The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-10-30
By EDITH v. ROSS

dence of Mr.. Edward Thorne. 1t is up
the road about a mile. You'll know 1t
when you come to it, for it Is a fine
place between the road and the river"
The cabman lugged the trunk to the
auto. deposited it therein. then started
for T~hornedale. On reaching 1t he
pulled up under a porte-cochere. near
which on the veranda sat a young
lady reading a novel. The gentleman
stepped out of the auto. The cabman
dumped the trunk On the veranda and
drove away The stranger walked
past the young lady through the open
front door into the house. Seeing NJ
such place as a hotel Office or any n
to receive him. he went back on to the
veranda. raised his hat d~eferentially
to the young lady and said:
beg pardon. Can you tell me where
I'll find the landlord"
THE landlord"
Yes, or the clerk or anybody to re-
ceive me. This is the Thorndale hotel.
is it not?"
1.-The T%hornedale? Oh. yes. this is
Thornedale."
II was recommended to come here by
q lady. She is here, is she not-Mrs
OverakerY"
Mrs. Overaker is expected. She has
not yet arrived. You are
"Mr. Wingate-John Wingate."
"Oh, Mr.. Wingate. I've heard Mrs
Overaker speak Of you. Be seated,
Mr.. Wingate. There's no one about
just now but myself. I'll get some one
to show you to your and take
up your trunk"
please don't incommode yourself. |
am in no hurry"
The young lady. who had half risen.
reseated herself.
"Quite likely" said the young man.
fishing for the young lady's name. Il
have heard of you through Mrs. Over.
aker."
II am Luella Humphrey"
"Humphrey." meditatively. 81 don't
know that l have heard her mention
any one Of that name"
"Have you known Mrs. Overaker
long?"
''Only a few months. She came east
last spring and visited some friends
Of mine-the Gr%osvenors."
II was quite surprised to hear that
Mrs. Overaker was coming back this
season. It's a long journey for her to
take"
Its an equally long journey from
here to her home"
An imperceptible smile fitted across
the young lady's lips. She knew why
MI. Wingate vas there and why Mrs
0veraker was coming there. The for
mer was a bachelor. the latter a wild
ow. A courtship between them had
been made easy by the lady. and an
engagement was to be expected. But.
since 1t was difficult for Mr.. win.
gate to go to the widow. the widow
had made an excuse to go to Mr.. Win
gate. She had written him that she
would be at T%hornedale' early in ,Octo-
Der. The lady wpote - an illegible
hand. and Mr.. Wingate read 1.-THE
Thorndale." Supposing the place to be
a hotel. he had gone. there to make
her q proposal.
Mr.. Wingate was q good catch. The
widow was ten years older than he and
had set her. cap. for him, Miss Hum
phrey was a niece or Mi. and Mrs
Thorne and of anEnse. when, young
ladies are usually on the lookout for
husbands. Here was an opportunity.
an opportunity that had been enhanced
by the widows bad handwriting in a n
other way than in leading Mr.. Wingate
to think she was to stay at a hotel.
She had written him and the Thornes
as we'll that she would arrive on the
10th of October. He had read it the LIST
Miss Humphrey. if she played her
cards we'll. might have ten days to get
a matrimonial hook into Mr.. Wingate's
mouth.
After Mr.. Wingate's remark that i,
was an equally long journey to the
Widows home Miss Humphrey sat
listening to what he said further. but
intent on what immediate action she
would take. Presently she excused her
self. and a maid came and showed Mr.
Wingate to his room. His trunk fol
lowed later. While he was making his
toilet an automobile pulled up under
the porte-cochere and a gentleman and
lady alighted. They were Mr., and Mrs.
Thorne. Miss Humphrey told them Of
the guest who had arrived and the
mistake he had made. suggesting that
1t would be amusing to permit him to
continue to be deceived. Thorne. who
was ready for anything whereby to
make his stay in the country endura.
bic. fell in with the plan enthusiast.
cally.
When the guest came down just be.
fore luncheon he was received by Mr..
Thorne, who said to him cheerily:
Sorry not to have been here to re
ceive you. sir. Fact is. we have room
for very few guests at any time. and
now those who have been here nre al
returned to the city 10 don't trouble