The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-12-25
A: Mystery
Solved
81 SARAH BAXTER

MathewsOD was standing during .
social function before a mantei With
bis thumbs In his waistc0at pockets
and nls legs Ut an angie OF about ten
degrees gaping Ut the rrvwds Of men
and women passing and repasstng He
had tired VI the disconnected. chOppy.
aimiess conversation wh,rh u the only
possible kind tn sucb places and stood
It Bot he did not Dire Of watching
others who were bunting for some
thing to say to one another that would
1t in With q possible interruption u,
any moment
Presently turning, there stood u Judy
beside him. evidently passing the Time
discontentedly like. She was a,.'u,
t~wenty-four years Of age and at least.
SO far as her appearance was ronr-rD
ed. very attra ctive.
Suddenly the lady put her nand ~
bis arm and said as Familiarity rs II
she had known him: 1T Is sitting 10
here. / must get some air"
"ANSbS '"u "SN ~ cuA W
his life What was her object in ap
propriating him thus he could not di,
vine, but ~ was not minded to throw
a straw III the way OF anything she
might intend Being a man OF the
world y wei bred man. a considerate
man. ne manifested no surprise; neither
did h., presume upon an acquaintance
that was not his
lyon are quite right about tht az
IN there being sitting. NJ saiu
was thinking Of getting ont OF 1t AN
self"
This commonplace remark Secmpd To
pnt the ladN IT her cas-. ana, guild
ing her companion mt "a coy nook
whore they We're not likely to be IN
terrnpt"d she c0nvers"d not In the bits
OF nothing 10 be expected. but gradually
led the way into topics OF interest.
MathewSOn spent IA charming hai1
hour. expecting he while that the lady
before partln. with him would make
known her reason for having apprU
priated him Blu presently an old lady
came and remarked. II ave been look.
ing everywhere for you." and the
younger woman. arising. nodded to
Mathewson. and the two ladies walked
away together
Later Mathewson pointed out the
lady who had appropriated him. ask
ing who she was. and was told that
she was a Mrs, Olcott Having ex
pressed disappointment, his compan-
Ion remarked:
shes d missus, out not married
She's q divorcee."
do you know herY" asked Mathew.
son
Il do"
'"rheD Introduce me-"
There was 40 opportunity at the
time. for the lady. together with the
elderly woman who had joined Der.
was going upstairs preparatory to lew
ing the mouse.
A few days later MathewsOn Met
Mrs OIcott ut another function. She
passed him In company With Others.
nj did not look ut MIN At this ne
was not surprised. Having aD appoint
ment to call upon Der the next evening
with the friend who was to introduce
him. b- found her kindly disposed:
out. though he sat with her for some
time. she made no mention Ut the mat
ter Of her appropriation Ut MIN. She
discussed any subject that MathewsOn
proposed or toward whirh ne Ied the
way: tut. although he evera umrs
gave her IN opportunity to explain why
she mad used him.. she refrain"d from
an explanation.
Whether II was the ,ady's personality
o. the mystery attending their tirst
meeting II was not long h"fOre he walls
enthraIi.d She accepted MS attentions
not witt, the 1ckleness OF II Young girl
Uut with the exl ber1rnCr ~ u W0o
nad ue+n married M%athewson. ut first
having u Knnwi-dge that she had been
y wife, was sOlI,eW nat rhary ut failln.
ID ,uv- with net TOT Or argued That u
ne u,iu ru,i,d not i've with her pos
>Ibi, another might lind II difficult
Kul after awhile NJ cast ]pretnut,OD t'
IN. winds. threw up nis hands and was
re;,t. to marry ner II she were y devn
u, uulnau >tA z
There Is tut Que ending to q story
wherein It's hero II madly IN love. He
PROPOSES and Is either accepted Or re
Jected. II be Is rejected the story
ends nowhere: II accepted. 10 marriage.
MathewsOn was accepted
And uow." he said to his tancee. -
suppose II II In order for me to ask
Why you saw 1T on II certain evening
when you md | stood side BY side.
utter strangers. to put your hand on
my arm and lead ne away a. u We
were acquainted" =
Il fear to tell you." she replied.
"WhyY
Il did It to avoid meeting some M
You may think the dag may come
when I will put my hand on some
other mans arm to avoid you"
"Please cease to speak In Riddles"
while I stood beside you I ca " two
men eibowine their way through the