The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-08-14
APESSlMIST
He Was Converted TO ;
Optimism
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

+ BY DWIunT NORWOOD I
Billy Bryce and I were inseparable
companions. bosom friends. We were
.opposites in disposition. and | think
such dissimilarity is one Of the most
effective OF all causes of friendship.
Billy was as CHEEKY a chap as ever
lived, l was inclined to be morose.
Billy said nice things to people which
he only half meant. l said gruff things
to them that l didn't mean at all. l
didn't need to understand Billy. be-
aus he always appeared amiable. but
Billy needed to understand me. for l
was constantly saying something dis
agreeable-why, ! scarcely know N.Y.
self: quite likely to up a liking
for the person to whom l spoke.
was very dependent upon Billy for
cheerfulness. and when he wrote me
that he was engaged to be married It
was a sad blow to me. ! had had other
friends who had married. and the
friendship between us was never the
same as before their marriage. l would
30 to their homes for Sunday dinner
and be heartily welcomed. but it was
always plain that the wife and children
had supplanted me I was q second.
third or fourth consideration.
Billy's letter indicated that be real.
lied the change his marriage would
cause in our intimacy and seemed in
tent on preventing 1t so far as possible.
II WISH" he said. that there shall be
the same friendliness between you and
Luella as between you and me. You
shall have the freedom Of the house at
al times, whether l am at home or alb
sent. You must not expect me to have
the slightest jealousy for you. My
6ancee agrees with me perfectly in this
and, instead Of having that jealousy
brides are subject to for a bosom friend
OF her husband, will welcome you to
the family circle as one Of u.s.
This did not reassure me at all. l
was s~upplanted. put down from first
to second place. l knew Billy's op-
timistic disposition and also knew
that he could not suspend q natural
law. ! wrote him that II he did not
wish the lady be was to marry to
freeze me out Of the house he had
better tell her that II she wished 1t
he would lever see M again. That's
just like you" be replied. but you
can't move either ME or Luie with your
pessimism."
Billy asked me to be best man. bot l
detest ceremonies and took care to be
called away On q matter of business at
the time Of the wedding. But I sent
q handsome wedding present. was
not 70 brutally frank as to tell Billy
l had gone away on purpose to get
rid Of officiating at his wedding. but l
told him that doubtless his bride would
appreciate my wedding gift far o
than she would me.
After the wedding Billy brought his
wife to the city where he and l had
always lived. The tirst time l met his
wife ! al surprised that he should
have married a girl with a disposition
90 like his own. His wife ,grasped my
hand cordially. looked at me with a
smile on her.. pretty lips and a twinkle
in her bright eye and said:
BILLY says you are awful grumpy.
but we'll take that out of you. won't
Billy?" and she looked at him
knowingly.
My first call was short suppose
am prone to look out for trouble, but It
seemed to me that Mrs. Bryce was a
trifie too demOnstrative. l was stricken
with fear that instead of being. Jealous
Of me, as | had supposed. she might
make Billy jealous Of me, and that
would be ten times worse than II she
determined that l would not be drawn
into any such danger. To be sup
planted In first place with my friend
was bad enough; to be placed at en-
nifty with him would be narrowing. l
resolved that ! would not call on Mn.
Bryce again for q month 1t least
But the very next day / was sum-
moned to the telephone and heard the
lady's CHEEKY voice say:
els that you. Mr.. Quimby2 Come up
70 dinner this evening. We dine ct Z.
You needn't bother about evening
dress II you don't Wish to. Don't fail
ne. Billy has to 80 ont. and ] shall
~ all alone"
While I was trying to frame IN e.
cuoe ! hsard . click, and that was the
end OF the one stdsd dialogue. Al
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