The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-01-30
FATEAND BILLY
BY AGNES G. eRocAN.

Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper Union.)

town paper, and four thousand miles
from home, Incidents heretofore con-
sidered unworthy Of attention, were
read with absorbing interest. France,
with it's thousands Of fighting COM
rades, it's continued excitement and
impending danger was a lonely place,
lonelier than Bridgeburg had ever
been.
Seeming to stand out among the
personalities" was familiar name,
Miss Elizabeth Brown" so the COL
umn announced, twas spending the
summer with her aunt"
"Elizabeth Brown" Billy wrInkled
his brow perplexedly then memory
came to him. "This was Betty Brown,
OF course, black-eyed Betty, his jolly
companion Of past vacations. Betty
had come out from the city then to
spend her summers with her aunt.
To Billy Somewhere in France"
came vision of the town of his child
hood, the white house with it's flowers
and vines, where saucy Betty had held
sway.
What sort Of young person had
| Miss Elizabeth Brown become? he
wondered. With the requirement of
her first long skirt, her visits to
Bridgeburg had ceased. Following a
sudden impulse, Billy drew a card to-
ward him. He would surprise her
| with a message from overseas.
DO you recall" he hastily wrote, "a
youthful admirer, Billy West? Used
to devote himself to you when you
stopped in Bridgeburg. Well, this is
from Bill. I'm fighting for Uncle Sam
! now, and fairy has whispered your
name to me over in France. Won't
you send line to cheer us along?"
When the card was dispatched Billy
wondered at his own temerity.
"Oh, well, no harm done, she need
| not answer" But she did.
"What do you know!" he murmured
to himself, and perused the letter.
Miss Brown honestly confessed that
she couldn't recall exactly the identity
| Of Bill West. But If he was the good
natured boy Handsome, slyly inserted
Miss Brown) who used to let her tyran-
nize over him when she visited at
Aunt Lucy's, she'd be glad now to
make amends by adopting him in a
certain way, as her soldier, forward
Ing to him little things which might
add to his comfort, and being as de-
sired. generally useful. "Of course -
added Miss Elizabeth, "he must not
consider her foolishly romantic per-
son or anything like that, for she was
merely trying to help, in spirit of
pure patriotism. And if Mr.. West knew
of any other lonely soldier, her assist
ance could also be extended to him."
Billy did not know of any. He has
tened to tell her so.
When he lay wounded in the hos
.n'tal, his first thought, strangely
enough, was of Betty Brown. There
were many anxious letters awaiting
response from near friends and dear,
but Billy turned painfully to the nurse.
"Please write to Miss Elizabeth Brown
of Bridgeburg," he begged; "tell her
I'm going back on sick leave and will
see her soon."
Billy's injuries were not serious,
the doctor assured him, but his mend
ing would be long and tedious.
"Yes," he answered the eager ques-
ton of the soldiers eyes, "you'll be
back with US on the fighting line"
Throughout his long homeward jour-
obi oE ~, ~ Il =
written him letters of inspiration and
Courage. "What a kind little soul she
was" Then Billy paused in his pleas
ant meditations. "Little?" How did
he know? She might be tall, neither
had Betty been prepossessing in ap-
pearance. His. boyish respect, Billy
realized, had been won by her sheer
domination. He had fallen in love,
yes, there was no doubt Of 1t, with
Elizabeth Brown, on paper. And she?
She had confessed that romance dwelt
not in her, she had been unable to hon
estly recall his identity. Billy sighed.
He would personally thank his bene-
factress for her letters, then perhaps,
that would be the end" His own SIS
ter added to the quandary.
"Elizabeth Brown who used to visit
next door?" She answered his ques-
ton. "Why she was married last
week. They showed me the invita-
tions!''
White faced and more shaken in dis
appointment than he would have
thought possible, Billy, the soldier,
passed down the Bridgeburg street,
then on, to his boyish haunt near the
stream. A girl sat on the messy bank,
She was engaged in knitting, but she
raised her blue eyes at Billy's ap-
proach, gravely regarding him; then
she smiled.
II see you have followed me-" said
the girl. II came away from home
before you should call, in order to
save you embarrassing Last night
only, l realized your mistake. When
your return was mentioned, aunt re
ferred to your boyish devotion to my
cousin, Elizabeth, who has recently
married" She laughed. "Probably my