The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-08-28

ceived no answer he was completely
demoralized. Then followed periods OF
sensitive fear, c%alluness. shame and
pride. Why could he not have gone
to see Marcia and said simply. II love
| yOu-be my wife,
Instead Of taking a train and going
a dozen miles to the suburban town
where Marcia lived and having it out
with her he undertook to analyZe her
feelings on receiving his note. He
could see her lip curl on reading his
SO called delicate reference to what he
had given up for her. Then he fan
cied her Indignantly tearing the note
! the w~astebasket.
Instead Of going to Marcia and
throwing himself on her mercy he lis
tened to the dictates of pride. a man,
he argued. conscious Of right. of SUI
periOrity, deferS to a woman She re-
ceives his Difference and appreciates
it as homage. But let him beg for.
! giveness for a wrong he has done her
and he will only add to her contempt
for him.
This reasoning decided him to stand
on his dignity. He would await some
word from Marcia if it killed him. 1t
certainly wore on him dreadfully. He
had been Used to calling on her at
least once or twice during each month.
They seldom met except when he call
ed upon her, for she seldom came to
the city. and when she did there was
Il very slight probability of their pass
ing each other. However, a couple Of
months after Ned had written his pro-
posaI they did meet in a crowded
street. Marcia passed him with a m
strained bow.
One day Ned's father fell and was
picked up unconscious. He never
spoke again and died within two days.
Ned now became the head of Ferguson
4 co. and began his administration of
its affairs by making a thorough in
"~e,tigation as to it's finances. One rea-
son for his overhauling it's accounts
was that he had noticed shortly before
his fathers death that he had appear
ed worried, and it was suspected that
the cause had brought on the stroke
that had resulted in his death. What
was Edward FergusOn's surprise to
find that his father had been engaged
In speculations that had caused an
enormous gap in the firms finances.
Had he lived he would have been
obliged to face a failure within q very
short time.
There was nothing to do but for Ned
to wind up the affairs of the concern.
Fortunately he was not q member Of
the firm and was not loaded with it's
debts. But now, instead of thirsting
for the power that wealth gives, his
only ambition was to pay the debts
left by his father.
While Ned was awakening from a
dream Of wealth, Marcia Fosdick was
awakening from a dream of poverty.
Her father had at last struck a scheme
that paid him very largely. He had
invented an attachment for an auto.
mobile which ooner or later all such
machines must have. He was selling
the right to use 1t to all manufacture
ers. and his royalties were already
considerable.
Ned Ferguson saw In the newspapers
an account Of the invention and the
change It made in Marcia's affairs
When he had written that condescend'
ing letter he was rich and she was
poor. Now the conditions were revers
ed. He had lost his fortune and the
girl he loved. He did not expect q
continuance Of the favors he had re-
cedved from any Of the wealthy girls
he might have married. They were
quite sympathetic, but none Of them
gave him any further encouragement.
One morning Marcia Fosdick receiv.
ed a letter p~ostmarked San Francisco.
Withdra wing it from the envelope. she
found two letters. One was from q
lady whom she had met several times
socially. who said: THE inclosed has
been going the rounds Of this state fol
a long while and has finally come un'
/ NCA NY uONANC. L IuAAA y AOCJ NC III
tended for you. At any rate. l send II
to you"
The moment Marcia saw the address
on the Enclosure, covered with stamped
finger pointers, try this" and TRY
that place." she recognized Ned Fer
gusOn's handwriting.
Ferguson came home one eveninl
with a heavy heart. He had placed
the affairs Of Ferguson & Co. in liqui
dalton and had offered the family HON.
for sale. He found a letter in the hal
awaiting him and, taking it up, saw
at once that it was from Marcia. HI
opened 1t and read 1t:
Your lovely letter was only received thi!
morning after having Travelled all over TIT
state Of California. I regret that It dit
not come to me in time to show you how
deeply I have felt for you from the mo
mem l heard of your af1iction and mis-
fortune. I give you all the consolation
can-my W unworthy self.
Ferguson stood dazed. In an instan'
the fabric he had built up about hi
relations with Marcia Fosdick had col
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