The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-03-21

Tu1uUEUp tell OOWu the WIOS IUGO0t VI
the chimney. and It was so like Z whis.
per that ! jumped q little.
As | lay down once more On my pill.
low l became conscious Of a peculiar
sensation. 1t was tru. that I heard no
voices. that rD wrath :ke firms Gross
ed my vision. yet | seemed to be
among animate things. ! was recpiv-
ing information froIu some unknown
source.
| stared at the highbOy. counted the
glass knobs OF the drawers. assured
myself that there was nothing but the
reflection Of the freight OF the polish
ed front. when all Of a sudden ! saw
Out Of the polished surface there
grew a picture dark shadows for a
background Of shrubbery. a winding
path bordered with flowers. and stand.
ing there was Miss DOrinGa Page as
she appeared In the large painting in
the ORA wing room below Miss DORM
da Of thirty years ago. fair and sweet
and very shy. She was tilnidly offer
ing a rose to a youth. who looked at
her with eyes Of despairing alteration
He bent and kissed her in sudden. pas.
sionate farewell. turned and disappear
cd in the shrubbery. leaving her. white
and trembling. to sink on a garden
bench But he had carried the rose
away. AS Miss Dorinda leaned her
head on her rounded arm the picture
died away. aud there was nothing save
the freight Pickering on the front OF
the highboy and the ticking of the
clock. interrupted by the fall of rain
on the roof.
| was not afraid now l was filed
with pity for the sweet. patient little
woman who had so sturdily taken up
the burden of wage earning when she
had been left alone. Her house of
paying guests" was always filed. and
|, who had known her a dozen years.
the mahogany room and thus stumbled
upon the romance in Dorinda's sad life.
The face of the young man was not
unfamiliar. and | was sure that | had
seen it, older. graver. somewhere. The
| story of the highboy was clear to me
now. 1t had belonged to Ralph Glenn's
people. and it was for his sake she had
| purchased the heirloom. Ralph Glenn
must have been the young man of the
| picture.
"Glenn-Glenn where have | heard
that name?" | questioned to myself as
| dropped off to sleep. and the answer
came as the morning sunlight awoke
49, o 1~p1So,,,po~ sTlr (N1nrN nf
course. stupid
did not see Miss Page until after
breakfast. Then she sought me in the
big veranda. where | was studying the
railroad time table.
mot going home so soon?" she ex-
claimed. with a glance at my occupa-
ton. II hope the mahogany room has
not driven you away. You slept well?'
Beautifully" | assured her. Il must
run home for a day. and then ! shall
return t. lay the ghost of the mahog-
any room"
As the stage era wled it's way up the
long hill to the station ! saw in my
minds eve my home city. On one of
the handsomest streets there was a
row of. brownstone houses given over
to physicians offices On one of the
brass plates was the name Ralph
Glenn. NJ. D." | had met DR.. Glenn
once, and, as | recollected his features.
he might have been that same youth
who had taken farewell Of pretty DO
| rinda Page.
There was no harm in trying. I
thought. so | made my way home and
straight out to the Office of DR.. GlennS
The physician was in. and made my
| chronic neuralgia the excuse for my
! visit. When the consultation was over.
| still l fingered in the Office. He. quiet
grave. middle aged. clever looking.
watched me as If questioning my de-
lay.
II am going away for a fortnight"
explained. I'm going down to Put
wick. Perhaps you know the village?
His face paled. but he smiled polite
". II was born there" he said brief
" and then looked as II he regretted
the confidence.
Then you must know the Page
homestead?" ! said rapidly. THAT Is
where am staying. 1t Is the most
charming old place. and Miss Dorinda
Page is the most charming hostess"
Miss .who?' he asked brusQuely.
looking down on me from his superior
height
Miss Dorinda Page" | replied limo
Gently. "She is the last Of her family
and the sweetest little m in the
world. She
II thought she married Hugh Ora
ham, he burst out. sinking heavily
into a chair. ''They sent me a wedding
invitation. Here it Isl He pulled
open a drawer. and from a leather
covered box he drew forth a yellowed
envelope containing an engraved an
nouncement of the wedding of Dorinda
May Page and Hugh Montgomery Ora
ham on April l. 1890 read it slowly
I'm afraid you are the victim of a
joke. an III timed and fateful April
fool trick" ! said regretfully as | point
ed to the date. whoever perpetrat.