Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-01-31

| enough" she laughed. "Well he seems
a nice chap, and I hear he has coolies
of money. Go in and win, and don't
forget how I helped"
Dulcie assured her it was nothing
but friendship" but could not help
looking conscious while she was say.
ing it.
Mrs. Mears next assaulted Locke on
the subject of his ardent attentions to
the dashing widow. Locke did not
deny that he was wonderfully at
tracted" to the lady. She was such
'jolly good company, you know"
"And furthermore" added Mrs.
Mears, "she must be pretty well fixed
to dress and live as she does. She has
just given up a swell apartment in
Riverside Drive, so that she can go to
Palm Beach for the winter"
"Well," said Locke seriously, "money
or no money, she's too good for any
man, myself included"
From which it might have been in.
ferred that Locke was in about as deep
uo A1ofluellCc peIlIllS.
1t was moonlight, they were sitting
on the beach together, from a distant
pavilion t1oated the softened strains of
the band playing, "Some Day." and the
combination was having it's effect on
both. Dulcie looked receptive, and
Locke whispered: "Why wait for some
day?"
Dulcie looked her answer. Then he
said: "Let us not care for the fuss
and feathers, we can be married right
here quietly, and go off where we
please"
Dulcie agreed to this, and they were
married the next day. Then the cues
ton arose as to where they should go.
The bride vas for the White Noun
tains, where they would not run into
the people she knew. Locke drew UP
his brow in p%erplexity, and finally had
to confess that he was having some
bother in transferring a bank account.
and could she let him have a little
money just for the present emergency.
1t was the BRIDES turn to look embar-
SSS S1C "oS III u1uCu luC SdIuC
boat. They both laughed it off, and
concluded to go to another hotel in
the same place for the present, no one
being. in the secret Of the marriage
but Mrs. Mears.
While the newly married couple
laughed, both were quietly thinking
hard.
After two weeks at the lower priced
hotel, where they told Mrs. Mears they
had gone for quiet and s~eclusion, and
Locke had paid their board promptly,
Dulcie M morning asked him to walk
with her to a place out Of the reach Of
the crowd. They sat down, and she
sat very still looking at him. Begin
ming to be uneasy he said: "What is
the matter? Why are you looking at
me this way?"
Because" she answered, "I've been
putting off something-because I like
you-but it's got to be said. I played
a miserable fake game. I'm not rich.
I'm a cloak model at twenty-five a
week. I had a little legacy of six hun
dred dollars fall to me a few months
ago. They have given me three hun
dred of it, and I determined to have a
good time for a few weeks-that's ALL"
He looked at her in a kind of stony
surprise, and said nothing.
"Now," she went on, "if you despise
me more than you love me, we can
part right here. 1t will not be hard
to get a divorce"
AFTER l have told you something,
and you despise me more than you love
me, we will talk about the divorce. I
came down here with a few hundred
dollars to try to buy out that little
souvenir booth, but they want two
hundred more than I can give. In des-
peration l turned to you, hoping to bet
ter my prospects in that way. If you
are in the mud I am a great deal deep
er in the mire. I am more to blame.
You don't know what it costs me to
say this-for I love you"
Dulcie looked at his tragic face. Yes
he meant it. Suddenly she burst into
a peal of laughter. "Look here !" she
cried. "Ill put in that extra two .hun-
dred, and We'll go into the business
together"
The deal was concluded next day.