The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-09-05
Initiating the
Ostrich
., ELLIOTT SMITH

One crisp October day q young man
alighted from q train In Q quiet VII
laga During the summer be had met
at a country resort a Miss Mathews,
with whom he had dawdled about
boating. fishing. swimming, dancing
in short, doing those things which,
when done in company with a pretty
girl. generate love almost as surely 40
a dynamo will generate electricity.
During the period that they were to-
gether another young man named Oar.
gan had come from the city, evidently
for the purpose of being with the giri.
for he Immediately proceeded to mo-
nopolize her. Since he showed plainly
that he was a sutton the young man Of
the 1rst part. Emery. who had no more
idea Of marrying a wife than he had OF
establishing a bank, dropped out In bis
favor, leaving the young lady free to
accept bis attentions. After several
days passed in company with her NJ.
Dargan left the resort, and Miss Aath-
eWs was again unabsorbed Nj. Bm-
cry slowly drifted back to bis formee
status.
There 4 no position moro capable a
exciting q mans self contempt than
TO occupy the time and attention Of Q
young lady whom he has no thought Of
marrying. But let him once realize
that be doesn't wish any else 70
marry her and he cannot but considee
himself q veritable dog In the mangsE.
Such was the position occupied By Nc.
Emery when he recommenceds spend
ing bis time In Miss Mathews con-
pany.
A. he afterwasd said. be was IKE
the ostrich that hides it, head In to
sand to avoid being observed. Yet b
was observed not only By others. but
By himself.
When Mr.. Emery left the resort and
Miss Mathewt' society hs had made .
step In advance. He knew that b
would rather be hanged for M. Oar
gan's murder than that the said Oar
gan should marry Miss Mathews. But
why7 Did he want her himself Sure
~ he had not gone on bis outing With
the intention Of becoming engaged3 It
was not feasible that he should become
engaged. He had but 5000 a year.
and that was not sufficient to meet his
own personal requirements. He did
not know what Miss Mathews had and
didn't care. Matrtmony vas with him
out Of the question anyway.
Some five or six weeks after the part
ing he was weak enough to 60 to tho
place where Miss Mathews lived. He
went there to see her. but why he did
not know. He had no more intention
Of entering the lists with Dargan-oe
any one else, for that matter-than be
had gone away In the summer to mar
~ a wife. He had written her that hs
would be In the vicinity Of her home
and would make a stop for the purpose
of renewing an acquaintance 90 pleas.
antly formed during the sumner" He
would call on a certain afternoon.
Why will persons say things they
don't mean. knowing that those 70
whom they say them know they mean
something else7
In what occurred during that visit I
don't charge Miss Mathews With hav.
ing purposely brought It about. Never.
theless IL she did she had q perfect
right to do 80. When Emery called on
her that afternoon he raj ushered By
a maid into a cozy library. where
stood a lady's writing desk on which
Miss Mathews wrote her letters, and
he had no sooner entered than be saw
a letter ready for the post lying where
It had been written. He could not well
help seeing the approximation.
The epistle was addressed to Darean.
Vas It one Of a correspondenea1
Was 1t an acceptance7 Was It Q 70
jecuon3 That was for him to 6nd out
When Miss Mathews cams In
t~astefully arrayed. Of course-shs ex-
pressed herself much pleased 10 meet
again a summer Acquaintance"
A GUNNER acquaintance-that was
true, but 1t was CALLING. He had said
that he was pleased ITO renew IN &C.
quaintance." etc. That b msw.
all foldesol. bat tho Ams thing
coming from Miss Mathews vas vsey
different It was depressing. sadden-
ing. Indeed. Il was worse than . do
@, funeral bells an toifing ct oncA
Miss Mathew eyes fell on the lsttsr
on tho desk. She started Dmeey
didn't start. but there was q sudden
whiriwtnd Of feeling within him witch
eoasulatsd With q purpose He piung.
Cd into the Rubicon.