Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-06-27

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crafty women, who delude him shame
lessly."
"Whom have you been deluding,
KateY"
Dorothy, 1 am a sneak"
Dorothy laughed.
Indeed, Katherine, you are anything
but that. You couldn't do a mean or
ungenerous action if you tried your
best"
"You think, Dorothy, 1 could re-
form" she asked breathlessly, leaning
forward.
Reform? You don't need to reform.
You are perfectly delightful as you
are, and I know no man who is worthy
of you. That's a woman's opinion, one
who knows you well, and there is moth
ing dishonest about the opinion, either,
in spite Of your TRADE against our
| SEX"
Dorothy, three days ago, be the
same moro or less, 1 received a letter
from John Lamont"
Eyes, 1 say it on the table and sur
missed it was from him."
"Did you? You were quite right. The
reading of that letter has revolution
lied my character. 1 am a changed
woman, Dorothy, and thoroughly
ashamed of myself. When I remember
boy / have qelqded that poor. .credu-
ious young man II making him believe
I understood even the fringe of what
he spoke about, it fills me with grief
at my peridy, but I am determined to
amend my ways If hard study will do
1t, and when l next see him l shall
talk to him worthily like a female
Thomas A. Edison"
Again Dorothy laughed.
"Now, that's heartless of you, Doro-
thy. Don't you see I'm in deadly ear
nest? Must my former frivolity dog
my steps through life? When 1 call to
mind that I made fun to you Of his
serious purpose in life, the thought
makes me cringe and despise myself"
Nonsense, Kate. Don't go to the
other extreme. l remember nothing
you have said that needs withdrawal.
You have never made a malicious re-
mark in your life, Kate. Don't make
me defend you against yourself. You
have determined, I take it, to plunge
into the subjects which interest the
man you are going to marry. That is
a perfectly laudable ambition, and /
am quite sure you will succeed"
II know l don't deserve all that,
Dorothy, but 1 like it just the same.
I like people to believe in me even if l
sometimes lose faith in myself. May l
read you an extract from his letter."
Don't if you'd rather not"
"Td rather, Dorothy, If it doesn't
weary you, but you will understand
when you have heard it in what a new
light 1 regard myself"
The letter proved to be within the
leaves of the late MI. Steele's book on
chemistry, and from this volume she ex-
tracted it and pressed it for a moment
against her breast with her open hand,
gazing across at her friend.
Dorothy, my first love letter."
She turned the crisp, thin pages and
began:
"'You may recollect that footnote
which you marked with red ink in the
book you so kindly gave me on the
subject of catalysis, which did not
pertain to the subject of the volume in
question and yet was so illuminative
to any student of chemistry. They
have done a great deal with catalysis
in Germany, with amazing commercial
results, but the subject is one so re-
cent that I had not previously gone
thoroughly into it,"
katherine paused in the reading and
looked across at her auditor, an ex-
preston of despair in her eloquent
eyes.
Dorothy, what under heaven is catal-
ysis?"
Don't ask me-" replied Dorothy,
suppressing a laugh, struck by the lu-
~dicrousness of any young and beauti-
full woman pressing any such senti.
ments as these to her bosom.
"Have you eve heard of a catalytic
process, Dorothy?" beseeched Kath-
crime. ut Is one Of the phrases he
uses.'
Never. Go on with the letter,
Kate"
"I saw at ono that If l could use
a catalytic process, which would be in.
Simultaneous in its solidifying effect on
my liquid limestone, instead of waiting
upon slow evaporation, l could turn
out building stone faster than one can
make brick. You. l am sure, with
your more alert mind, saw this when
you marked that passage in red.' Oh.
Dorothy" almost whimpered Rather
Inc, leaning back, ""how can I go on:
Don't you see what a sneak I am:
1t was bad enough to cozen with my
needless, random markings Of the book
but to think that line Of red ink might
have been marked in his blood. for !
nearly sent the poor boy to his death"
go on. Katherine; go On, go on"
"In my search for a catalytic whose
substance would remain unchanged
after the reaction l quite overlooked
the chemical ingredients of one of the
materials l was dealing with, and the
result was an explosion which nearly
blew the roof off the shop and quite