Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-07-04

"a. "6oAAAS AcAII4p III Hc CVulu IIlAh0'
up his mind to surrender his freedom,
to any woman. II
He bought a paper and settled him-
self comfortably in the parlor car,
but his interest was not in the paper.
His strange commission engaged all
his thoughts. He took out the envel-s
ope containing instructions and went
over h matter, looking curiously at
ton, which, however, told him moth
ing. It was the old chiefs way to keep
the business to himself until such
time as he chose to explain. Doubts
less it was safer for both message
and messenger that he did not know
the full import of what he was UNI
dertaking.
Gordon carefully noted down every
thing that his chief had told him,
comparing 1t with the written instruc-
tons in the envelope; arranged in his
mind Just how he would proceed when
he reached New York: tried to think
out u good plan for recovering the
stolen message, but could not; and so
decided to trust to the inspiration Of
the moment. Then 1t occurred to him
to clear his o%vercoat pockets. of any
letters or other tell-tale articles. and
stow them in his suitcase. He might
nave.to leave his o%vercoat behind him.
So 1t would be we'll to have no clues
for anyone to follow. .
Having arranged these matters; and
prepared a few letters with notes for
his stenOgrapher, to be mailed back
to her from Philadelphia, he reread
Julia Bentley's note. When every
angular line of her tall script was i'm
printed on his memory, he tore the
perfumed note into tiny pieces and
dropped them from the car window.
The-question was. did he or did he
come his wife? He had no doubt
as to what her answer would be. Julia
had made it pretty plain to him that
she would rather have him than any
or her other admirers: though she
did like to keep them all attendant
upon her. Well. that was her right
Sc fong as she was unmarried. He
had no fault to find with her. She
was a fine girl, and everybody liked
her. Also, she was of a good family,
and with a modest fortune in her own
right. Everybody was taking Ii for
granted that they liked each other.
TT was time. he was married and had
a real home, he supposed, whatever
that was-that seemed to have so
great a charm for all his friends " To
his eyes, it had as vet taken on no
alluring mirage effect. He. had never
known a real home, more than his
quiet bachelor apartments were to
him now, where his. man ordered ev-
erything as he was told. and the
meals were sent. up Wheniawanted.
He had money enough from his in-
h~eritsnce to make things more than
comfortable, and he was deeply inter-
ested in the profession he had chosen.
Still, If heewas ever going to marry,
it was high time. of course. But did
ne: van Julia? He could not quite
make 1t seem pleasant to think of her
Il his rooms when he came homes b,
night tired: she would always sbe
wanting to go to her endless theatel
ways be demanding his attention. She
was bright and: handsome and well
dressed, but he had never made love
to her. He could not quite Imagine
himself doing SO. How did mer
make love. any way? Could one cal
It love when it was made" love
These questions followed one another
idly through his brain as the land
scape whirled past him. If he had
stayed. at home. he would have speni
the evening with Julia. as she request,
ed in her note. and@thefes would prob:
ably have been a quiet half-hour afte,
other callers had gone when he would
nave stayed as he had been doing OF
late. and tried to find out whether
he really cared for her or not.
suppose. for instance, they were
married, and she sat beside him now
Would any glad thrill fill his heart
as he looked at her beautiful face
and realized that she was his? He
tried to look over toward the next
chair and imagine that the tired, faa
old Iad with the double -chinsand the
youthful purple hat. was Julia, but
that would4not work. He whirled his
chair about and tried IL, on an empty
chair. That went better: but, still nd
thrill of>toy lifted him out of%his sor-
did self. He could not help thinking
about little trying details. The way
Julia looked when she was vexed. Did
= mind that in the woman one
loved? The way she ordered hef
icoaohrnan about. Would she eve,
speak. SO to her husband? She had
la charming smile, but her frown was
-well-unbecoming ito say the least
He tried to keep up the fallacy -o1
her presence He bought a. magazine
that he knew she liked. and read a
story. to, her Gin -imagination). He
could easily tell how her black eye,
would nap at certain phrases she dis.
liked. He knew Just what her com.
ment would be upon the heroine't
conduct. It was an old disputed point
between them. He knew how she
would criticize the hero. and someI
~ rs AOSS&s ITO Ill sgIH0 r. nero I
place every time she did 1t. The story
had not been a success. and he felt
a. weariness as he laidfthe magazine
aside at.sthe calf for dinner from the
ldfningscar.
Before he had finished his lunch.
eonshe had begun tosfeel thattthough
julie might think. now that she. would
like TO marry him. the truth4%about
1t was that sheawould notsenipy the
actual l~ifettogether any better thar
he would. We're all marriages like
that? Did people lose the Flamoul
just settle down to endure each
others faults and make thg: most ol
each others nleasant side. and not
have anything more? Or wasFhe ,e9t-
ting cynical? HadShe lived alone toe
long. as his friends somehnAes told
really to love anybody but himself !!
He knit his broWs,s and rot up whis.
Ting to 20 outSand see swhySthe trair
had stopped S long in.thiaf little
country settlement. "a
twas Just beyond Princeton,s and
they were not far now from New
York. It would be most annoying to
He was anxious to get things IL trair
for his evening of hard work. 1t wa,
necessary to find out how the land
lay as soon as possible.
1t appeared,.that there was q
wrecked freight ahead at them, and
there would be DELAY. No one knew
just, how long; 1t would depend on
hoy 800 this wrecltng train arrived
to help.
Gordon walked snervouslJ up and
down the grass at the side OF the
track, looking anxiously each way fol-
sign Of the >Wrecking train Thu
thought ri Julia did occur to him