Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-03-27
TWO TELL R
LEAVE lAKINGS
Middle Aged Lover Eets an
Unpleasant Surprise.

We We're leaning over the front gate.
[ held both her hands in mine and
looked into her llounill eyes. was
twenty. she not quite eighteen, ! was
going west to seek my fortune. When
had nude Il com~pttence-l couldn't
bear TO consider more than three
months stuff ient for i'll was to re-
turn! ana take her back with me.
"..lip in tn, nieanwhiIe." she said,
viii i,e one long period OF waiting"
1T will seem an age to me"
You will he pf-roSSed in business
That will make you forget"
II shall never forget. shall lay
down thirty days for each month on
paper and each morning check one off.
To see them disappear will IL my only
comfort"
There was silence for awhile. 4 dis
tant clock struck II.
In seven hours my train will be pull
ing out Of the station. | have yet to
pack"
Must you GO"
Yes. FAREWELL
But another hour passed. and | was
not gone. The same clock struck ~.
l drew her to me. There was a long.
long kiss. Then ! turned AND without
looking back hurried away.
A month Of daily letter writing. a
month of alternate day writing. 81
month of weekly writing-the three
months that l had laid out wherein to
attain the wherewithal to bring her to
me-had passed, and l had only just
found a position giving nj SIS a week.
The correspondence died Il peaceful
death. There were no reproaches on
either side. l had found a pleasant set
Of young people with whom ! had be-
come intimate. and my sisters wrote
me that a great deal was going on at
home. In youth associations are form
ing and reforming rapidly.
Youth is but a kaleidoscope-the
same colors under different groupings.
Two years after leaving home | could
not tell who wrote the last letter. she
or I: three years and l couldn't have
told whether her eyes were black.
brown or hazel: five years. and n
day in ransacking among a lot of rub
bish I came upon her p~icture-the pic
ture l had dreamed over for hours at
q time. I was aStOniShed that l should
ever have thought it beautiful.
She married and went to another city
to live. | didn't hear her married
name. or If l did l forgot it. 1t vas
twelve years from our parting over the
gate before l saw her again. 1t was at
a summer resort. l had become in
fatuated with a girl Of twenty. fresh
as a new blown rose. and when the hot
season came l followed her to the coun-
try. She was chaperoned by her aunt.
Mrs. Schenck. apparently about forty,
with grizzly gray hair. a pinched ex-
preston and a sharp voice. She had
five children. all Of them with her. and
no nurse. Surely was not that enough
to spoil any woman's attractiveness?
l became engaged. 1t was evening.
and l was obliged to leave the next
morning. l told my story and was &C.
copied at the last moment before my
departure and as everybody at the no.
lCl NoS SOluS " DCU. "ucu 1 SCC Ol
for the train she went with me down
to the gate. and we stood leaning over
it. l without. she within. | held both
her hands in mine and looked into her
moonlit eyes. l assured her that |
should look forward to her return to
the city with eagerness. and she prom.
Used to cut short her stay in the couD.
wv Vya hand n 11o1po of;ra vh;ef1n a
distant rattle. drawing nearer. and a
train stopped at the station below;
then presently the moon shone on
something white. and a woman came
up the path.
"Oh, Aunt Juanita!' exclaimed my
iancee. Where have you been?"
l started. | had cause to remember
that name-that uncommon name-Jua'
nita.
ITO the p%ostofice to get Franks let.
ter. He always posts it to come on
this train"
Pm so glad you're here that you
may congratulate US on our engage
ment. 1t only occurred a few minutes
ago. am SO happy"
II rejoice with you, my dear. l know
just how happy you feel, because your
lover made me feel just as happy 8
dozen years ago"
"You are l exclaimed.
Certainly am"
"Oh, aunty! What does this mean?
= "A case of puppy love between two
y puppies"
And did he-surely he did not play
you false?"
mo more thar l did him"
!, singular" | i%nterposed. that
. didn't recognize you"
y mot at all. A woman. especially s
. married woman with five children
. grows old very quickly. while a mar
: usually stands still till he is past for
= ty." Then, kissing her niece. she sale
:, to her: II wish you every happiness
- dear. can conscientiously recon
: mend your lover and assure you thai