Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-03-27
Where Love
Was Blind
BY JOHN HABBERTON,
Author of ''Helen's Babies"
Copyrighted by Daily Story Pub. Coy

Copyrighted by Daily Story Pub. Coy
MED WARNING was in love, and as
IN it was his first experience of the
Kind. he was sure that Elsa Marco was
the most beautiful, lovable and en-
transing creature in the universe, and
that any man who was not fool
would agree with him on this impor-
tant subject.
Afterward it occurred to him that
many men were not fools, and from
that moment began his troubles, for
clever men were quite as common at
Highway, where Elsa resided, as in
any other town of similar size, and
as Elsa went to parties and shops and
churches and other places where peo-
Die were wont to congregate, it stood
to reason that Ned might have half
score or more of rivals without know
ing it. Evidently it behooved him to
BE watchful and to press his suit in
dustriously; of course, mo other young
man could love as earnestly and sin
cerely as he, but Elsa, never having
been man, could not be expected to
know that; besides, she was of the
frank, honest, simple nature that be-
iieves whatever it is told, and Ned
was not conceited enough to imagine
himself better talker than the aver
age man who is enamored of lovely
woman.
Some girls are SO popular that q
man cannot easily find opportunity to
say his most earnest word and in his
best manner. Elsa Marco seemed al
ways glad to see Ned, but it was not
good manners at Highway for a man
to call on the same young woman
more than once week, yet whenever
Ned found himself in Mrs. Marcos
cozy parlors he also found at least one
other caller there, and by coinci-
Hence which was not strange-though
Ned sometimes thought it was
neither young man made haste to de-
part. The house was the pleasantest
one in the town, for the family con-
sisted solely of Elsa and her mother,
and as the latter lived only for her
daughter, she made all of Elsa's ac-
quaintances her own; and a handsome
woman on the right side Ct 40 and with
plenty of time at her disposal can
make herself very charming to right
minded young men, if she likes.
Which of her daughters admirers
Mrs. Marco most favored was more
than Ned Warning had been able to find
out by weeks of effort; when finally he
succeeded he was not sure that he was
glad of his success, for the favorite
seemed to be Capt. Wayde, the rival
whom Ned feared above all others,
though he had greatly liked him before
he had determined how the land Law.
Even after the fact of rivalry impressed
itself upon Ned, he could not help ad-
miring the captain, for Wayde was. one
of those great-hearted, well-rounded
natures that had absorbed much, re-
tanned all that was worth keeping, yet
was willing to share his treasures i'm
partially with everyone with whom he
came in contact.
In the course Of time Ned came face
to face with the awful possibility that
the captain was favored by Elsa as we'll
IS by Mrs. Marco; certain it was that
at times, when Ned was describing
at great length and with much detail,
some of his own likes and dislikes, feel
ings and fancies-personal mat tiers in
which, for some inexplicable reason,
some young men imagine young wom-
en- to be specially interested-he would
suddenly perceive that Elsa's attention
and eyes were wandering, and then the
girl would ask the captain about some
thing which that gentleman had been
chatting about to Mrs. Marco or some
one else. Ned was obliged to admit to
himself that the captains fund Of in
formation was great and his converse
tional manner interesting, but the re-
suit was no less exasperating on tina t
account. Such man was proper COM
pany for women of his own age, which
Ned thought might be somewhere be.
tween thirty-two and ten years more.
There were plenty of unmarried won.
en- of similar maturity admirable
/ones. too-so, why did not the captain
oetake himself 10 their society, instead
o. making himself dazzling to a CIR
scarcely out of her teens? Ned though,
seriously of saying as much to the cal
tain, but in the Marco parlors he coult
scarcely treat the man .civilly, for i
seemed to Ned that Wayde had com,
to regard him condescendingly, rs i
somewhat amused by him and not il
the least in fear of him as rival.
Opposition sometimes covers som,
young men, but it generally brings ou
1.-THE best that is in youth of good stun
fought the matter out one night il
sam room, the captain being dis
-esent through many torment
ections, and the young ma,
smself that he would fight
W0lR best Of his ability ani
= es-,n the field until as
IF that he had beer
- = - !. = - y next time B.