The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-06-19

on Lillian. ostensibly to take her for q
drive, really to 20 with her to q clergy
man and be married. She had confd.
ed her intention to u bosom friend OF
hers, a Bessie Angel. and desired that
she be present at tn. ceremony. She
claimed that there should be witnesses.
SO | asked my friend Arnold Brown to
be Of the party. These two were to
meet us ut the parsonage.
Lillian was trembling when she en-.
tered the car. On the way she said
nothing to me. and when ! spoke to
her she replied by monosyllables. /
realized that she was not III a condi-
ton Of sufficient equanimity to take
the most important step In a woman's
life.
There Is yet time" l said. TO re-
treat from this step.
NO" she replied family. Il am
going through with it"
was half minded to stop the mat.
ter where 1t was. but when we are
half minded we r as liza bile to decide
wrong as right. I drove on to the par.
sonage and pulled up before the door.
go in." she said. land see II they
are all there: then come back for me-"
Hadn't you better go in with met" |
asked.
mo: l won't be married without
Bess."
Always persuaded to what l did not
approve of. | went to the front door,
rang the bell and was admitted. |
found Arnold Brown waiting for me.
but no Bessie Angel. Stepping to the
telephone. | called up her home and
asked for her. She came to the tele-
phone. and ! asked her why she was
not at the parsonage. She replied that
she had not been certain from what
Lillian had said to her when they had
last met whether the wedding would
come of or not. 10 this | expressed
surprise. After a dialogue. very unsat
isfactory to me. it was agreed that she
should hold the wire while | went u
to Lillian. and ii l returned with a re-
quest from her friend to come to the
parsonage she would come at once
Setting down the receiver. | ran out to
the car.
1t was where | had left it. but no
Lillian.
My heart went down like lead. |
looked in every direction, though not
expecting to see her. Flight was a it
Ns-rr ,ls-oo~ -, %h~ mobilization ~ HDl
shown. | stood on the steps. wonder
ing what to do.
When we are in a hole we naturally
turn to something or some one to pull
us out. ] thought of Agnes Atherton.
My W judgment had been led sc far
astray by Lillian that ! could not at
once get it in working order. | didn't
know what to do about Arnold Brown.
| shrank from telling him | had sbeen
left in the lurch by one l was about to
make my life partner Returning to
him, l said:
ARNOLD. there is a hitch; wait here
till l straighten it out"
He saw that l was flurried and told
me to go slow: he would wait for me
there till the crack Of doom. Hurrying
out, l drove to Agnes home, and fortu
nately l found her there.
told her the whole story.
had thrown myself on a sofa. and
she sat down beside me. taking my
hand in hers s%oothingly.
1T seems t me- she said. that
there is nothing for you to do but tell
the truth to your friend. Mr.. Brown
and that will end the matter"
Il dare say you're right. but would
rather do a six months term in state
prison than confess to him that l have
been such u fool
l stopped short, and for a few mo-
ments there was silence between US, al
the end of which Agnes asked:
HAS Mr.. Brown ever SEEM
Lillian? No."
"Ill tell you what I'll do for you.
You seem all cut up. and l would like
to help you out My law of action is
the intent. l will go with you to the
parsonage. marry you, and we will
have the marriage annulled at our
leisure"
Never in so short a space of time
vas a revelation made to any human
being. Here was a woman, worthy OF
the devotion of the best man living,
whom l had turned down for the
weakest 1t all came upon me with
sledgehammer force. Clasping Agnes
in my arms. l said:
1T will never be annulled with my
consent"
fastening to a phone, | called up the
parsonage, got Arnold and said:
1.-The tangle is unraveled. l and thu
bride will be with you presently"
In less than half an hour Agnes and
l were in the parsonage. l introduced
her to Brown; then the clergyman was
called from his study and performed
the wedding ceremony, neither he mol
the single witness ~suspecting that in
twinkling there had been a change II
| the bride.
After the ceremony there were still
several hours before the end Of thu
day. and l drove my wife into thu
country What DaSSed between II,