The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-03-13

he outdfeSSeo me. saw that ArAbet.
has love for. me was waning. With
his channels gioved hands that new
guy famed the ancient flame"
He paused. Emotion-or the smoke
Of the ~ctgar-choked him.
Lets make the short story shorter,
be said. "She threw me down. lu my
haberdashery l thought It over. / was
blue. bitter. I resolved on a dreadful
step. In the night ! wrote her q lot.
ter and carried 1t down to the box and
posted It. Life without Arabelia. said
the letter. was Shakespeare With Ham,
let left out. It limited at the river.
carbo'fc acid. revolver Yes: l post
ed it. And then
And then" urged Mr.. Magee.
Mr.. Bland felt tenderly Of the horse
shoe pin in his purple tie.
This is just between u.s." he said.
AT that point the trouble began. 1t
came from my being naturally a very
brave lar l could have died-easy.
The brave thing was to live. To go
on day after day devoid Of Arabelia-
say. that took courage. l wanted to
try it I'm a courageous man, as l
say"
You cen So Mr.. Magee agreed.
Lion hearted" assented Mr.. Bland.
II determined to show my nerve and
live. But there was my letter to Ara
bella. l feared she wouldn't appre-
ciate my bravery. Women are dull
sometimes. 1t came to me maybe she
would be hurt if ! didn't keep my
word and die. SO l had to~-disappear.
had IA friend mixed up in affairs at
Baldpate. No; l can't give his name.
old him my story. He was impress
ed by my spirit, as you have been.
He gave me a key he had-the key of
the door opening from the east veran-
da int' the dining room. So l came
up he~e. | came here to be alone, to
forgive and forget. to be forgot. And
maybe to plan a new haberdashery in
distant parts"
WAS it your wedding necktie," ask
ed Mr.. Magee, that you threw into
the safe when you saw me coming?"
mo-" replied Mr.. Bland. signing
deeply. "A package Of letters, writ
ten to me by Arabeila at various
times. | want to forget 'em. If | kept
them on hand | might look at them
from time to time. My great courage
might give way. You might 6nd my
body on the stairs. That's why l hid
them"
Mr.. Magee laughed and stretched
forth his hand.
Relieve me-" he said. your touch
ing confidence In me will not be be-
trayed. congratulate you on your
narrative power. You want my story.
Why am l here? am not sure that
ii is worthy to follow yours. But It
has its good points-as I have thought
it out"
He went over to the table and pick
ed up a popular novel upon which his
gaze had rested while the haberdasher
spun his fabric Of love and gloom. On
the cover was q picture Of q very dash
ing maiden. "@"'
do you see that. girl?" he asked.
She is beautiful. is she not? Even
Arabella In her most splendid mo.
ments could get a few points from her
! fancy. Perhaps you are not familiar
with the important part such a picture
plays in the success Of a novel today.
The truth is; however, that the noble
art of fiction writing has come to lean
more and more heavily on its illustra-
tors. The mere words that 60 with
the pictures grow less important every
day. There are dozens Of distinguish
ed nOvelists in the country at this
moment who might be haberdashers II
it weren't for the long. lean. naughty
ladies who are scattered tastefully
through their works."
Mr.. Bland stirred uneasiiy.
II can see you are at loss to know
what my search for seclusion and pri-
vacy has to do with all this" contin-
ued Mr.. Magee. 81 am an artist. For
years ! have drawn these lovely ladies
who make fiction salable to the masses.
Many a novelist owes his mOtOrcar and
his country house to my brush. Two
months ago l determined to give up H.
l~ustration forever and devote my time
to painting. l turned my back on the
novelists. Can you imagine what hap
pened!"
MY imaginatiOn's a little tired"
apologized Mr.. Bland. ;
Never mind. I'll tell you. The lead
ing authors whose work | had SO long
illustrated saw ruin staring them in
the face. They came to me on their
knees. figuratively. They begged. They
pleaded. In order to escape them and
their really pitiful ~pleadings l had to
flee. l happened to have a friend in
yolved in the management Of Baldpate
inn. l am not at liberty to give his
name. He gave me a key. So here l
am. rely on you to keep my secret.
Ii you perceive a novelist in the dis
lance lose no time in warning me-"
Mr.. Magee paused. ~chuckling inward
~. He stood looking down at the
lovel0rn haberdasher. The latter got
to his feet and solemnly took Magee's
hand.
''I-I-Oh. well. you've got me beat