The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-04-17

II love YOU" he continued. Idiot:
Often MI. Magee had thought Of
the moment when he would tell his
love to a woman. 1t was a moment
of dim lights. music perhaps in the
distance, two souls caught up in the
magic of the moonIit night-a pretty
graceful speech from him. a sweet
gracious surrender from the girl. And
this-instead.
II love you" In heavens name. was
he W going to stop saying it? ~
want you to believe"
Good lord! He recalled that a fel-
low novelist. whose love scenes were
regarded as models by young people
suffering the tender passion. had once
confessed that he proposed to his wife
on a street car and was accepted just
as the conductor handed him his trans
fers.
The girl deliberately stopped. There
was never less of sweet gracious III
render in a %suffragette hurting a stone
through a s~hOpkeeper's window. She
eyed Mr.. Magee pityingly. and they
stood until Mr.. Max caught up with
them
$50 that's the hermit's shack" said
Max, indicating the little wooden hut
at which they had arrived. "A funny
place for a guy to bury himself. I
should think he'd get to longing for
the white lights and the table d'hotes
with red wine"
"A very unromantic speech" reprov-
ed the girl. You should be deeply
thrilled at the thought Of penetrating
the secrets Of the hermitage. l am.
Are you, Mr.. Magee?"
She smiled up Mt Magee, and he was
in that state where he thought that in
the blue depths of her eyes he saw the
sunny slopes of the islands of the blest.
"I'- he caught himself In time. he
would not be idiot enough to babble It
again. He pulled himself together.
I'm going to make you believe in me-"
he said. with a touch Of his old iaunti-
Mr.. Max was knocking with charac-
teristic loudness at the hermit's door.
The door Of the hermit's abode e
ed before Mr.. Max's masterful knock,
and the bearded little man appeared 90
the threshold. He was clad in a pur.
pie dressing gown that suggested some
woman had picked it. Surely no man
could have fallen victim to that riot Of
color.
Come in." said the hermit in a tone
SO col0rless it called added attention
to the gown. Miss, you have the
chair. You'll have to be contented with
that soap box davenport. gentlemen.
Welly'
He stood facing them in the middle
of his hermitage.
We have come to plead began
Miss Norton. turning her eyes at their
full candle power on the hermit's
bearded face.
Il beg pardon. miss" interrupted MI.
Peters. but it amt any use I've
thought it oil out-in the night watches,
as the poet says. i came up here to be
alone. l can't be a hermit and a cook
too. l can't and be true to myself.
No. you'll have to accept my resigna-
ton. to take effect at once"
he sat down on an uncertain chair
and regarded them sorrowfully. His
long, well shaped fingers clutched the
cord Of the purple gown.
1T isn't as though We were asking
you to give up the hermit business for
argued Magee. Its just for
a short time-maybe only for a few
days. l shonid think you would wei
come the diversion"
Mr.. Peters shook his head vigorous
ly. The brown curls waved fippantly
about his shoulders.
my instincts" be replied. ARE away
from the crowd. explained that to
you when we 6rst met. Mr.. Aagee."
ANY man. commented Mr.. Max.
fought to be able to strange his in
for a good salary, payable In
You come here" said the hermit
with annoyance, land you bring with
you the sentiments Of the outside
world-the world l have foresworn.
Don't do it. ask you"
II don't get you" reflected Mr.. Max.
mo. pal. l don't quite grab this her
NIT game. 1t amt human nature.
say. Way up here miles from the little
brass rail and the sporting extra and
other things that make life worth Nv
ing. It's beyond me-"
I'm not asking your approval" re-
piled the hermit. "Ali ask is to b
let alone"
LET me speak, said Miss Norton.
Mr.. Peters and I have been friends.
you might say. for three years. It was
three years ago my awed eyes frst fell
upon him. selling his postcards at the
inn. He was to me then the true 70
nance, the man to whom the world
means nothing without q certain wo-
man at bis side. That is what he has
meant to all the girls who anne to
Baldpate. He isn't going to shatter
ideal Of him -he isn't going to "
fuse a lady in distress. You will come
for just a little while, won't you. Nj.