The Caucasian., 1913-08-07
. The MESSAGE
IN THE BOTTLE
A Romance That Began In a
Most Unusual Way.

shall Humphrey to his son Joe, who
had reached the age of twenty-five,
which his father considered ample to
show that he was exactly what that
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
cern 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 a confirmed bachelor. Since he
was an only child he was old Mr.. Hum
phrey's sole hope
Joe Humphrey, matrimonially con-
sidered, was like wild animal that
needs to be caught and trained, after
which it loves Its master devotedly.
appointment, he went to his penthouse,
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 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 pickle bottle, but no pickles.
Breaking the seal, he shook out card,
on which was written, "Irma Whiting,
aged eighteen years, six months. and
twenty days" Tackled to the card with
a bit Of thread was lock OF auburn
hair i'll circular form. Below this was
the address.
There was nothing to explain why
the articles had been placed in the
bottle. II there had been there would
be no story. Nature has laid num-
ber of traps to insure the propagation
Of the human species, but the one she
keeps for starter in difficult cases is
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 bot
tie without a reason given. The in
terest it excited was enhanced by the
little cirelet of hair
Joe Humphrey pulled to the shade Of
some trees oVerhanging the river bank
-and. with the card in his hand. gave
himself up to wonder. What did the
girl want anyway? What was she
like? 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. IL
this girl was angling for lover it was
not him especially.
He pulled back to the boathouse.
climbed to q furnished upper room,
where he kept writing materials, and
inclosed the card with his own, on
which he wrote: Picked up this -
day Of -. 100 Cast your bread on
the waters, and 1t shall be returned
to you an hundredfold. z
In due time he received duplicate
card with the inscription. Better one
gold dollar than hundred copper pen
nies''
His reply: No puny gold dollar rep
resents the writer. He may rather be
likened to big silver coin. Your
circlet Of golden hair may have sug-
gested your siinile.'
Her reply: ..It's>all the gold have.'
His reply: II have only heart OF
oak
That was the beginning Of the end.
The correspond went on. Miss
Whiting finally explaining that she
was a poor girl With$a stepmother and
no one to love her. She had sent her
card adrift hoping that it might change
her life and make it happier Supple
mentary to this Humphrey Informed
her that he was a poet whose verses
We're too far above the market to be
acceptable topublishers. but he thought
that together they might be happy in
each others love in cottage and
asked permission to call. 1t was grant
ed. and he met the girl in small
house on country road She was
dressed in calico. and he wore wool
en- shirt under a thread bare suit.
There was a courtship
One day Miss Whiting told him that
she had been playing 4 part She did
not live in the house where she re-
ceived him. She was rich and had
been bounded bF. fortune hunters She 1
wished to be loved for herself only
Then Humphrey admitted that he.
too, had been plt.ying d game He was
not "a pauper. but heir to a big busi-
ness and fortune
One day Joe Humphrey Informed his
father that he wished to take hold OF
the business and learn 1t with 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 SO suddenly eh;unsed his mind.
81 AZ tell yo1l, ather." said Joe. i've
got girl who says she WON'T marry
q man who has no object In life. Since
she won't have 4 Ioafer / must bestirI
myself
q his al1nnunpa1n anf f1o,, bl,d 80 - 81