Devils Lake inter-ocean., 1913-10-24

keep her out of mischief. Having i'm
ished her education. there seemed Moth
ing more for her 10 do hut to wait for
her affinity and be married. This was
not to her taste. AMI she proposed to
her father to study we'll. something,
anything, so that if she should be left
without
"NonscnSe." said the father IN
not permit anything of the kind
Then Nellie considered matrimony.
The only man who wanted her, so far
as she knew. was Fred Langley. But
Fred was too matter of fact. He WAS
plodder He had plodded at college.
at the law school and was now piod-
ding in his profession She thought
over number of others. but they all
had something about them unSuited To
her taste. She gave up the matrimo-
nial problem. but one day. on reading
a matrimonial advertisement. just for
fun she thought she would advertise
for husband and see what kind Of
answers one receives in such cases.
Sitting down at the desk in the H.
brary. she wrote in large hand ther
own was very delicate' with stub
ton in the usual form. Then lest
some one should find out that she was
SO absurdly engaged she took it to the
newspaper office herself.
i. A correspondence Sprang up between
Nellie and an unknown gentleman who
called himself AlonZo Courtney. Nellie
writing as ClariSsa Varinn. the letters
growing in length till near the end an
average letter covered twenty-four
pages. Nellie had expected to have a
good laugh ut her replies. She was
mistaken. The first was so delicate
and deferential that no one but IL thor
oughbred could have written it, All
denoted extreme refinement. Then the
original aud attractive ideas the man
had. And how thuS.. ideas appealed to
her. 1t WAS marvellous that one who
had never seen her should have sach
an insight into her most hidden feel
ings His letters became more and
more ilnnlSSiuned till at last he begged
for Il meeting
S& Had not Nellie Blake fallen in love
= with Il soul she Mad seen expressed on
paper she would not have granted such
Ean interview. AS it WAS. taking Ad-
vantage Of IN evening when her par
zents would he out. she wrote Mr. Court
ney that she would receive him ut
O'Clock. When the hour arrived. she
was in the drawing room in her most
becoming costume. When the doorbell
sounded. her heart went up in her
throat Then came the card Of MIR.
Alonzo Courtney. and while he was
getting off his coat and hat in the, hall
she thought she should faint. The
drawing room door was pushed open,
and in walked the matter Of fact Fred
Langley.
To say that Nellie was angry gives
no idea Of her condition. She was too
enraged to say anything for a few mo-
ments. Then she hissed: "
5 "Impostor:' |:..,F 49,
rs it an imposture for a man to
transcribe his inner self in words to
one he loves?" .. ....
How did you know that | advertis.
ed?' s., - 5S3
t"One morning, doubtless soon after
you wrote your advertisement. / called
on you when you were not at home
! The maid. who did not know that you
We're out. showed me into the library
and went upstairs to deliver mes.
sage from me While waiting for her
return noticed some large black let.
ters in reverse Oh the blotter on the
desk amused myself deciphering
what made an excellent puzzle and had
nearly finished before it occurred .tu
me that ! was reading q secret, For
this | must apologize, VIII you for
give me- Il; IS. sa s53$ 5s 5s5is 5 K.
And then o. "a; IS, i.a I. 4: p t,s
ut occurred TO me that sou had writ
ten the duplicate. / wanted to discoy.
er under cover what Of strength or
weakness. good or evil. there might be
in you. ! watched for your advertise
ment and answered it, ''S g.. "a +s .ss.* {.
Had you Alright to do so :''Es l=.sJ2a sJ22ya
No. One has never the right to lie
in coEcealment fora friend. Yet had
not beeil yonrs friend i should have
had Il perfect right. y girl who adver.
tises for q husband is open to all the
world. Would Yoii deny me the right
you had given millions of strangers o..
Nellie WINGED s ss 81 5i.} 3i;s:: &
| ts. Neverthe eless.' he Went on. the in
discretion las brought Il revelation to
inc. Ind no ileaE Of the depth Of feel
sHg there is. in yCili'%natllre. your noble
conceptions and especially your desire
to be, something more than Il drone.,s''Ss3s:
He. T coiltd have said nothing that
| would have so well pleased her. She
turned aWay2to harrnonizef her con
I hicting emotions. The 4. A.oIzo Court.
|, rley rley she #hiid pictured sii, her imagina.
ton q was Y giving place To- the plain Fred
| l4ingley Bit that being who had
been photo aphed In Ills letters there
The was waiting fof; her to speals i d gain.
E4 Without turning she reached I her
hand backiEald. Langley sI,rang for--
ward and took il. She giooked fol.
some Of the itnpassioned -inliles she
I had read 80 often md arGptsfYtsd fnfn