The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1906-12-28

among the LO6C ana FOunO, OUT
there was no response. All inquiries
failed. and in the course Of the week
Billy put the note away in drawer
bf his writing table and forgot 1t. Far
more pressing matters claimed his at
tention. Dorothy was called to her
home In the west, and narrowing
fear tormented Billy that despite the
positive commands that he had laid
upon her, she had gone to get money
for the magazine. Meanwhile the
scheme boiled.
One afternoon, following a confer
ence upon the all important topic, Billy
returned to his home so crazed with
enthusiasm that, happening to find the
lean, old serving maid busting his
| room, he began to deliver an grafton
to her on the subject Of magazine pub
lication. His eloQuence produced an
unexpected effect, for the woman be-
came wildly excited and finally fell to
the floor in sort of fit. Then Billy
ran for the landlady, with whose as
| sistance he carried the hysterical
servant to her room.
Returning to his own place after this
upon the strange happenings that had
recently varied the monOtony of his ex-
istence and was presently confronted
by one that overtopped the others
| topped everything he could remember
to have seen outside of dreamland.
There was upon the desk paper
weight Of painted porcelain, Christ
mas present from Dorothy and very
dear to his heart. Protruding from
beneath it he now beheld something
green, and this green substance proved
to be four bank notes, each of the de-
nomination Of $500.
| 'Dear, dear little girl" he said aloud.
and the tears rushed into his eyes.
This was not money any more. it was
her love, and he laid down his head
on these poor counters In the pretty
game of trade and. kissed them.
Presently he arose, put the money
into his safest pocket and strobe away
to Dorothy's house, where he was in
formed that Miss Vincent had not yet
returned to town. Billy knew better.
| He perceived trick and instantly
formulated one Of his own. He tele-
graphed to Dorothy in the west Though
he knew she wasn't there) as follows:
can't take it. Dorothy. but you're the
greatest girl in the world.
In the. early evening came this reply:
You must But how did you fnd out
about 1T DOROTHY.
To which he responded:
+ have the money and will hold it for
you. cannot use 1t as you wish.
! At 1 o'clock in the morning the door
bell changed, and Billy received this
telegram: -.
Impossible. Did not mail check till to-
day. Can't understand what you mean.
...=-.~.@... DOROTHY.
Billy had not money enough to con-
tinue this correspondence by wire with
out breaking one of the $500 bills, SO he
wrote a long letter which he mailed
about daybreak, and by the last de-
livery that afternoon he received Dor
othy's letter, full of subtle persuasion
and inclosing her check for $1,5OO.
Three days later came Dorothy herself,
and in the thrilling conversation which
ensued she denied In the most explicit
manner all knowledge of the larger
sum.
twill be remembered; that Louis XII.
Of France had many solemn forms Of
adjuration. only one OF which he held
to be binding, and he would never tell
which Of them it was. Few men have
been SO clever as Louis, but nearly all
women are. Protestat1on with mental
reservation is the natural weapon Of
the sex. As a student Of human nature
Billy Allenwood knew this, and, though
he held Dorothy to be the dawless
pearl of womanhood, he still could not
free his mind Of the notion that the
four big bank notes had once been
hers. It was therefore with an in
dehnable disfavor, q sense Of some
thing gone from his own soul, that he
at last paid down the $1,000 into the
capital Of the great scheme.
The $500 which was confessedly
Dorothy's was placed in bank, but In
the early days. when the scheme
seemed surely winning, Billy lost his
balance wheel. .veered tolthe delusion
that he had foolishly shut Dorothy out
from the greatest opportunity OF her
life and at last permitted .har to invest
her money. Then came the later days,
the days Of disappointment, Of ex-
penses marvelously swollen and re-
ceipts miraculously shrunk
On the blacklist Of black days. when
Billy had left the office merely to get
away from it and not because his
work was done, he was aware Of; q re-
/ membered face in the crowd, and q
name leaped into his mind
II beg your pardon, sir" said he.
e:Are you Mr.. Mousoud?"
sNo," replied the stranger. with a
touch of excellent courtesy even In
80 small a matter.
II happened to be present when you
met with an accident two Or three
months ago." said Billy, "and after
ward found a letter on the spot, !" and
he described the occurrence.
1T was mine" said the other, who
seemed surprised and even more
amused. MAY I ask what has be-
come Of it1'' zi.s.s
II have It at my rooms answered
Billy@ Would You care to come with
me and get it7'
III you were on your way there,
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