The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-12-16

"Your husband" I repeated. "John
Weighborne."
She contemplated me as though I
we've a new and rather interesting va.
riety of maniac, then her laugh was
long and delicious. Her clouded eyes
cleared and danced like skies in which
the sun has suddenly burst through
rain.
"Oh," she said finally. II understand
now"
Once more her face grew grave, and
she added with a catch in her voice:
"And. thank God, l do understand"
"For Heavens sake" I implored,
"tell mi what you understand. As for
me, I understand nothing"
why, you totally unspeakable idot,"
she explained as though she had
known me always and as though we
had long been close comrades" II
haven't any husband-yet. That's my
brother. Didn't you know that?"
I stood at gaze, dazed, stupefied,
open-mouthed; everything that de-
notes the gawky fool.
Then I dropped fervently on my
knees at her feet and shamelessly
seized both her hands in mine and
kissed them. Since It was a night Of
miracle, she made no effort to release
them, and. I crushed them greedily
while my tongue could find no words
until, as I afterward learned, her
rings cut into the flesh.
But" I stammered finally, you are
Frances Weighborne. His wife Is
Frances Weighborne. Bob Maxwell
told me-"
She laughed again, and Weigh
borne's heavy breathing became al
most a snore. After all, first impress
sions are best. Weighborne was q
capital fellow, one could not help lik.
ing him.
Correct" said the lady indulgently,
as though she were teaching a small
boy his primer lessons. II I'm Fran.
ces Weighborne. My sister-in-law was
also christened Frances in baptism.
and acquired the in matri-
mony. There may, so far as I know,
be various other Frances Weigh
bornes. We have never copyrighted
the name"
"Oh, my God!" I groaned. "What an
unspeakable imbecile I've been-but
you're wrong, dearest, you are the
only one."
do you think it necessary to swear
about it," she inquired. And are
you now quite certain that I'm the
right one?"
"There isn't any time TO swear" I
assured her; there is so infinitely
much to say-but not here. Come out
in the moonlight. Give M five min
utes. Unless I speak now I shall die
of suppressed emotion. al my life
I've been a supposedly extinct volva-
10. I'm no longer extinct. Yes, you're
the right one."
I rose, and, still holding her hands,
lifted her to her feet. I picked up the
SWEATER dilu ISIu IL Jul, Dut SlIO
s%cornfully refused it.. At the door,
with my hand on the latch, l paused.
NO." I exclaimed, hardly realizing
that I was speaking aloud. "You open
it. In the dream it is always you who
opened the door into the other world"
She wheeled and looked me in the
y her own pupils wide and incredu-
lous.
"Do you have it, too?" she demand
ed breathlessly. do you dream my
dream? Do I come to you in some
vague danger and lead you through
a .oor?"
She laid her hand on the bolt, just
as I had SO often seen her do u my
vision, and we stepped together out
into the glory of the frost and moon.
Gas you are doing now" I answered.
Then, with a new wonder, I demand
ed: '"But tell me, how in Heavens
name could you dream of me before
you knew me?"
She laughed mockingly.
"Perhaps," she vouchsafed, eff you
make yourself very agreeable l may
tell you"