neither curiosity
nor romance. and above all was want
ing the excitement Of the chase II
this girl was angling for lover 1t was
not him especially.
He pulled back to the boathOuse.
climbed to a furnished upper room.
where he kept writing materials. and
fnclosed the card with his own. on
which he wrote: picked up this -
day Of -. 19O-. Cast your bread on
the waters. and It shall be returned
to you an hundredfold
In dine time ne received duplicate
card with the inscription. Better one
gold dollar than hundred copper pen
Mes
His reply: mo puny gold dollar rep
resents the writer. He may rather be
nkened to big silver coin. Your
eirciet Of golden hair may have sug-
gested your simile."
Her reply: Its all the gold l have"
His reply: II have only heart Of
oak
That was the beginning Of the end.
The correspondence went on. Miss
whiting finally explaining that she
was poor girl with stepmother and
no one to love her. She had sent her
card adrift hoping that It might cha, &c
her life and make It happier Supple.
mentary to this Humphrey Informed
her that he was poet whose verses
were too far above the market to be
acceptable to publishers. but he thought
that together they might be happy In
each others love In a cottage and
asked permission to call. 1t was grant
ed. and he met the girl In a small
house on a country road. She was
dressed IN calico. and he wore a wool
en- shirt under threedhare suit.
There was courtship.
One day Miss Whiting told him that
she had been playing a part She did
not live In the house where she re-
eeived him. She was rich and had
been bounded by fortune hunters. She
wished to be loved for herself only.
Then Humphrey admitted that he.
too. had been playinx game. He was
not pauper. but heir 70 y big bust
ness and a fortune.
One day Joe Humphrey Informed his
father that he wished to taSe hold Of
the business and learn II with q view
TO running It, The old man was de-
lighted. and the young man took hold
with zeal that was surprising. One
day the father asked the son why he
had 80 suddenly changed his mind.
''I1l tell you. father" said Joe 1--WE
got girl who says she won't marry
man who has no object in life. Since
she won't have a loafer l must bestir
myself"
This announcement doubled the ia.
theirs pleasure IT. due time Joe mar
ried the lady who had sent out her
card hearing fictitious name for
husband. and few years later the old
man retired leaving the business to
his son Meanwhile there is a small
hoy who It Is intended shall hand the
lions.
All Invalids.
Father Bernard Vaughan is still tell
ing Londoners good stories Of his ex-
perfences during his recent tour in
America.
At St. Louis bOastful American
said to him: Look at our Mississippi
srd Hudson rivers! Why. compared
with them your Mersey and Severn and
Thames are sleepy. sickly streams"
II think yours are Just as sickly as
ours." observed Father Vaughan.