The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-08-27
Barking Up the
Wrong Tree
BY MARTHA v. MONROE

singular way. One day while shopping
In order TO examine goods, laid m,
bag on the counter. | was hunting To-
something difficult to find and VISITED
several stores. Finding what / wanted
opened the bag to take out my purs,
and at once discovered that l hat
changed bags with some one else. My
portemonnaie was not there, but instead
found SIG in bills. Among other ar
ticles was an unsealed letter addressed
to Evelyn Tewkesberry, general deliv
cry Of the postofiice.
Thinking that the letter would help
me to find the person with whom had
made the exchange, took the letter
from the envelope and read 1t. 1t was
short and to the point:
VIII be at the corner of Eighth and Lo-
Gust streets at 1880 tonight. made UP for
eeedy Individual with green spectacles,
wear thick veil and carry yiolets in left
hand. STEWART.
Great heavens. Could / have STUN
bled on letter my own Stewart had
written to some other woman appoint
ing clandestine meeting? / trembled.
Whether 1t was through force Of mag
nation / know not, but ! recognized
my Stewards handwriting To further
confirm my suspicion, there was post
script, Anna is watching me-" My
name is Anna.
Here We're three elements pointing to
my lovers identity with this Stewart
whose name was signed to the letter,
though one of the three, the handwrit-
ing, was doubtful. I had not been long
familiar with Stewart Barnes writing
and could not be sure that what / saw
he had written; nevertheless ! had no
doubt of 1t. At any rate | determined
to profit by my find But how should
proceed? l shrank from interrupting.
the meeting as beneath me. Instead
put the letter in new envelope, read
dressed it, and, inserting slip of paper
stating that had exchanged bags with
its owner, giving my address, | drop
ped the letter In a mailbox. | also put
In a note to Stewart breaking our en-
gagement.
The next day a messenger brought
me my bag containing the articles in
1t when it was exchanged and request
for the one in my possession. | return
ed 1t, and, so far as the owner was con-
cerned, was at quits. There remained |
to settle with Stewart | presumed he /
would come to see me posthaste to |
learn what was the trouble, for / had |
given him no linking as to my discov-
cry Of his perfidy.
The day after the one on which had
posted my letter to Stewart passed, and
be neither appeared nor wrote. had 4
assumed that II his conscience was
clear he would come TO me at once; IL
had really caught him in a delln-
quency he would recognize the fact
that had discovered his deception and
would either try TO beg of or would
accept his dismissal without a word.
Then, too, he might really prefer the
Tewkesberry woman, In which case |
should probably not hear anything
from him.
Three days passed without a word
Nothing is so tantallzing as ignorance
If some important matter one is very ,
much interested In knowing. Every /
lay that passed left me In a more agi-
ated condition than the preceding. I
Why had | not stated TO my lover my I
eason for breaking my engagement?
had not foreseen this result. One of
'wo courses was open TO me, either 10
all on Stewart for an explanation OF
ny discovery or to write 20 Evelyn
fewkesberry 10 learn from her II her =
was my Stewart. Think =
ne the latter course would be the =
'asier for me, followed II.
For several days waited impatient
y for a reply and then broke down o
| was ready TO forgive T
ny lover. innocent or guilty. But my b
ride held me back from doing what a
should have done in the first place 7
hat is, stating the case 10 Stewart
nd asking him II he was the writer
Z the letter ] had stumbled on. !,
Since ] could not bring myself to do 4
bis. determined TO try again TO reach o
be Tewkesberry woman. I wrote her a.
note and hired a boy to watch I,
be general delivery for the claimant. b
Ie reported that the letter had been
ken from the postoff1ce by an old \
'oman, who had given her name as x
velyn Tewkesberry. He had follow. q
! her from the postofHce and had !,
oted the house where she lived.
This was a surprise to me. But
pom ferreting out the matter went
J the house and asked FOR Mrx. or r
'iss TeukesberrY An old woman
inc into the room where I was and q,
sked me uhst I wanted. Was she 81
velyn TewkesbeTTyp she vss pa ii
le know = mar q the name q stew ~
I Barness she did mot I then told IN
r that I was the person who lad 81
ken no Der bag BY mistake and ask ho
her 70 explain the letter n had con u
ined- she herated me Cor ~adinr y
q letter and declined 10 explain n. -
EFT Der 10 wiser than I came. er-
~ that I vas conscious ~ having
sds Poi ~ myself IN sanding away
lower without e hearing n would =,
re teen even wiser FER me - an lth
er ~ tbs meeting appointed ~ fhs -
'tsr. rii
nesoirea r. -eaf huutas ris.- seut =
: Ssrwar4. nnd - csnss % see ne e
fbink he hsf frtaudef e. rrrsh no. n--
r. -aFr~ - go srr s.Hsss-1.r ~-a-.~- =