New-York tribune., 1921-01-02

the young ladies seminary had
closed and every bird in it flown.
Il went away and in the fall !
went to college, and, as l thought,
got over my infatuation. ! was even
reasonable enough to appreciate that
said lnfatuation was no more than
a momentary condition, and mat
ter OF extreme youth and lack of
experience. Ii it had any influence
on my college life it was that | had
no great interest in girls-at any
rate, that condition was not a pose,
it was an honest lack of enthusiasm.
l saw lots of girls, went to dances
and all that sort of thing, but 1 was
more bored than anything else, and
l stayed that way till was TWENTY
five.
"Then suddenly 1 went girl-crazy
that was ten years ago--and I've
stayed that way ever since, with the
notifications that I've told YOU
about. I've tried to hide It: I've
tried not to be known as q ladies'
man.
i've been looking for my woman
hlgh and low, and ! haven't found
her; and the reason that / haven't
found her is that haven't found the
girl who was on the other side Of the
garden wall. I've known for every
minute of the last ten years that !
haFen't really been looking simply
Tor woman ef certain qualihca
tons, an indefinite woman of def
Mite type, but tlat I've been looking
tor the specific woman who, when I
knew her, was tifteen-year-ol0
Slfl. Laugh away, but Pm going, ta
ind her sure aS fate, see if | don't y
did laugh. you're as crazy a;
loon, Paul | said. You don't
think it possible, do you. that your
beautiful child has been faithful tx
the memory OF { wild boy for seven
teen long, weary years? Why, man
alive, she's happily married and has
eight children and hasn't thought Of
you for seventeen years less a week
CT two.'
"No,' Paul said. "Shc's not mar.
ried."
"How do va know" I demanded
He shrugged his shoulders. Glow
Go know anything? It's the hunch."
why don't ou try tracing her?
Give your hunch the benefit of
little method;cal research. instead Of
trusting to blind luck. The girl ma2
live in California, and never leava
the state as Iong as size lives.v
i've been t. California and she
wasn't there" Paul sad with
smile. "How would you advise
tracing herr"
!:
'hAT was large question, but !
made the obvious answer.
Get list Of the girls who we've
in the school that year and follow
each one to her lair" | said.
Il did, he said casually. 1T was
quite simple-there were ONLY three
hundred and eighty Of them. I wrote
lhrcc hundred and eighty letters and
promise you it was quite a lob. I
received two hundred and ten an
swers, and not one of the writer's had
any of the facts of the case. hnt
were Interested in knowing them-a
pretty commentary on the young
ladies of the land, I think. Seventy
letters came back unclaimed. ]eav-
ing an even hundred unaccounted for
IN any way. take it for granted
my friend was among the seventy.
mat was ten years after the Incl
dent OF the eight-foot stone wall. 7
had minor hunch that chance was
q better friend Of mine than method
or further sleuthing, and there YOU
are
And you re still nursing the fond
hope that the lady is going to turn
up?' / exclaimed. Paul, you arc
optimism personified."
He smiled at me. mot only am
nursing the hope, but l have never
been SO confident as am at this mo-
ment-there's excitement in the air.
I'm nervous, the hunch is in NV
bones--1 know something is going to
happen, just as a barometer forcsees
storm or rheumatism fo1etells wet
weather. Pm nervous. cxpectant for
no apparent reason, and it's been
growing, getting worse, for a month.