The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-10-15

tnelr 8arden gate. Shall l stick, or
do you want to manage her,"
Drake" she remembered suddenly.
Didn't Tamerlin come back last night?
Mr.. Hickson said so when ne brought
up the mall
did he?" brakes brain worked
slowly at deduction. Shall l 90 and
find out?"
"Oh, OF course, goose!" Flo pushed
him out the back door as the knoch
sounded or the front screen door.
She was striking looking, Flo de-
cided instantly, tall, g~ray-eyed, with
chestnut hair in close, crinkly braids
bound about her head, and escaping
curls. But she looked tired, and Flo
was tender hearted
This is Mr.. Tamerlin's house, 1 wal
told?"
Yes, won't you come in?" Flo put
on her incest welcoming smile. Her
visitor entered, and deliberately looked
about the living room.
He has made it all very homelike
for you, hasn't he?"
She sank into one of the hickory
chairs. and removed ner hat, leaning
her head back on the brown cushion.
Il love it, said Flo impulsively.
ITS the happlest summer we've eve
spent. It's an ideal place for a honey.
moon"
How long since-since you came
here?"
About two weeksl But we shall
stay here until fall" She looked Flo
over c%uriously, with little hard lines
about her mouth as though she want.
ed to cry. do you really love him In
so short a timer"
Love him? Drake?"
They both rose, facing each other
like two little jealous %tigresses.
Are you talking of my husband 2"
demanded Flo, haughtily, as h~aughtily
as she could from five foot two.
Il am speaking Of the man who, by
all laws of love and good faith should
be my husband" retorted the stranger.
Flo realized as she put back her long
white veil that she was very young
too, and just at this instant her face
was colorless.
This whole house was built for me
for my honeymoon, do you hear?
only returned from British Columbia
yesterday and found that Billie Tam
erlin had broken his word to me and
l have come for my things"
Your things" Flo tried to explain
as light broke on her.
you needn't try to claim them too
at all. l sent them down the day be-
fore we were to be married, two
trunks and my books and a lot OF
things from my room at college. II
was all arranged and had been for
weeks. weeks, do you hear?" She was
c%lenching the edge of the little oak
table until her white kid gloves parted
at the seams. my brother and father
didn't like Billie, and l was going to
run away with him, apd-and then a
letter came from the West from dad
and he was horribly i'll, and so OF
course l went to him. l left word fol
Billie, and find he never received the
letter. / was frightened, and in haste
to catch the first train West, and left
the letter OF my bureau. Oh, it is al
such a terrible mixup, and l hate the
sight of you, whoever you are"
Flo stood amazed at the reckless
heartbroken flood of words. Outside
on the veranda there came the sound
of masculine footballs, and she turned
with relief as Tamerlin and Drake, hel
own blessed, honeymooning Drake, en-
tered the room.
Tamerlin never stopped for conven
tionalities. With two steps he reached
the side of the stranger, and took hel
into his embrace right before his ten
ants. 1t did Flo good to see him grir
her firmly, masterfully, and plant kiss
after kiss in the proper spirit on her
lips.
"We1l step outside for a few min.
utes," Drake began tactfully, but Tam
erlin stopped him.
Don't, Edgerly. l want you to meet
Miss Creston. She will be Mrs. Tanner
lin Just as oon as l car dig up the
gentleman who ties love knots around
here with swiftness and dexterity."
II thought you had grown tired wait
ing, Billie" came a little mufled tone
from the head on his shoulder. Flo and
Drake stared out the door at the
cleaning quicksilver of the sea at high
zoe far below them. Il thought she
was your wife"
where would I have found a wife in
six weeks? Didn't l hang around and
MUNICH my heart waiting for some
word from you? l thought you had
gone away for good, Of course, and
rented the shack when the chance
turned up. Edgerly, will you sublet
this place back to me?"
"Just looking up the next train on
to Shepherds Landing" responded
Drake, with a cheerful smile of re.
nunciation.
Copyright. by Mcclure Newspaper Syn
dicate.)