The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1917-09-14
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dered what kept the young men away.
Was It her mothers wealth? Was it
that they had heard she was extrava-
CANT in her dress, and knew nothing
whatever about managing Il house
Miss Geraldine thought and thought,
but she could not solve the problem.
Neither could her mother, though the
latter didn't try very hard. Whenever
she thought about it, she said to her.
self:
"Oh, Geraldine is all right She
wants her freedom for while yet.
The right young man will come along
some day, and she will have her brid-
al tour and her happy home. | don't
believe she would marry now, any
how. and, as long as she isn't worried
about 1t there's no occasion for me
to fret"
One day Miss Geraldine had to go
to the city to do some shopping. She
went alone very often and she knew
her way about. She never miStook
Broadway for Seventh avenue and she
never got run over while crossing Her
aid square at Thirtyfourth street.
The young ladys usual plan on com
Ing to the city was to take a Fourth
avenue car at the Grand Central sta
ton and ride down to Thirty-third
street. There she would leave the car
and walk across Thirty-fourth street
to the great retail stores. She shop
ped an hour or two, and when ready
to go home, she carried q little bundle
with her. AS she was going back to
the train she saw q fne-iooking man
approaching. As he was about to
pass her. Geraldine stopped dead still
and appealed to him:
Il am in trouble and l wish your
assistance"
The man lifted his hat and replied:
Il shall be only too happy. What
has happened to your"
"Why-why." carrying her hand to
her forehead, something came over
me all at once, and l can't tell you
who | am or where l live My memory
seems to have gone all of a sudden :"
ut is case of aphasia," he said.
I've heard of three or four cases of it
this year. but there is nothing to be
greatly alarmed about. In fact, have
had touch of it myself but was all
right in short while.
But what shall / do?" she asked
Come into this store for a moment
The open street is hardly the place
Toll ho,
IDENTIFY been shopping. Can you re-
member the stores you have just WIS.,
ited2"
"Not one, though I may have visit
ed half a dozen. I don't think there's
anybody in any of the stores who
knows me. have no account with
any of them"
well, let's see" he mused you
came in this morning. That isl sup
pose you live out of town somewhere"
he went on. Haven't you got any of
your address cards in your purse?"
Miss Geraldine opened her bag, and
there waS no cardcase.
Now, try and think of the name of
the town you live in said the gentle
man.
"If-if-if I could think of the name
of the town. l could tell you who l
am" answered the victim.
you came in on train, didn't
your"
Eyes, think I did, for l seem to
remember a big station
and then you took the street car
down here?"
81 believe | did"
"Well, you probably got off at Thir-
ty-third street and it was only short
walk here Then you went to the
stores. You had finished your shop
ping and started back for Thirty-third
street to go up town. You are going
to get off at the Grand Central, prob
ably. and there take a train for your
home"
II guess that was the way of it,"
said Miss Geraldine. Il will go up
and see if l remember the station; but
everything seems strange to me-"
"Of course it does, and l shan't let
you go up to the station alone. l will
go with you, and we will see if we
can't find the right train. Your men,
DRY will come back as suddenly as it
went"
They walked along together. This
was carrying the lark a good deal fur
Their than Miss Geraldine had planned
for, but she must go through with it
now. The best thing for her to do was
to recover that lost memory of hers as
soon rs she could They had ne soon
err arrived at the station, than every
thing came back to her, and she gave
a little exclamation of delight. The
gentleman was as glad as she was, but
he didn't start right back for Thirty
fourth street. He saw her to the sta
ton and on to her train, and he lifted
his hat in the incest kind of way, and
warmly shook her hand at parting.
He was assured over and over again
that her memory was all right, and he
did just what you might expect a
man to do. He took a seat in the car
in the rear, and he rode up to Mount
Vernon. or some other nice. small city
and followed her at a respectful dis
lance until she entered her mothers
home.
And then what? And then Miss Ger
aldine didn't come to be an old maid.
II was n lark. but it proved to be a
happy one, and, if you ever tell the
gentleman. whose name is Robert
Rogers about this little plan of apha-
sin. you are an unsympathetic sort of
person.