The bee., 1916-01-07
Barking Up the
Wrong Tree
By MARTHA v. MONROE

bag on the counter. i was hunting Tor
something dificult to hnd and visited
several stores. Finding what wanted,
opened the bag to take out my purse
and at once discovered that had
changed bags with some one else. My
pOrtemonnaie was not there. but instead
I found 910 in bills. Among other ar
ticles was an unsealed letter addressed
to Evelyn Tewkesberry, general deliv-
cry Of the postofice.
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 It 1t was
short and to the point:
VIII be at the corner Of Eighth and Lo-
Gust streets at 1880 tonight, made up for
seedy individual with green spectacles,
wear thick veil and carry violets in left
hand. STEWART.
Great heavens! Could l have STUN
bled on a letter my own Stewart had
written to some other woman appoint
ing a clandestine meeting? | trembled.
Whether it was through force of imag-
ination l know not, but / recognized
my Stewards handwriting. To further
confirm my suspicion, there was post
script, Gamma is watching me" My
name is Anna.
Here were three elements pointing to
my lovers identity with this Stewart
whose name was signed to the letter.
though one of the three, the handwrlt
ing, was doubtful. l had not been long
familiar with Stewart Barnes writing
and could not be sure that what l saw
he had written; nevertheless l had no
doubt of 1t. At any rate l determined
to profit by my find. But how should
proceed? l shrank from interrupting
the meeting as beneath me. Instead
put the letter In a new envelope, read
dressed it, and, inserting a slip of paper
stating that had exchanged bags with
its owner, giving my address, drop
ped the letter In a mailbox. / also put
in 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. l return
ed 1t, and, so far as the owner was con-
cerned, was at quits. There remained
to settle with Stewart, 1 presumed he
would come to see me posthaste to
learn what was the trouble, for l had
given him no inkling as to my dlscov-
cry of his perfdy.
The day after the one on which had
posted my letter to Stewart passed, and I
he neither appeared nor wrote. l had !
assumed that if his conscience was
clear he would come to me at once; If |
1 had really caught him In a delln- |
quency he would recognize the fact |
that had discovered his deception and |
would either try to beg off or would |
accept his dismissal without a word. |
Then, too, he might really prefer the
woman, in which case
should probably not hear anything
from him.
Three days passed without a word. |
is SO tantalizing as ignorance
Of some important matter one is very
much interested in knowing. Every
day that passed left me In a more agi-
lated condition than the preceding.
Why had l not stated to my lover my
reason for breaking my engagement2
/ had not foreseen this result. One of
two courses was open to me, either to
call on Stewart for an explanation Of
my discovery or to write to Evelyn
Tewkesberry to learn from her If her
was my Stewart. Think
ng the latter course would be the
easier for me, I followed 1t.
For several days I waited inpatient
y for a reply and then broke down
l was ready to forgive
ny lover, innocent or guilty. But my
pride held me back from doing what
should have done in the first place
that is, stating the case to Stewart
and asking him if he was the writer
IF the letter 1 had stumbled on.
Since l could not bring myself to do
his, determined to try again to reach
he Tewkesberry woman. l wrote her
| note and hired a boy to watch
he general delivery for the claimant
he reported that the letter had been
aiken from the postOfice by an old
who had given her name as
Evelyn Tewkesberry. He had follow.
ID her from the postoffice and had
noted the house where she lived.
This was a surprise to me. But
lpon ferreting out the matter l went
% the house and asked for Mrs. or
Mss Tewkesberry. An old woman
,ame into the room where l was and
lsked me what l wanted. Was she
Evelyn Tewkesberry2 She was. Did
The know a man of the name Of Stew
lrt Barnes? She did not. | then told
ler that l was the person who had
AIKEN up her bag by mistake and ask
ID her to explain the letter 1t had con-
aimed. She berated me for reading
he letter and declined to explain It.
left her no wiser than l came, ex-
,ept that | was conscious Of having
made fool Of myself in sending away
lover without hearing. It would
lave been even wiser for me TO ap-
NJ l.. D