The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-12-02
Frankfort turnpike. But at this ar
rancement I baked.

IdHceIucHI l DdIkcO.
Despite a certain curiosity to see
his wife, the lady who had left such
a melancholy impress or the heart OF
my friend, there were considerations
which outweighed curiosity. My own
peculiar affections bore more heavi.
ly on me than those of my acqualn-
tances, and I had no yearning for the
effort of s%ocializing.
So Weighborne protestingly drove
me to the Phoenix, and armed me
with a visitors card to the Lexing-
ton Union club. I could see that he
was deeply absorbed. His mind was
so focused on coal and timber devel-
opment that it was difficult for him
to think of other matters. My enthu-
siasm Jagged at the prospect Of fol.
lowing his untiring energy over hours
Of close application to detail. I would
put it off until tomorrow.
Yet, I had hardly taken my seat at
table in the dining room of the Phoe-
nix, when a page called me to the tele-
phone booth, and Weighborne's voice
came through the transmitter.
"Hullo, old man, did I drag you
away from food? Sorry, but there are
some papers here I'd like mighty well
to have you look over. I might bring
them in. but If you don't mind run
ming out, it would be better.
OF necessity I assented.
I'LL have my chauffeur call for you
at eight-thirty," he arranged; and
meanwhile I'll be getting things into
shape here. BY the way"-his voice
took on a reassuring ~note-"you side
stepped my roof-tree this evening, and
I gathered that you were not In thu
mood for meeting people,"
I murmured some insincere assur-
ance to the contrary, which did not
beguile him.
I'VE shall have the house quite to
ourselves" he said. "All the family
are fitting off to a dance at the Coun-
try. Club"
An hour later his q turned in at q
stone gate and up a long tree-lined
From the windows Of a gen.
erously broad, colonial mansion came
a CHEEKY blaze of light, throwing shad-
ows outward from the till white COL
umns at the front. I could not help
thinking of Maxwell's lodgings in
Washington Square, and rejecting
that, all prejudice aside, the flower Of
his worship had not chosen so badly
in transplanting herself here.
Weighborne met me at the entrance
of a hall over which hung the charm
of ripe old portraits and wainscoted
walls. Furnishings of transformations
passed into a large library, where a
wide hearth dispensed the cheer Of
blazing logs, and our feet sunk deep
in Persian rugs.
Yet, even here, although instructive
~ hospitable, my host was plainly
immersed in coal and timber; for, as
soon as he had done the honors, he'
plunged me into a litter OF statistics.
1, poor business man that I was,
had, time after time, to force my mind
back from it's undisciplind straying.
AS he talked of c%oal-veins, I would
find myself thinking of coral reefs.
When he enlarged upon advances in
timber tracts, l would be seeing in
my memory a circle of mahogany
skinned pygmies squatting silently
about a portrait spiked to a sailors
chest with a pair of Damascus dag.
gers.
At last Weighborne began sorting
through the papers for some mis-
placed document. He crossed the
room to a desk at one corner, which
he found locked, and his ejaculation
was one of deep annoyance.
my wife has locked the desk and
Heaven only knows where she has
put the key" he explained. It'll have
to call the Country Club and ask
her."
His words must have carried to the
next room, for at once a voice an
swered. 1t was a richly musical con-
tralto, and at it's first syllable my
heart stood still, and the room COM
menced to whirl about me. I had
never heard it, and yet l had heard
ft-singing in a wilderness of coral
and orchids.
Surely, after all, the big-little doc
tor was right; I was becoming a lun-
attic.
Billy" called the voice, "you
needn't phone. I'm here. I'll unlock
IT,"
MY host turned in surprise and
walked over to the door.
"Hullo, Frances!" he exclaimed.
didn't you go to the club?"
II had a headache" replied the
voice. II sent the others off, and
stayed at home. I'll come, in just a
moment"
I stood waiting, my pulses pound
ing turbulently. Had my host not been
just then dedicated to a single idea
he must have noticed my pallor and
wondered at the fascination with
which 7 came to nv feet and stood