The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-01-08

Flow long a time do you want?'
It'll next Christmas
mo force used?"
None w%hatcver"
Very well. I'll give you till next
Christmas. But you'll lose"
III ! do you'll win"
"I1i choose the gloves. wear
SKIES"
III ! lose 1t won't make any differ
.ence. expect to give you q Christ
mas present anyway"
"Oh. pshaw:: didn't think Of that.
You're very cute. aren't your"
Il latter myself I'm a match for a
adrt.'
He, response to- this vas a face
,nd the subject was dr"pped.
This bargaim was made in June. and
| hud six mouths in which to get into
that drawer. which was kept locked
the Key on Mnbel:s person and the
desk in Mnbpt's nm where ! was not
supp s.d IT, t | had no iden of
~ akin. II Sllte. SIS Of it. | had proposed
it OIL, for II lark
Having learned by the stepping In
sou that F. wanted tier for myself.
was IN constant dread that lie or sOint
other fellow would AXE her away
from me. AT the same time | shrunk
ram s,,taktlig w he, oT love. i iyaIru
to break up the tnOtberly and sisteriy
,.,t,, tf<N,,.t,iy, h, ,r,ki<l, baEl fn.A,, ~
c,lstOrned fruin my earliest recollection
True too Maiei didn't give me the
slightest encouragement to ulake the
rhnnae When any nlan WAS attentive
10 her and ] showed thar I was dis
gruntied she seemed surprised. looking
at NE with the expression 0f one who
did not understand my dissatisfaction.
If would say. Mabel. why do you
permit that cad to tie dancing attend
ance upon you?" she would reply:
Why. I think he's very nice. DO you
know any rcaso Why l shouldn't"
"Marry him? Certainly / do. He IL
not the man for you at all"
Then she would walk away apparent
ly unified. and there would he no trou
BILE between US till the next fellow
ce.lne buzzing about her
Occasionally Mabel would say to Inc.
Have you purchased my gloves YETI
and l would reply. mo; there is plen-
ty Of time for that" whereupon she
would tell me what color she preferred.
tmpressing upon me the exact shades
and showing me certain articles Of
dress she wished tt be matched. I
u rather amused than interested. for
| could see that. despite her apparent
confidence. she suffered some trepida
ion for fear I might in some unforeseen
way succeed.
A piece Of good or bad luck. as the
case may be. gave me an advantage.
Mabel and ! rode horseback together,
and one day when we were passing
through, 4 wood jumped my horse
over u log that was rather higher than
those we had been accustomed to take.
cleared it. aud Mabel tried to do so
too. She raised her animal too
and he came down with bis belly on
the log. Mabe! fell on the other side.
and l picked her up.
noticed that the chain to which
her desk key was attached had parted
and lay on the ground beside her, but
was too much concerned about her
to do more than pick 1t up. nseen by
her. and put it in my pocket.
She insisted that she was not hurt
and mounted her horse. Fortunately
we were not far from home and had
no diflculty in reaching it. She did
not miss her chain and key. and ! said
nothing about them. The chain l re-
turned the next day. but insisted on
Keeping the key till after Christmas
Mabel declared that it was unfair to
take advantage of an accident, but this
did not move NE.
determined, now that l had the
key. to effect an entrance to Mabel's
room when NJ me was there and pos
sess myself Of her secret. But l must
strategy | was invited to spend
Christmas. AS the year before. at my
aunt's and on Christmas eve went to
the house provided with the glove for
felt and admitted to Mabel that having
no hope Of winning 1 had provided
them. This threw her completely OF
her guard.
The next morning 1 remained in my
room till l heard her go downstairs,
then slipped into her room. opened the
desk and applied the key to the little
drawer.
And what did / find there? The sur
prise Of my life. There was a small
card photograph Of myself taken when
I was twelve years old. a tiny china
doll I had given her one Christmas
when she was but six. a misspelled
letter I had written her and several ar
ticles Of no more intrinsic value than
these. but evidences of how dear they
were to her. Replacing them. I locked
the drawer. closed the desk and went
When 1t came my turn to give my
Christmas presents I handed the gloves
to Mabel and a ten pound boz Of candy
besides. On opening the box she saw
the key to her desk drawer.
II knewyon would not succeed in.
that matter. she said. and l did not
toll hor that 7 had cncnoodod Rrf nm