Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-05-10
Winning a Wife
-
By VICTOR REDcLIEFE

for the law firm of Durham & BARLEY.
Marvin Farr was a clerk and student
In the ame service. The latter, start.
Ing for the Office one morning, received
q telephone from Benton, asking him
to stop on his way to the train.
~"Sprained ankle, and doctor says I'll
be laid up for a week." reported Ben
ton. "Will you do something for me
at the officer"
why, surely"
Benton handed Marvin a cardboard
box done up in newspaper. "Just put
that in the safe at the office till I get
on my feet again, will your"
"Valuable?" intimated Marvin.
Not particularly, except as evil
dence."
When Marvin reached the train
there was only one vacant seat. 1t
faced two young ladies'. Marvin
placed the box in the rack overhead
and opened his newspaper. More than
once, however, his glance stole to the
face of n of the two girls. The other
called her Rose, and her sweet, sunny
face made the name appropriate.
Miss Rose left the car at the first
city station, instead of the main depot.
She nearly missed getting off the train,
for she had not heard the conductors
call; but, hastily Selling a package
from the rack, she managed to make
the platform.
When Marvin reached the terminus
he reached up to the rack, placed the
package secured under his arm and
made his way to the Office.
"Hellol" he calculated vaguely, as
he placed the package on his desk.
"This isn't the one / started out with.
That bright-eyed girl took my box
without looking and I was about as
remiss. No address or mark of identi-
fication. Maybe l shall find something
inside that may direct me-"
Inside, however, there was no clew.
The box held some knitting needles, a
hank of yarn and a half-finished neck
muffler-at least his charming young
lady of the train "a patriotic. Mar
WINS interest spurred up as he noticed
a folded sheet of writing paper. 1t
was covered by what suggested the
memoranda Of the framework of a con-
templated letter.
why, the poor girl is thinking of
suicide !" s~oliloQuized Marvin. 81 must
try and be of use here. What had I
better do?"
All he could do was to take the
same train the next day. She whom
he knew as Rose sat alone. She edged
closer to the window to make room for
him, supposing he was looking for q
sat.
pardon me-" spoke Marvin, "but
was hoping you would be on the train"
And then he flushed and stammered,
for those penetrating eyes expressed
a challenge as to some trifing stran-
ger forcing an acquaintance. "That
u.s." stumbled on Marvin, ST lost a box
and found one and this is it, and it
must be yours!"
Marvin was puzzled, abashed, fairly
startled as the girl shrank from him
with a shudder. If she had before
manifested resentment at his seeming
/ IulIlllldIIly III uuul CHSluS ltIt lOW slit
evidenced a still more profound emo
II am anxious to recover the box you
took by mistake"
"My mother has it-Mrs. Alice
Gresham" and she named the street
number and flashed into the next car
as though evading a pestilence.
swell, I've got to get Benton's box
back, anyhow" decided Marvin, and
that afternoon located the address.
II am bringing back a parcel be-
longing to your daughter" he said.
evil you kindly give me the one she
took by mistaken"
Again a puzzle, and mystery, dense
and deepl The woman evinced I'M
mediate excitement and dread. "Wait
outside for q moment" she said in
shaking tones, and slammed the door.
A minute later Marvin saw her run
ming across lots towards the next
street. She reappeared, accompanied
by a policeman.
~pointing to Marvin-"there is the bur-
glarw
"And where are the burglars tools? 2"
inquired the officer, Selling Marvin by
the arm.
The woman brought out the missing
box. 81 should say" calculated the
policeman, viewing its contents. "As
fine an assortment of pieklocks as my
l ever saw"
Light suddenly flooded Marvin's
mind. The burglars tools were evil
IDENTIFY gathered by Benton In some
criminal case. Mrs. Gresham and her
daughter had naturally taken Marvin
to be a burglar. He presented his card
and explained. The officer accepted
his story as true.
81 am very sorry that we misjudged
you," spoke Mrs. Gresham, land Rose
will feel sorry, too" and the next
morning there came a note from the