The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1903-07-04

more attractive to me than Atkinson
with all his learning.
"Laura." I said that evening after
dinner, when the men had gone into the
Eil!!,.:l room, do drive that man
away. He'll spoil everything"
"Wlnt can l do?" she said with q
port. "Yclr brother sticks close to his
beloved sister. It's all going wrong,
Madgp. such things eve turn cut as
one would wish them. If you and Mr..
Atkinson had fancied one another it
might have been easier for your BROTH
cr and me-"
The two men were lodged in adjoin-
ing rooms facing the ocean and at 5
o'clock in the morning of the Fourth
Laura AID | were up in the story above
them letting down bombs before their
open windows. When they came down
to breakfast they were awfully cross
and wondered how the boys in the
n~cighta:ing cottages could explode
their biz crackers so near them, where
uDon Laura and | snickered and the
secret was out.
Trust a girl to get ahead of a fell
low" said Dick, laughing.
They're much brighter than we, 1
admit" said Atkinson, with enc Of his
profound looks which made me feel
that he really considered himself vastly
our superior.
w, lo,1,~p1 oil f1,n y,1Nprirr on fhn
piazza and all the afternoon on the
beach. 1 seized upon Atkinson for a
walk up to the inlet to get him away
from Laura; but he was so stupid-he
didn't seem to have any small talk
that l took him back before we had
gone half a mile. l could not help con
trasting him with Dick, who was so
jolly and at the same time so kind,
considerate, deferential.
You're missing a great deal, Laura"
l said. "My brother is more than l
could have possibly expected"
Hes very nice, l admit, Madge, but
You can easily see that
We'll, what:" l asked, irritated.
Speak out"
Il prefer Mr.. Atkinson" she said
tartly.
From this moment l resolved to keep
Dick from paying her any attention
whatever.
"Dick," ! said, Laura is infatuated
with your friend keep away from
l,er-though what she sees in him to
fancy l don't know"
Dick laughed and said that 1 was
Jealous; that Laura was a very attrac-
i've girl, and, although l was lovely,
too-he was too brotherly to hurt my
feelings y must not feel that l had
been cut out by an inferior person.
That made me hopping mad, and l de-
termined to show him that pique or
jealousy had nothing to do with the
matter. From that time l bore myself
with perfect and unassumed inditfer-
cnce to Atkinson just to show both
him and Laura hat l was perfectly
satisfied with the attentions of my dear
brother. Often when Laura and At
kinson were spooning l would go up to
Dick. put my arms around his neck
and give him several kisses. l confess
Atkinson didn't seem to mind my be-
ing so demonstrative. Why should he
when he was falling desperately in love
with Laura? And any II could see that
she was beside herself with delight.
After the fireworks we had ice ream
and cake on the piazza, and just before
we were going to bed Dick whispered
something to his friend, when Atkinson
arose and said:
'There has been a prank played upon
you young ladies which should not be
the seat behind you on the car yester-
day and overheard your conversation.
Madge, I am your brother Dick, and
your supposed brother is Tom Atkin-
son."
I just walked upstairs and slammed
my bedroom door. After awhile Laura
came up and. throwing herself on a
lounge. laughed till l thought she was
going to have commissions.
"What are you laughing at, you
heartless thing?" l said angrily.
She only went of into another ft of
Mysteries, and by this time the ludi-
crous side of it all appealed to me and
I began to laugh too. However. l didn't
go down the next morning to break
fast or to lunch, but during the day
my real brother came up and pacificd
me. His profundity had all been
assumed. and he was now very nice
to me, admitting that he had not SUI
fciently considered the cost Of his
joke.
l don't see that there 10 any more to
tell. l wanted my brother" and I got
him. Laura wanted "the other man"
and she got him. And yet it came out
just as I had planned for Dick and
Laura.