Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-04-08
CHAPTER XIII.
>AAAA'
AN OLD FASHIONED FATHER.

startled visibly at the sight of
Carolina and Haines appar-
emily so wrapped up in each
other. Perhaps she was getting inter-
ested in the handsome, Interfering sec
rotary. That a woman sometimes
breaks her promise to wed he we'll
knew. Plainly Carolina was carrying
things too far for Il girl who was the
promised wife of another.
Carolina and Haines showed surprise
at Norton's entrance.
The congressman advanced and spoke
sneeringly, his demeanor marking him
to be in a dangerous mood.
"Do 1 intrude" he drawled DELHI
erately.
Carolina drew away her hands from
Haines and faced the newcomer.
Intruder she exclaimed contemptu-
ously, q tone that Norton construed as
in his favor and Haines in his OWL.
~"Intrude!" Haines laughed sarcas-
tically, feeling that now he was leader
in the race for love against this Mis-
sissippi representative, who was, he
knew, a subservient tool and a taEer
of brides. you surely do intrude,
Norton. Wouldn't any man who had
interrupted a tete-a-tete another man
was having with Miss Langdon be in
truding?"
81 suppose 1 can't deny that" he re-
piled.
The secretary smiled again.
"11l match you to see who stays"
he said.
But Norton's urn to defeat his rival
had come. He held out a paper to
Haines.
Senator Langdon gave me this for
you. I reckon I don't have to match"
The secretary opened the note to
read:
"Where in thunder does that n.y.
drate come from-South America or
Russia? How much off on the tariff
on the creature do we want? Come
ove to the committee room, where I
am, right away. Say it's an urgent
message and get in with a tip"
The secretary looked up. with a
laugh.
"You win, Norton. Pm off. Good
by" And he started on Il run to the
senator's aid.
Norton turned angrily on the girl as
the door closed.
"See here, Carolina" he cried, what
do you mean by letting that fellow
make love to you?"
Carolina Langdon would not permit
rebuke, even from the man she cared
for. She tossed back her head and
said coolly:
why shouldn't 1 let him make love
to me If l choose?"
"You know Why" exclaimed Norton,
his dark face flushing sullenly. "Be-
cause I love you and you love mel"
And he seized her and pressed her to
him. "That is why" he cried, and he
kissed her again and again.
eyes, I love you, Charlie; you know
that" Carolina said simply. She was
conquered by the southerner's master
fitness.
"Then why do you stand for that
whippersnapper's talk?" asked Norton
perplexedly.
Carolina laughed.
Don't you see, Charlie, l have to
stand for 1t? have to stand for it
for your sake, for Randolph's sake,
for my own sake, for all our sakes.
You know the influence he has over
father.
"He a make father do anything he
wants, and suppose l don't lead him
on? Where's our project? Let him
suspect a thing and let him go to
father, and you know what will hap.
pen. Father would turn against that
A%ltacoola scheme in a moment. He'd
beggar himself, if it were necessary,
rather than let a single n of us make
n dollar out of a thing he had to de.
eide"
you're right, l reckon, Carolina
said Norton dejectedly. your father
is a real type Of the southern gentle
man. He hasn't seen any real money
in so long he can't eve bear to thinl
of 1t. Somebody's got to make money
out Of this. and we should be the
ones"
WED lose frightfully, Charlie, Il
they changed to Gulf City, wouldn'
WEI" said the girl apprehensively.
o. -