Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1913-08-08
THE MESSAGE
|. II. IN The BOTTLE.
A Romance That Began In a
I. a Most Unusual Way ..s,.

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 Oh the con-
&cern his father had built up: second,
he should marry and bring forth son:
through whom all this growth of
wealth could be transmitted. To the
old mans chaglin. the boy would
have nothing to do with the business
/ and showed every symptom of becon-
ing confirmed bachelor. Since he
was an only child he was old Mr.. Hum
phrey's sole hope.
Il Joe Humphrey, matrimonially con-
sidered. was like wild animal that
needs to be caught and trained. after
which it loves it's 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
PUSHES near by. Getting into the boat,
he gave a couple Of strokes, seized the
red thing and drew out bottle of
pickles. as be supposed. the red thing
being sealing wax covering the cork
1t was pickle bottle, but no pickles.
Breaking the seal, he shook out Il card.
on which was written. Trina Whiting,
aged eighteen years. six months and
twenty days" Tackled to the card with
a bit of thread was lock Of auburn
! hair in circular form Below this was
the address.
4 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 num-
Der of traps to insure the propagation
of the human species. but the one she
Keeps for q 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 circlet, of hair
AL Joe Hnmphreyspnlled 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 hid had girls in dozens
thrown at him by designing mothers.
without feeling anything but repug-a
nance There was neither curiosity
nor romance. and above all was want.
ing the excitement of the chase. If
this girl was angling for lover it was
not him especially r, '>2a
He pulled back to the boathouse.
climbed to i furnished upper room,
where he kept writing materials, and
incosed the card with his own, on
which he wrote: picked up this -
day of :---:-. 100. Cast your bread on
the waters..2and it shall be returned
to you an hundredfold -"
In due time he received a duplicate
card with the inscription. Better one:
gold dollar than hundred copper pen
MES" = $c$%t4Sg f.e-
His reply: "No puny gold dollar rep
resents the: writer. He may rather be
likened to$a big silver coin. Your
circlet Of golden hair may have sug.
gested your simiie." I ~
Her reply:"It's all the gold / ha We.
His reply:$.l have only a heart of
oak" s, i5E e: l2. l.:s&
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 adrlft hoping that it might change
her life and make it happier Supple
mentary tosthis Humphrey Informed
her that hewas a poet whose verses
We're too far above the market to he
acceptable topubIishers. but he thought
that together they might he happy in
each others love In a cottage and
asked permission to call. 1t was grant
ed. and be met the girl in q small
house on a country road. She was
dressed In calico. and he wore wool
en- shirt under a threadhare suit. s
T. There wasa courtxhip .;,;3l. y ,,.s5s !.
4 One day Miss Whiting told him that
she had been playing a part She did
not live in the house where she re-
ceiyed him She was rich and had
been bounded BY fortune hunters. She
wished to be- loved for herself only IL N
{ Then Humphrey admitted that he.
too. had been pla wing q game He waa
not a pauper. but heir to a big bust
ness and fortune 5s 81 II v. S III
i One day joe Humphrey Informed His
father that be wished to take bold Of
the business and learn II with "a view
to running IL The did man was de-
lighted. and the young man took hold
with a zeal that was surprising. One
day the father asked the son why he;
had 90 suddenly hanged iliE mind.
Ell tell you. father. q said Joe s..I've
got q Riri who siys she. WON'T marry
q man who has no OF lett III life. Since
she wont hare d afer 4 mnst bestir
myself s5
This announcement doubled the fa.
Tiers pleasure lii due time j oe mar!
ried the lady Whit had sent ont her
card bearing d fis,fi ions name fol
husband. and a few years later the old (
man retired. len wing filr business to
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