The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-09-26
A LOVELORN
MAID
By ETHEL HOLMES

well, I'll be jingedF'
Jack Merriman made this exclama.
don one morning after tho postman
had handed him letter which stated
that tho writer was a girl OF seven
teen, she had met Jack ana fallen In
love with him. There were reasons
why. even II he loved her, they could
not he united. but she could not help
giving him the knowledge that he was
beloved by her. Not on any account
would she write such letter if there
was the slightest chance OF his finding
out who she was. When his letter had
been sent she believed she would be
happier. Al least she could the better
bear her separation from him.
I'm bet my old boots" he added
after little meditation, that some
girl with passion for flirting has
written that letter, and I'll bet my old
shoes she cares no more for me than
for n pumpkin. II this diagnosis OF
her case Is correct she has given a
clew 10 her identity, and I'm the fell
low TO find her out When do shall
endeayor 10 pay her OF in her own
coin"
Jack scrutinized the letter, heating
II and subjecting IL to various chemi-
Gals, but II there was any clew In the
paper he did not find st. Then he took
up the writing. He was a good deal
OF lady killer and had numerous
notes laid away from young women
written In different hands, all the way
from slanting acute angles to letters
no bigger than pin pricks. He COM
pared the note he had received with
these letters, but there was not one OF
them that furnished clew to his mod.
est lovelorn maiden.
After spending much time over the !
epistle that might have been better !
employed he gave up the hunt. |
Months passed. He forgot all about |
the poor girl who was nursing her |
grief In secret. Naturally enough, the
time came when he chose wife from |
among the mnumerable throng of girls |
he knew. Miss Agnes Hartwell was /
her name, ard Merriman looked upon |
her as one OF the most sedate Of the |
lot. He complained after they were |
engaged that he was obliged TO do all |
the love making TO which she respond
ed that this was as IL should be- she
had a poor opinion of girl who an
gled for a man, and for one who would
let man know before he proposed
that he would be accepted she had a
supreme contempt.
But when Jack one evening told her
about the maiden who was grieving
For him and showed her the letter Ag-
les' kind heart seemed to be touched
With pity. She declared that Jack
should have persevered TIL he had
'ound out who she was and given her
It least the satisfaction OF hearing
rom him that she was not blamed for .
elling him Of love that could not be
'ratifed. So sympathetic was she
With the modest maiden that Jack be- {
ian to fear she would be impelled by
Ter sympathy, aided by her conscience,
o send him Off with the injunction TO
Ind the secret maiden and insist upon ,
her, no matter what the OBJ ,
ections might be.
Indeed, when Jack found that Agnes {
Id not get over the matter he began !
0 worry and regretted that he had :
aid anything about the letter, espe- =
tally since his fancee blamed him for
want of perseverance in not follow
lg the matter further Agnes said
lat If girl loved man we'll enough
} write such letter 1t would be i'm
ossible for her TO refrain from giving !.
I'm clew. For her part, she would
OF think very much of man who
ave up hunt so easily. :.
A lover is very sensitive to the opin- -
N of his fiancee, and Jack began to
link that If Agnes dwelt upon the
after long eeough she would despise
m. He made all the excuses he could II
ink of. finally declaring that the rea-
IN he had not persevered was be- 9
Iuse he had even then been In love Il