Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-11-16
TWO OF THEM.

~ open letter in his hand. upon his face
4 look OF rernlcNitH. not unminSlctl
! With annoyance \ tinelcokinS f'II
low. with :n honest. manly face. IN
| Nitk Sof, blue eyes: and the curves of
the wrll-cut lips We're firm and true
Through the open window came the
| sc,nt of ncwmown hay, and the breath
1T roses and hoHcySucklc. n round
| table in the center of the room was
laid for two. and over at tie window
his mothcr--a grave. stately old lady
with whom he lived alcnr-was re-
e. riding him with mild surprise.
What is it. Roy" she asked. gently.
Il know, when You look like that. that
something annoys and troubles you.
What is it. SON."
Enough. Mother. don't believe that
| am lacking in courtesy or the require
mrntS of Il ycutlenau; but it is little
annoying to have an unknown female
thrown upon Your protection in this
way. Listen. please! This letter is
from my friend Bonner Of Ncwburgh."
He spread out the crumplei sheet
which he had been holding in his hand.
and read aloud:
My Dear Roy: I'm i'll Quandary,
and come to You to help ME out. The
case. in brief. is this: My sister. Miss
Marguerite Bonner, is DESTROYS of at
tending. the great worlds fair My
business is ut present so pressing that
it is quite impossible for me to accom-
pany her. Once arrived III Chicago,
She will be met by fricntS-rclatives
who are anxiously awaiting her arrival
Now. rs I happen to know that YOU
are intending to start for Chicago next
1ll, s,lay. l ask of you, rs Il SPECIAL IA
vur. to look after my sister to hcr
journeys end Will it be any trouble
to yru. Roy: She is Il timid little
thin. and shrinks from the thought OF
travelling alone If you consent to be
thus hurdcHcd drop me line. ana
Marguerite will be on the train as 1t
passes Your town. where, you can join
her.
"Ohliye mc-that's 4 dear fello W: for
once forget that you are confirmed
and crus,y old bachelor.
Yours, as ever.
Frank"
Roy Dunbar folded the letter, and
returned it to his pocket.
1T is awfully provoking" he OK
claimed. and the lady is Il stranger to
me-, too. Frank Bonner ought not
To-
Roy. I am ashamed of YOU
"Mo1hcr. l know I'm Il brute; but
I intended to make the trip with my
friend CEvering: and now. to- have to
look after Il lady. and be on my good
behavior i'll the time. And the first va
cation l have been able to enjoy for
Il whole year. All. well. l am an I'M
lucky fellow, and may rs we'll accept
the situation with patience
His mother smiled. She was thinking
in the depths of heart that it WAS
high time for Roy to be thinking about
a wife. He was nearly thirty, and in
excellent circumstances. There was no
earthly reason why he should not mar
ry.
II canot live forever" the old lady
said to herself, and l should like to
see Roy happy with Il good, true wo-
man for his wife,
Breakfast over Roy Dunbar proceed
ed to wire a reply to his friends letter,
accepting the trust reposed in him with
rs good grace as possible. At least,
the telegram did not commit himself;
but was as lacOnic as such things usu-
ally are.
The days went by with remarkable
celebrity, and the day appointed for
the trip to Chicago came at last. Roy
Dunbar boarded the train when it
paused for the usual intinitcsimal time
ut his own station. He entered q draw
ing room car and had not moved six
PAGES down the aisle, when voice call
ing his name, made his halt in surprise
A lady!
why, Mr.. Dunbar" extending
glovcd hand, "how glad I am to meet
you! I knew you the moment I saw
you. The journey is so long and tire
some l shall be delighted with your
company, 1 am sure.
Have you forgotten mc?" for his
eyes wore bewildcred look, which
he could not altogether repress on short
gucr'te Bonner
Ahloo NAsti Suclllc bollucI. Ills CuuFS't
the young lady ccllfided to his care
by a loving brother He felt as though
some one had suddenly drenchcd him
with with Il shower bath She. "thc
timid little thing" who shrank from
travelling alone-and all the rest of it!
A woman Of some fifty-cight or sixty
years, if she was a day, and looking
every hour Of her age Notwithstand-
ing the thick coating of pearl powder
which accentuated rather than con-
cealed the network Of wrinkles which
on crspread her thin face; and the little
dabs Of too perceptiblc rouge upon
either cheek. Her hair was palapably
dS ed, and frizZled within an irch Of
its life; there was no mistake, either,
i'll the dazzling white teeth, which bore
too plainly for possible mistake the
handiwork Of the dentist And witlal
she was so exceedingly grlish and
sprightly that she attraC ted the atten-
ton of the observer at once to the
fact that she was one Of the real old
maids Of whom one reads occasionally,
but who, we are glad to see, are now
becoming, as a race, as extinct as the
dodO.
| Roy felt an uneasy sensation over