Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-04-28

joy, that for which all evening he had
been vaily seeking.
1.-THE time, the place and the girl"
he exclaimed.
The girl was sitting on lawn seat
looking out across the bay. The moon
shone softly on her thoughtful half.
averted face, and lightly touched her
brown FURNISHED hair.
"At last l have found you alone,
Edith" he said, his voice vibrant with
happiness as he sat beside her. There
is always such crowd of other chaps
around you that l hardly get a word
with you these days.
why, didn't know that you cared
too"
She looked up in startled way.
Cared! Intuition must tell you,
dear, that I'm mad about YOU"
But l can't understandable know
each other so little
quite long enough to realize if we
love-" In the subdued light his fing-
ers closed on hers. Then the moon
came out from behind floating cloud,
and Bramley saw with shock of
amazement that the girl beside him
was not Edith Mead. He dropped ner
hand as if it burned him.
81 did not dream of your caring this
way, in the few days since we met"
she was saying in her soft voice so like
the other Edith's.
I-et-always decide things quick
ly" he fioundered. To himself he ques-
toned desperately: who is she? Who
else looks like Edith, answers to her
name, yet isn't she?"
Really, Mr. Bramley, l can't give
an answer yet, I shall have to take
time to consider She clasped her
hands and looked up at him thought
fully yet strangely enough, the hero
of my dreams has always come to me
out of the unknown"
81 never believed in long prelimin-
airy courtships."
when we first met in front of the
Waldons, that afternoon, l judged you
were impetuous," she laughted:
Here was a clew. Bramley racked
his brain to recall whom he had met
that day. He remembered Edith and
three college friends had just alighted
from a motor as he and Dick Calvin
were passing the Waldons' house,
where the girls were to attend a re-
ception. Edith had presented them
to the girls, who were swathed in auto
wells. He had not caught their names
when introduced, nor did they make
much Impression. For was not Edith
Mead there? Where she was nothing
else had mattered to Bramley for
long time Now he had woh a near
acceptance from another girl whose
name he did not know. He wiped the
cold pers piration from his forehead.
You shall have time to think 1t
over" said he. Il am obliged to leave
town for few days on business, but
shall hope to learn your answer when
return With that he made his es-
cape.
, "Well, of all embarrassing scrapes!'
he calculated, when out of hearing.
after making such break, couldn't
speak up and tell the girl I'd made a
mistake! l must find Dick Calvin and
learn her name; then think up some
decent way ont of 1t ALL
But he was not to solve the mysI
tery that night nor for many others.
Dick Calvin had already gone, and he
could find no one else who knew her.
The real Edith Mead was dancing with
Young millionaire from Pittsburgh,
surrounded with an adniring coterie;
so there was no chance to speak with
her alone.
He had spoken the truth about his
projected business trip. He was
obliged to catch an early train for Chi
cago next morning, where his work de-
tanned him much longer than he had
anticipated.
When he reached home he found an
invitation from the Waldons, to attend
a dinner they were giving that even
ing.
1T was there l first met the I'M
known Edith; perhaps I'll meet her
again. At any rate, l probably can
learn something about her, he con-
Guided.
He arrived at the same time as an
other group of diners. and one said:
q suppose you have heard of Miss
Mead's engagement"
Edith Mead?"
The other nodded. Eyes; to young
Dillon, the Pittsburgh millionaire, who
has been dancing attendance"
Good match, all around" Bramley
found himself saying. All the while
he was thinking tensely: Edith
the Edith I have loved! Well, maybe
it's a good thing my proposal went
astray, for it has saved us both the
modification of a rejection
This thought brought him back to
the object of his evenings quest. He
had no chance before dinner of max
ing inquiries, direct or otherwise, con-
corning the mysterious girl to whom
he had unwittingly proposed. AS soon
as he reached the drawing-room he was
cornered by his hostess niece, viva
cious bright-eyed debutante, who kept
UP a running fire of small talk until
dinner was announced.
1t was not till they were seated at
the dinner table that he was able to
see who were the guests. Across from