The Washburn leader., 1916-08-04

accepted position in a commission
house in Hongkong and gone out there
to make my fortune. I returned on q
visit after eight years sojourn in Chi
ma and never went back. I was TWEEN
ty years old when l left home, and
among the girls to whom said good.
by was one Alice Ringold. But l was
not aware that l was any more to her
than any other young man.
took the book and the paper to the
/ librarian, telling her that had found
the one in the other. She said that re.
turned books were apt to have varie-
ty Of articles in them. usually put there
, in lieu of book mark. I asked her
, IL such articles were returned, and her
reply was, "Sometimes." requested
that II she returned the paper l had
left with her to the person who had
written it she would let me know l
left with her postage stamp and my
address.
Not very long after my return to
my home received letter from the
librarian announcing that she had
found the Alice whose name was ap-
pended to the writing on the paper l
had discovered. The lady had dropped
it into the book which was lying open
on table, some one else had closed
the book, and it had been returned to
the library with the slip in it. The
librarian gave the name. Alice Rim
gold.
Now, had passed the age of thirty,
supposing that no woman had shown
any predisposition toward me. l wa.
on the verge Of middle age, with no
one to care for me, and now accident
ally had discovered that a girl from
whom had parted dozen years be-
fore had been mine for the asking dur
ing the whole of that period. remem-
bered Alice Ringold, shy little thing.
SO young that would not have be-
lieved she could love any man. She
could not at the time have been more
than fifteen.
Here was chance to break away
from the bachelorhood into which
fate seemed to have thrown me. I
would renew my acquaintance with
Alice Ringold, and if she was Of the
same mind-and from the recent date
of what she had written it was likely
that she was-I might settle myself in
home under the same advantages as
pertained to youth. But I must con-
trive to make the meeting appear acs
cidental.
She had removed from the town
where she had lived to Acland, and
there went. Having learned where
her home was situated, set out to find
her, proposing to make up a story as
to how had come to know Of her
being in Acland. Just before reaching
the house young woman came out Of
the front door and In another moment
met me face to face.
She was Alice Ringold. Between SIX
teen and twenty-six there is not SO
great difference In ones appearance
as between twenty-six and thirty-six.
At any rate, there was enough left Of
the girl had known for me to recog-
nize her. stopped, lifted my hat and
spoke to her. She looked at me, and
saw at once that she knew me.
"Alice Ringold?" l asked.
Yes; and you are Frank Tisdale."
singular that you should know me
after so many years absence"
mo more singular than that you
should know me-"
II have been wondering what had
become Of you since my return to
America. have been hunting you for
MONTHS
She cast her eyes down just as she
did when she was little more than a
child. She was going to the village.
and walked beside her. told her of
the many times had thought Of her
during my absence in the east and how
I had longed that fate should have
brought us together again.
With that slip Of paper in my pos
session I had all the boldness Of q
grenadier. made rapid progress, I
speaking more and more plainly In my
lovemaking as I advanced. When
parted with her told her would see
her in the evening, and when the
evening came, having gone through the
preliminarieS, proposed to her
She said It was very sudden and q
great surprise to her. I smiled inward
y at this. thinking Of the paper had
found. However, after little coyness
she yielded and accepted me. Just be-
fore left her she said:
"Do you remember my brother
Frank9s
frank? believe / do"
HE died soon after you left for
China. / have never got over his loss"
Great heavens! It was her brother
she had loved all these years.
Nevertheless we are very happy.