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

OAAA8 0A1u sOScs u" UOSSVUSUxlX n
noisy DIRE roared in the grate.
II wouldn't wander round uune." he
advised You might faIi down surne,
thing-or something I been living ia
these parts on aud on Tor sixty =
and more. and nothing like this ever
anne under my observation beeore.
Howsomever. I guess it's all right II
Mr.. Bentley says 80 III come 10 In
the morning and see YOU down to the
train"
What .rainy" inquired Mr. Maxne.
Your train back to New York CITY,"
replied Mr.. Quimby. Don't try IN
start back in the night. There amt no
train till morning."
"Ah. Quimby." laughed Mr. Magee,
you taunt me You think | won't
stick it ont. But III show you. / tell
you I'm hungry for solitude"
That's all right" Mr.. Quimby re-
sponded. "You can't make three square
meals u day on solitude"
I'm desperate" said Magee. Henry
Cabot Lodge must co,ne t NE. | say,
with tears in his eyes Ever see the
senator that way? No: 1t isn't going
to be an easy job. | must put it over.
l must go deep into the hearts Of men
up here and write what | find. No
more shots in the night. Just the ad-
venture OF soul and soul. Do you see?
BY the way. here's $40. your first
weeks pay as caretaker of a New
York Quixote."
whats that" asked Quimby.
"QuixOte.' explained Mr.. Magee,
twas IA Spanish lad who was a little
confused in his mind and went about
the country putting up at summer re-
sorts in midwinter."
I'D expect it OF Il Spaniard." Quinn
by said. BE careful of that fire. III
be up in the morning" lie slowed
away the bill Mr.. MaSee had given
him. Il guess nothing will interfere
with yOur lOnesOmeness. Leastways |
hope it won't. Good night"
Mr.. Magee babe the man good night
and listened to the thunp of his boots
and the closing OF the great front
door. From his windows he watched
the caretakcr TOY down the road
without LOOKING back. to disappear at
last in the white night.
Throwing OF his great coat. Mr.. Ma.
gee noisily attacked the fire. The
blaze fared red on his strong, humor-
Gus mouth. in his smiling eyes. Next,
in the fickeri4g half light Of suit Z
he distributed the contents Of his trav-
eliug bags about. On the table he
placed a number Of new magazines
and q few books.
Then Mr.. Magee sat down in the biz
leather chair before the fire and caught
his breath.
Yes. here he was. and here was the
solitude be had come to tnd. Mr.. Ma
gee looked nervOusly about, and the
smile died out Of his gray eyes. For
the first time missivings smote him.
good thing? A silence like that Of tlhe
tomb had descended. He recalled st0-
ries OF men who went mad from lone
liness. What place lonelier than this:
The wind howled along the balcony: it
ratified the windows. Outside his door
lay a great black cave in summer gay
with meu and maids. now like Cru
soe's island before the Old man landed.
"Al0ne. alone; all. all alone" quoted
MI. Magee. If i can't think here it
will be because I'm not equipped with
the apparatus. will. III show the
gloomy old critics! ! wonder what's
doing in New York;"
New York! Mr.. Magee looked at his
watch. Eight o'clock. The great street
was ablaze. The crowds were parad-
ing from the restaurants to the thea |
tiers. The electric signs were pasting
lurid legends on a long suffering sky;
the taxis we're spraying threats with
gasoline; the traffic cop at Broadway
and FOrty-second street was madly
earning his pay. Mr.. Magee got up
and walked the door. New York!
Probably the telephone in his rooms
was jangling, vainly calling forth to
sport with Amaryllis in the shade of
the rubber trees Billy Magee-Billy
Magee who sat alone in the silence on
Baldpate mountain. Few knew of his
departure. This was the night OF that |
stupid attempt at theatricals ut the
Plaza. stupid in itself. but gay. almost |
giddy. since Helen Faulkner was to be
there. This was the night Of the din |
ner to Carey at the club. This was the |
night-of many diverting things.
He strode to the window and looked |
down at the few dim lights that pro-
claimed the existence Of Upper Asque- |
| wan Falls. Somewhere down there
was the Commercial House; some !
where the girl who had wept so bit
terly in that gloomy little waiting !
room. She was only three miles away. /
and the thought cheered Mr.. Magee. |
After all. he was not on a desert ~
land.
And vet he was alone. intensely, a.
most painfully a~l0ne-alOne in a vast
moaning house that must he his only
home until he could 90 back to the gay
city with his masterpiece. What .
masterpiece: As though with a sur