The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-09-25
"a
Faithful Friend
By JESSIE ETHEL sHERWlN

Copyright 1918. By Western Nswspapsr Unios.,
You're as good as engaged, Lima
spoke Der brother Gerald. aged twelve.
with q gleeful laugh.
"And to whom. pray?" inquired
Lima, and she flushed and luttered as
she guessed what his reply would be.
"Of course there's only n young
man you would care about" said Ger.
aid with a shrewd twinkle III his eyes,
land that is Alan Blar. He's going
away for a Week and he has hired me
to take are Of Hugo. ! get two dol.
lars for the job and we are to house
the dog here. Is that all right7"
Lima made no demur. She and
Hugo had always been good friends.
A short, chunky but powerful bull
pup, Hugo essentiallyaminded his own
business and was well behaved, II.
cept when he or his. friends were i'm.
posed upon. Then he became a furi.
III whirlwind Of action.
Mr.. Blair took me through his
room to get Hugo" narrated Gerald.
Say, sis, he's got your photo on the
mantel and q faded rosebud tied to a
frame with a ribbon. Why, say!
your cheeks look like rosebuds now.
What's the matter, eh?"
you ridiculous torment !" cried Lima,
and. all pretty confusion but, oh, SO
happy eyed :! left Gerald to himself.
fo~r, vo{o,,%A, lo%o~s how ovpyonk vni0o
echoed from the garden as II express
ing some great Joy. "
Lima did not try to hide from herself
that she loved Alan Blair, and Alan
Blair was only waiting for the fitting
opportunity to assure himself OF the
fact. Lima worked at a large envelop
manufacturing plant where a great
many girls were employed. As well
Aaron Todd, an under foreman, who
was a distant cloud in the otherwise
clear sky Of her existence. He was a
sullen, dark-browed fellow who had
pestered her by forcing his company
upon her ever since she had begun
work at the plant. Only the day pre-
vious she had resented his walking
home with her, had told him clearly
that she had thought nothing of him
and never would, and shuddered even
now as she recalled a fiercely Kissed
out threat that 'she should suffer for
her contempt"
Hugo was disloyal to his new
keeper and promptly followed Lima,
with whom he was a great ~favorite.
It seemed as though the sensible ami
NAL comprehended the interest Of his
absent master in Lima, for the next
morning when she started for work
he trotted by her side clear to the
plant. Equally intelligent, Hugo ap-
peared to comprehend that there was
no admittance for him to the great fac
tory, and reported back to the some
what anxious Gerald at the Moreton
home promptly.
Evenings Hugo kept close to Lima
whenever she took a stroll, as though
his master had conferred upon him
the dignity of companion aad protec-
tor.
Aaron Todd had ceased to annoy
Lima by continuing his unwslcome at
tentions, but she shivered as often dur
ing the day she noted him staring at
her in q sinister way. One evening
she was at the gate OF her home en-
joying the balmy evening air when q
girl she knew as Eta Pearce ap-
preached. She was a rough, bolster.
GUS creature who had been discharged
from the plant a week previous, and
Lima had never been familiar with her
sMollie Burns wishes to zee you
Lima" spoke the Pearce girl. "She II
Ill, and asked me to get you to come
to her" a &
The unsuspecting Lima accompanied
Eta, who led the way finally down z
dark street with few houses. At one
Of those she halted and started up ~
unlighted stairway.
Hold my hand in this .disnal
place" she directed Lima, and thez
after proceeding q few steps she ab
ruptly thrust Lima into Z lighted room
and slammed the door.
Neither had noticed that Hugo hat
kept closely behind them i'll Of tn
time, nor that he slipped past Lini
into the room and snuggled dowI
into q corner.
Lima gave q great start. She turnet
white to the lips as she was confront
ed BY Aaron Todd, sneering. wicked
eyed. 40 ever, and she knew that Cd,
was In a trap.
.You won't scream" be observed
"for no one will hear ron. told yo'
1 was bound to marry you. and I shall
An automobile Is waiting outside
clever Etta Will 80 with us asiwitnesl
and ten miles safely away from her
q clergyman ID waiting. Il you rebe
II will be q close prison I'LL y0u con
sent
Lina uttered loud scream. Hug
sprang 10 his. feet. She backed n
10 dor but Todd Intercepted her. 81
sefxed Lima ~ the arm. low ~
distinct warning gFoWi Issued frcl
| tn throat q the watchlul Hugc
IN. snprlnx. ma ~ spinsl yass