The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-10-13

f, copyrighted, 1900, Daily story PuD. Col
Never, during the three years for
which she had been In that lady's
~service, had Miss Lorimer's maid found
her mistress so hard to please as TINS
|Aight. Her hair had to be dressed n
te-dressed, her choice Of a gown was
difficult and the last touches were put
to her toilet after the carriage
teached the door. Yet the occasion was
only a little dinner at the house OF an
Intimate friend.
Miss Lorimer had her WI reasons
for such unusual care of her appear
lance. A belle and a beauty, ,acknowl-
lodged leader in society, people Won
dered that, at IS years OF age, 'sne
was unmarried. Man after man LOT
whom other women angled anx1ously
had laid his heart and fortune at ner
feet, but Miss Lorimer was Miss Lori
mer still. OF late there had come q
sutton whom she was reluctant to re-
ject, while at the same time she hesi-
Itated to accept his offer. A brilliant
and successful man, she admired and
liked him and felt herself fit to be
his helpmeet in his distinguished ca
reer.
But-there was a but-she honoreo
her lover too much to bring him a d.
wided heart. Years before she had pc
lieved herself in love with the cousin
of her most intimate friend. When ne
asked her to marry him she refused:
Not many months later she received
the announcement of his marriage TO
another woman, and. thanked heaven
that she had not said yes to so tickle
a sutton. But the sting entered ner
heart. and thereafter Miss Lorimer was
Unconditional and unromantic.
Tonight she vas to meet for the
first time after ten years the man
whose memory fingered with her still,
and she felt nervously anxious. She
wanted to see If the old fascination
was enduring; il. the old pain was
healed.
The dinner was at the house Of q
friend and cousin. DR.. Burton had
risen to eminence as a surgeon, and
was in town. professionally having beer
summoned for a difficult operation In
the family Of a millionaire.
Miss Lorimer had barely entered the
drawing-room and shaken 'hands with
her hostess when the dinner was an
nounced. She. recognized the doctor
at once. The years had marked him;
there were deep lines on his brow and
touches Of gray in his hair, but she
told herself she would have known him
anywhere. As the guest of the ever
ing, DR.. Burton took the hostess IN tc
dinner, and Miss Lorimer smiled al
Mary's diplomacy when she found her
self assigned to a distinguished ex'
jurlst who was deaf and a confirmed
gourmand, and placed at table Will
the doctor on the other hand.
Conversation with the lawyer wa.
dificult, not to say impossible. She un'
folded her napkin in silence, but thu
guests were scarcely seated before DR.
Burton accosted her.
"And SO you are Miss Lorimer still:
Do you know, that surprised me?"~
"Indeed?, / have never held it WON
ans chief end to be married"
"As l know. to my cost. Seriously,
think you treated me badly. I though,
then, as I do now. that you encour'
aged me-" They were talking almost
in whispers.
"Did yous Well, I may as well tel
you the truth. I was undecided, ant
said no to test you. I believed hrmlJ
in your persistence. but not In you
sincerity; moreover; I suspected tha'