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Show MET A FAIR UNKNOWN". Young Lawyer's Adventure Had a Most Startling Finale. "The other night," said a young lawyer, law-yer, quoted by the Washington Post. "I had the most strenuously exctiting experience I have ever encountered, and even now I feel as exhausted as though I had lost a hard fought case. It was shortly after 6 o'clock, and I had just reached the club, when right out here at the curb stood, apparently waiting for someone, the swellest sort of a team. At my appearance down sprang the footman and explained to me that a lady inside the carriage wished to speak to me, and proceeded to open the door. Then my eyes beheld the most beautiful vision I have ever seen. She was a girl of not more than 20, with clear, rosy complexion, dark eyes that you could imagine teasing you, first leading you on. then throwing throw-ing you over, but at all times beautiful. Her hair was coal black and dressed in a foreign way, with tortoise shell combs. Her countenance had a Florentine Floren-tine mold, and when I met those beautiful beau-tiful dark eyes in response to my bow I though her charming and her manner man-ner perfect. She had the absolute ease which you. find in real aristocra ts. "The picture has been in my mind alt day, and it is next to impossible to rid myself of her. To return to the incident. inci-dent. I bowed and stood, hat in hand, awaiting orders, for it was not my good fortune to b favored by an acquaintance acquaint-ance with her. In my most courteous manner I inquired if I could in any way be of service to her. " 'Yes, indeed you may." said the girl. "I have heard so much of you and your great ability that I wish to consult you concerning a matter that is of paramount para-mount importance to me. Won't you get in and drive with me, Mr. Black?' She had my name all right. " 'Besides,' she continued, 'I feel that I already know you. Dear Jack speaks of you so often and tells so many f unny things about your last year at college. Of course, you remember Jack?' "You can just about believe Iwas the happiest man on earth, and fairly beggared the English language telling her so. I could not land Jack, and didn't try to. I was breathing the delightful de-lightful atmosphere of that drive, and unscrupulously adopted every means by which the moments could be prevailed upon to stay their flight. But at last her home was reached, and I knew it was up to me to say farewell. "But the fates favored me, and in spite of my explanation about not being be-ing dressed for dinner. I was told that I must 'come right in,' and that I did. We had been seated in the parlor only a short while when m". new friend said I must meet papa and mamma, and that she would leave me with them while she dressed for dinner. Very soon 'father' and 'mother' appeared, and I was presented to them as 'onw of Jack's college chums.' after which zny fair charmer left, only to appear come moments later, more entrancing than before. "During her absence her father confided con-fided to me that of late he and his family were greatly distressed concerning concern-ing his daughter's health, and anxiously anxious-ly inquired if I had noticed anything strant-p or unusual in her manner. Well, I had my own ideas of her manner, man-ner, because I was simply enchanted, and I assured the old gentleman I had not, and was indeed pained to learn of his daughter's ill health, i "Just then the vision of beauty appeared, ap-peared, and she was so beautiful that I absolutely lost all knowledge of her mental suffering. Her father soon Jeft the room, and I was again happy. I had noticed one peculiar thing, though: the girl had never removed her hands from behind her since she appeared in the doorway, and I was just trying to account for this strange attitude, when, to my utter amazement,' she cried out: " 'Now, I have you at last, and just where I want you.' She approached me with a stealthy tread. I protested wildly wild-ly at first, and suggested that she be seated, and I would summon assistance if she were ill. And I feared she was. "But she waved me aside and assured me she was 'quite well' and strong. Whereupon she drew from behind her a revolver. 'Now,' she said, pointing it straight at me, 'throw up your hands.' " Thelisteners were breathless, and at this juncture strained every nerve. With the narration of his experience the young lawyer showed great emotion, emo-tion, and now he evinced great feeling. "Go on," said his friends. "Well," continued the young lawyer, "she said 'Throw up your hands.' I did, and struck the headboard so hard that I woke up." |