The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-09-25

DE heavy, w~satnerbeaten pack. ms
sister and the countess stared after
him in annazement.
Presently he emerged from the bank,
still carrying the bag. He was beam
Ing. A certain worried, haggard ex-
preston had vanished from. his face,
and for the first time in eight hours
he treated, his travelling wardrobe with
scorn and Indifference.
"Thank God, they're off my mind
at last" he cried. 'That is the first
good, long breath I've had. in q week.
No, not now. It's a long story and
I can't tell it in Fifth avenue. It
would be extremely annoying to have
both Of you die of heart failure with
all these people looking on"
He felt her hand on his arm, and
knew that she was looking at him
with wide, in%credulous eyes, but he
faced straight ahead. He was ter
ribly afraid that the girl beside him
was preparing to shed tears Of Joy
and relief. He could feel her search
ing in her jacket pocket for a hand
kerchief.
Mrs. Courtney was not only curl
GUS but apprehensive. She hadn't the
faintest idea who Miss Cameron was,
nor where her brother had picked her
up. But she saw at q glance that
she was lovely, and her soul was filed
with strange misgivings. She was like
all sisters who have pet bachelor
brothers. She hoped that poor Tom
hadn't gone and made a fool Of HIM
self.
The few minutes conversation she
had with the stranger only served to
increase her alarm. Miss Camercn's
voice and smile-and her eyes!-were
positively alluring.
She had had a night letter from Tom
that morning in which he said that he
was bringing a young lady friend down
from the north-and would she meet
them at the station and put her up
for a couple of 'days7 That was all
she knew Of the dazzling stranger up
to the moment she saw her. Immedi-
ately after that she knew by intuition
q great deal more about her than Tom
could have told in volumes of CORE
spondence. She knew, also, that Tom
was lost forever!
snow tell me-" said the countess the
instant they entered the Courtney
apartment. She gripped both of his
arms with her firm little hands and
looked straight into his eyes, eagerly,
hopefully. She had forgotten Mrs.
Courtney's presence, she had not
taken the time to remove her hat or
Jacket.
Lets all sit down. said he. my
knees are unaccountably weak. Come
along, EIDE. Listen to the romance of
my life"
And when the story was finished the
countess took his hand in hers and
held it to her cool cheek. The tears
were still drowning her eyes.
".Oh,. you poor dear! Was that why
you grew SO haggard and pale and
hollow-eyed?" > :
PARTLY" said he with great signif-
canoe.
"And you had them in your pack
all the time? YOU"
II had Sprouse's most solemn word
not to touch them for a week. He is
the only man I'feared. He is the only
one who could have"
MAY I use your telephone, Mrs.
CourtneyY cried she suddenly. She
sprang to her feet, quivering with ex-
| element. "Pray forgive me for being
so ill-mannered, but II must call up
one or two. people at once. They are
my friends. You will understand, I
am sure"
Barnes was pacing the floor nerv
ously when his sister returned after
conducting her new guest to the room
prepared for her. The countess was
at the telephone before the door
closed behind, her hostess. "
II wish you had been a little more
explicit in your telegram, Tom," she
said peevishly. IF I had known who
she is I wouldn't have put her in that
room. Now I shall have to move Aunt
Kate back into it tomorrow and give
Miss Cameron the big one at the end
Of the hail." Which goes to prove
that Toms sister was a bit Of a snob
in her way. "Stop walking like that
and come here" She faced him ac-
cusingly. "Have you told all there is
to tell, sir?"
Cant you see for yourself, Eide,
that I'm in love with herr Desperate
~ horribly, madly in love with her.
Don't giggle like that! I couldn't have
told You while she was present, could
r.
'"That isn't what I want to know. Is
she In love with you? That's what I'm
after"
yes" said he, but frowned anx-
iously. .@.
"She II perfectly adorable" said she,
and was at once aware Of a guilty,
nagging impression that she would not
have said It to him half an hour ear
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