The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1908-12-10

aren't you Just bit hard on us,
Mr.. Gordon? Mightn't we vary the
butterflies by an occasional bird or q
bee?"
Swift confusion leaped into Cor
don's face, and his hand sought his
beard nervously.
"Ah, Miss Taylor-beg pardon, I'm
sure. I did not know" he began
turning longing eyes on his friend.
But Grayson, ignoring the pleading
look, refused to come to his aid. With
low bow and a hooking smile he
moved away, saying: I'll leave you to
make your peace, old man, as best
you cant"
Gordon turned to meet the unwaver
ing gaze of two merry brown eyes.
IL did not know" he began
again, awkwardly.
THAT l was near" she interrupted,
brightly. "Of course not-you never
would have been so uncomplimentary
to our sex in general If you had known
that one of its representatives was
close by. So you are going to doom
us to silk butterfiies?" she went on,
cheerfully
Don't" he objected, almost cross.
ly; you know very we'll what mean
I think the ordinary woman should
should remain in her own sphere he
finished. with some pomposity.
And that is-?"
"Why-er-home, of course" he
supplemented; home and-er-all
that sort of thing" he concluded
vaguely
Miss Taylor nodded her head slowly
several times.
Mini see," she unused, aloud.
POTS and pans we'll scrubbed,
corners carefully looked to, and all
the eyes dug out of the potatoes"
You are pleased to jest, Miss Tay.
lor." he remarked, stifiy. You know
very well did not refer to household
drudgery. 1t is the real home instinct
that. to my mind, seems to be lacking
in the modern woman"
Very good. Mr.. Gordon" she said
With oninous sweetness. Then you
regard woman as home-maker
merely, do you?"
Most certainly" he returned, un.
easily, but with conviction.
Before the winter had passed Cor
don ruefully acknowledged to himself
that he was "absurdly and disastrous.
ly in love-" as he expressed it. To
him the name Birdie" gave the thing
a touch of absurdity, and the fact that
No, 80,
probable pursuit of career made ii
disastrous.
From boyhood his dream of wife
had drawn the picture of a sweetly
gracious, dignified, angelic being, far
removed from a restless, energetic,
self-suficient creature, his only cen.
ception of a career-seeking woman.
And yet the dearest thing in the world
to Gordon had come to be this ambi.
tious brown-eyed maid with the baby.
ish name.
For time the man refused to think
of the future. He drifted along in
blissful paradise of his own fancy I'm.
til the announcement that Miss Taylor
was soon to leave the city for an ex.
tended trip brought him sharply bach
to earth.
1t was then that he seated himself
at his desk to write once more to her.
This time it was a straightforward
avowal of fervent love and an earnest
plea for a speedy reply that he dis.
patched some time later addressed to
MISS B. TAYLOR,
No. "a Howard Avenue
At five o'clock he received from the
hand of messenger q note which
ian:
Il shall be at home this evening";
will you Gomez"
There was no signature. Gordon
was sure he needed none, and yeti
was a bit strange, after all.
She met him with luminous eyes
and face so unmistakable in it's shy
loneliness that he would have taken
her in his arms at once had she not
suddenly drawn back with startled
Cry.
Mono! IL forgot. have a con
fession to make. IL am not
Birdie"
Gordon's arms fell Imply to his
side.
Not Birdie!" he exclaimed.
She shook her head
I'm Beatrice-Beatrice Taylor"
But how-what-I don't under.
stand! Why did you tell me you were
Bir,lie?"
She laughed softly.
Il didn't-and you wouldn't even let
me tell you that | was not Birdie"
she retOrted.
At his blank look she laughed again.
1T is the old story of family resem-
blance," she explained. Birdie Tay.
lor, the illustrator, is my cousin;' we
look alike and are often mistaken for
each other, hence Mrs. Morton's intro.
Guction. knew about the letter you
wrote to Birdie, and when you apollo.
gized to me for it l tried to tell you
was not the guilty one, but you would.
MT let me even speak. After that l
forgot all about it until-until that
afternoon at the art exhibition, and
then-then I wouldn't tell" she fin.