The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-02-21

IaneQ, ana IN the course Of the week
Billy put the note away in drawer
Of his writing table and forgot it. Far
more pressing matters claimed his at
tention. Dorothy was called to her
home in the west, and a 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 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
unusual exercise he sat down to reflect
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 a 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 a 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:
I 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 find out
about it? DOROTHY.
To which he responded:
I have the money and will hold it for
you. / cannot use it 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
livery that afternoon he received Dor
othy's letter, full of subtle persuasion
and inclosing her check for $1,000.
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.
It will 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 50 clever as Louis, but nearly all
| women are. ProtestatiOn with mental
| reservation is the natural weapon of
| the sex. AS student of human nature
Billy Allenwood knew this, and, though
| he held Dorothy to be the fawless
pearl Of womanhood, he still could not
| free his mind Of the notion that the
four big bank notes had once been
hers. 1t was therefore with an in
| definable disfavor, a sense Of some.
| thing gone from his own soul, that he
at last paid down the $4,000 into the
| capital Of the great scheme.
| The $1,000 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 to the delusion
that he had foolishly shut Dorothy out
from the greatest opportunity of bel
life and at last permitted her 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 gel
away from it and not because his
work was done, he was aware of re-
membered face in the crowd and g
name leaped into his mind. ~
II beg your pardon, sir" said he
Are you Mr.. Mousoud?"
mo-" replied the stranger, with q
touch of excellent courtesy even in
so 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.
ut was mine," said the other, who
seemed surprised and even more
amused. MAY I ask what has be-
come of it?"
~ have it at my rooms" answered
| Billy~ "Woud you care to come with
me and get it?" a
eff you were on your way there
VOC - said hn