The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1911-07-27

married soon or luck is against us.
Let's each draw and the one to whom
the lot falls must stand by the bar
gain. Now, here is the proposition
he must put in a bottle slip OF paper
on which must be written that the
finder will learn something to his ad-
vars<age If he communicates with
given address. The bottle must be
consigned to the water and the sender
must wait year before he can con-
slider himself free from the obligation.
If the person who finds the bottle is
tn unmarried woman 1t will prove that
matrimony is for one of us.
Capital" cried Victor.
Splendid" came from Gilmore.
The lots were cast with the result
that Gilmore found himself the hero of
the romance. He gave the address of
his New York lawyers and after much
merriment the bottled message was
borne of on the waves.
After this little episode, Gertrude
Lee and her aunt came to the beach
for few weeks and stayed at the
same cottage as did Gilmore.
The old, old story was the result
Many a time the words were on Ell.
more's lips to ask Gertrude to be his
wife but always the vision of bottle
floating on the waves held them back
He was bound in honor not to speak
of love to woman for year. He
was afraid to confess to Gertrude
how silly he had been for he did not
know how she would look upon the
matter. Yet some explanation to the
girl was most assuredly due.
! A letter was pushed under the door.
1t was from Brown & Burton, his law.
yers, inclosing the fatal news. 1t
came In the shape of short note writ
ten in an uneducated hand by Miss
Marie Bonner, who expressed her will.
ingness to learn anything to her ad.
vantage as the finder of the bottle.
1t took no adept to discern from the
letter that Marie Bonner was a person
of no culture and belonged to the
great army that constitutes the mass.
es. Had she the combined charms Of
Venus and of Helen of Troy, Gilmore
would not have felt compensated for
the loss of Gertrude.
In this state Of mind Gilmore dress.
ed for dinner. Afterwards he saw
Gertrude and the two sat on the piaz.
"a of the hotel.
do you think 1t is bad luck to give
away what one fnds?" asked Ger.
trude.
Il most decidedly do. 1t is an old
superstition that have great respect
for" replied Elnpre. r.
Il never have found anything Of
value in all my life, in fact l never
really found anything but once and
lhave often wondered how it turned
TOUT"
what do you mean? Was it
lcurio?'
"Not in the sense you mean. was
down in Virginia at the beach where
i met you. knew very few people
lat first, so every morning early l
would take my maid with me for
walk along the shore. One morning
i saw bottle that was washed up by
the tide and I stopped and picked it
up. The bottle was tightly sealed and
inside l could see writing on a slip
of paper. Full of curiosity we lost
no time in getting the message out Of
the bottle to ind only request that
the finder communicate with some law
firm on Broadway and presumably
get a reward"
Elmore could scarcely restrain his
anxiety. What Of Marie Bonner? Was
she fake or could this have been
a similar adventure to his own?
How did 1t turn out?'
THAT is Just what I would like to
know"
Didn't you write to the Broadway
lawyer"
20, no; instead just turned the slip
over to Marie and told her to try her
luck when she returned to New York.
Marie left last week."
"Marie!" cried Elmore, excitedly.
What was her last name?"
Marie Bonner, my maid. Why
what is the matter?" asked Gertrude
as she noticed the sudden change in
Elmore.
1t did not take him many moments
to appreciate the fact that the actual
finder Of the bottled message was the
beautiful girl at his side. Nor did he
lose time in making the most of his
discovery.
When Gertrude Lee left for New
York next morning It was az the am.
anced wife Of George Elmore.
Marie Bonner was duly recompensed
through the lawyers with q check foy
. neat little sum. Neither she nor
her mistress ever suspected the par1
that Elmors played in the romance d
the bottle.