The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-06-20
Their Love
Letters
By EDITH '. ROSS

44V - AK kAOA "c WV ~~ -
70 humdrum an affair as married life.
Nevertheless the two conditions are
very different. and there Is no doubt
that love before marriage is like the
wind playing upon the strings Of q
harp, now bringing forth low, sweet
sounds and now the widest strains.
1t is not only the greatness Of these
changes. but the suddenness. Take the
case Of Gus Pickering and Sara Trav-
ers' for instance. They met at a barn
dance and dew at each other as II
drawn together by a pair Of thousand
volt magnets. Two days later they did
not speak to each other when they met.
In three more days they were engaged.
Then they. living in different towns.
began that voluminous letter writing
which never has been and never can be
eQualed by any other correspondents
than lovers. The letters that passed
between them varied daily from one
to Eve. the one representing ordinary
conditions. the five when Gus wrote
something Sara did not understand.
Alas. the day came when Gus per-
petrated a joke in one Of his letters
that Sara did lot understand. and she
slapped his letter right back at him.
Had he not been proud of his joke the
affair might have passed like their
thousand and one other spats. As It
was, Gus wrote that since Sara had
thought proper to return one OF his
letters she might return them all.
To this Sara replied that she was
not so silly as to leave him In pos
session Of her letters and If he wished
his own the first thing for him to do
was send every scrap she had ever
written him. To this Gus replied that.
since a great deal of gush had been
written by both. perhaps it would be
well for them to make an exchange.
To this Sara agreed and said she
awaited the return Of his ''gush" and
would thereafter be careful how she
wrote any more Of 1t to any man.
A number of very short and pointed
notes passed between them as to which
should frst return the others letters.
and no Roadway was made. Then Gus
proposed that they should compromise
the matter. Certainly" was the re.
ply. I'm ready for a compromise"
"Well." Gus answered. what shall the
compromise be?" why. you send
back my letters. Of course: then I'll
send back yours"
About this time an acquaintance OF
Gus was sued for breach Of promise
This put an idea into his head. BE
had been making love to a girl he
didn't know much about and he would
not be surprised IL she should u him
for breach of promise. II she did all
that "gush" be had written would be
read in open court. He fancied the
outlaws of the lawyers. the jury and
the spectators. 1t is very easy for q
man to work himself into q panic. es'
| pecially If he feels that he is In the
| hands Of a woman who is ready to
| turn upon him. Gus climbed from one
imprObability to another till be fan
cied the girl he had thought he loved
wouldn't scruple to do anything for re
venge. And how could any one take 8
greater revenge than by giving up tt
be read to the world such expressions
as my own sweetest, dearest. darling
Pussv' Ugh! How could he have beef
guilty of such folly anyway?
He thought of a great many ways
to get his letters into his own posses
sion, but there was a weak spot In al
Of them. Finally he proposed an ex
change through a mutual friend
"very WELL" was the reply. "Wel
both give them to Madge Walker
She'll give you yours and me mine
"Tm no such fool" he wrote. las K
place any confidence in one of the fe
male sex. The go-between must be I
man" This brought another check Il
the proceedings.
Finally it occurred to Gus that h
might take Sara's letters to her ant
get his own in exchange. Singular
wasn't It. that he had not thought O
this before? He wrote the girl he ha.
wildly loved that he would take he
letters to her and secure his own. afte
which there would be a parting be
tween them that would last forever.
The spring was coming on. and tn
leaves were beginning to bud. Tn
crocuses had already come up. TIL
birds had begun to build their nests
These two haters who had been lover
agreed to meet in q wood back Of tn
girls home. Each appeared, bringin|
q huge bundle Of letters. They met o.
q stile.
Don't you think you owe me q
apologyr' said Sara.
what for?"
why. that horrid thing you wrot
me that caused all the trouble"
what did | say2"
"Whv. you said-yoi said that
can't REMEMBER what you said"
Gus thought hp saw q tear stAn9in
in her e-p. dropping his bundle. b
went tn her put hts arms about b
and kissed her.
Rut the letters. so engrosseds wel
they with their makeup that the
went away and forgot both bunSle