The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-09-05
THE MESSAGE
IN The BOTTLE
A Romance That Began Ii a
Most Unusual Way.

The words were spoken by old Mar.
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.
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 t. do with the business
and showed every symptom Of becom-
ing q confirmed bachelor. Since he
was an only child he was old Mr.. Hum
phrey's sole hope.
Joe Humphrey. matrimonially con.
sidered, was like a 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 a pull in his boat
on the river. Just a. 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 tho
red thing and drew out q bottle Of
pickles, as he supposed. the red thing
being sealing wax towering the cork.
It was q pickle bottle. but no pickles.
nnna klnn Tho ooal hn ~hook n,,k = nm.N
on which was written. "lrma Whiting.
aged eighteen years. six months and
twenty days" Tackled to the card with
q bit Of thread was q lock Of auburn
hair In circular form. Below this was
the address.
There was nothing to explain why
the articles had been plated In the
bottle. II there had been there would
be no story. Nature has laid a num-
Der Of traps to insure the propagation
Of the human species. but the one she
keeps for a starter in dificult 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 a reason given. The. in
terest 1t excited was enhanced by the
little circlet of hair.
Joe Humphrey pulled to the shade.of
some trees o~verhnnging 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 .repuss
nance. There was neither curiosity
nor romance. and above all was want
ing the excitement Of the chase. II
this girl was angling for a lover It was
not him especially.
k. He pulled back to the %boathouse.
climbed to IL furnished upper room.
where he kept writing materials. and
tnclosed the card with his own. on
which be wrote: picked up this -
day Of -. 100. Cast your bread on
the waters. and it shall be returned,
to you an lundrpdfOld F" ~
In due time be received q duplicate
card with the Inscription. Better q
gold dollar than a hundred copper pen.
MES"
His reply: mo 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 simile." ~;
Her reply: TITS all the gold I have"
His reply: II have only q heart Of
oak"
That was the beginning Of the end
The correspondence went on. Miss
whiting finally explaining that she
was a poor girl with d stepmother and
no one to love her. She had e n ter
card adrift hoping that It might change
her life and make It happier Supple.
mentary to this Humphrey informed
her that he was q poet whose verses
were too Tar above the market to be
to publishers. hut he thought
that together they might be happy in
each others love In a cottage aud
asked permission to call. It war grint.s
ed, and be met the girl In II small
house on a country road. She was
dressed in calico. and he wore q WOO.
en- shirt under a threadbare suit
There was u courtship.
One day Miss whiting told him that
she had been playing q part She did
not i've In the house where she re-
ceived him. She was rich and had
been bounded BY fortune hunters. She
wished to be loved for herself only
Then Humphrey admitted TINT he.
too. had been playing . game. he was
not a pauper. but heir to Q big bust
ness and q fortune. 4
One day Joe Humphrey informed his
father that he wished TO take hold Of
the business and learn It witha view
to running It The old man was de-
lighted. and the young man took hold
with q zeal that was Surprising. One
day the father asked the son why be
had % suddenly changed his mind.
.I'ls tell you. father said Joe. .'I'vsfs
got Z giri who nays aheGwon't marry
{ man who has no object - life. Since
she won't have : loafsr I must bestirFs