The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-01-23
HOW | MET
MY WIFE
BY +. A. Mitchell

One morning on going downstairs at
my hotel for breakfast stepped up to
the office and asked for my mail. The
clerk handed me some letters, among
which was tiny missive addressed to
me In q feminine hand. On opening
1t found card bearing the name and
address Of Miss Aida Bainbridge.
Who Miss Bainbridge was did not
know. / fancied that she was some
young lady whom had met and asked
to let me know when she visited the
city where l lived. One thing l must
| be careful about. If / did not recog-
nize her when we met must skirmish
to place her, not letting her know that
did not remember her.
When l called on Miss Bainbridge
she was not at home. l left my card
and the next morning received a note
from her regretting that she had miss
| ed me and would be pleased to have
me call again. She was not sure that
would remember her since 1t was so
long we had passed that pleasant sum
mer together at Shelton Springs.
Doubtless we had both greatly chang
ed since then.
| had passed a summer at Shelton
Springs when l was seventeen. years
of age l was then beardless boy
and was now a man of twenty-five
with soft beard OF which | was quite
proud. | had met a number OF young
girls there. but had forgotten the
names of most of them.
The next time / called young lady
came into the room with whose ap-
pearance | was especially pleased. She
looked at me quizzically, as though not
quite certain as to my identity. | had
no remembrance of her whatever, but,
controlling my facial expression, clasp
ed her proffered hand in both of mine
saying:
.What a pleasure to meet again one
' with whom l passed so many happy
, hours"
"But-but you have changed aw-
: fully"
lawfully"
81 mean very much. You have de-
yeloped into quite man. l should
never have recognized you If ! had
h not known who you We're"
n "You. too, have developed, but you
have the same girlish face and figure
You certainly have not lost anything
Il of your beauty"
n There was a slight pleasurable blush
at this.
"Have you been to Shelton Springs
asked, ''since that happy summer W.
p passed together thereg'
e "Oh. YES. we have been there ever.
summer for ten years"
L. rs the bench still under the tre'
le beside the creek?'
was looking her in the face whel
| asked this question, she down Il
C. my card, which she continued to TO.
with. She raised her eyes to min'
In with quick glance, then lowered then
.again. | had done lot of spooninI
OF on that bench, and her action on IN.
!. mentioning 1t convinced me that MAJ
made love to her there
"I dare say.s said, ''you have FOL
In gotten our sitting there and all apou
lr- it."
"I am surprised that you remem
,t ber It."
"WhyT
"Oh. you men are very forgetIu
IFS five years since that evening. 10
left the next day and have never see
% me since. Doubtless you have sat
20. benches since beside other girls an
$5 said what you said to me"
Had | not been desperately strlcKe
N vitb Miss Bainbridge ! might nav
=. renlied eyasively. AS 1t was, tol
her that / felt the same-only more
as | felt at that momentous ih'e
oe, view. When she asked me why sn
ice had never heard from me In the meal
1while I called her attention to the fa'
cr that | was then a boy and she was
=. chit of girl. What business had
to follow up that which led straight
marriage? She saw no improprie'
all in two youngsters loving Ensas
raj ments sometimes were OF very ioi
duration.
nc. While I had no remembrance VIVA
=, avar of Miss Bainbridge, | certain
-. aeyeloped a case of quick love ca
a'e od unon her several times week
that il. when l was not taking ner err .
Gin IN amusements. She was making
visit TO friends, which she prololse
her and when she departed we were G
oayed Then she confessed that
49, had cherished her girlish love Tor
lon' eyer since that evening We had sat
3.45 tho bench together at Shelton sprini
Ok OF course it would not do FOR me
ues. confess that 1 had no remembrance
sitting there with her any more 'n
too With several other girls, so l kept
for own counsel. .
In due time we were married.