Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-01-02
LETTERS
BY WHITE,

Copyright, 1918, Western NewsparN
TIOiOn

I can see your dark eyes widen9 In
surprise at this mode Of address, when
you glance at my signature. But q am
far away and dare brave your dndig-
nation.
This is the name l gave you in my
heart, looking down that first glorious
morning from the window Of ply coun-
try stopping place. Beneathf the win
dow, you were picking white roses
from a %trellis, and your und.aised face
was as sweet and fair as ahey. When
we met at breakfast and u hostess
mumbled your name in iratroduction, 1t
seemed to me less a REALITY than the
one 1 had given you. "Mtfs. Friedmann,"
she said with provincial for1nality,
meet Mr.. Hazelton, .*anN inyoluntarily
you smiled-smifed, andal changed from
gloomy forboding, to joyful anttcipa-
ton, my necessary stay IN the loneli-
ness of the foothills. Nine, was a big
engineering job, and past experience
had taught me to expect little In the
way Of country hospitality.
To find you in all your loneliness,
hidden in this retreat was good for
tune indeed. To be allowed to watch
you u~nobtrusively as yor bent over
your book and sewing would be pleas
ure enough-so much yoir smile had
done for me. "Why?" Iiasked myself
over and over again, "were you here?"
Your simplest frock bore the finished
mark Of a great city, your converse
ton, of which at first you were ungen-
erous, betrayed study, years perhaps
of travel abroad. OF yourself you gave
no information, and our usually gar
rulous hostess no doubt also had been
trained to secrecy. So hy interest.
with my admiration, grew
When at evening I would slip at.ssg
to my room for pretended1abor, it was
to hear you play in the twilight, upon
the old piano in the "parlor" below.
And what music your fingers brought
forth from the yellowed keys! Often
in listening I forgot your enchanting
self far away your music carried me
into a land of dreams. 1 knew from
the first. that 1 loved you! Yet your
reserve held me ever aloof. Desper-
ately I guarded against betrayal, lest
you should withdraw from me your
sweet companionship. -
The sadness of your eyes haunted
and tortured me, too, with fancies OF:
an unhappy past. My associates spoke
of you as 1.-THE Mysterious Lady," and
[ wondered. :
Then came the night before my de-,
parture, my heart ached with lOneli-S
ness at the thought of being away
from your presence. And as we SAT
there on the little porch, our hostess
rocking comfortably near by, the very
air seemed pregnant with my love, ard
it seemed that you must know; as
gazed into your shadowy corner l
felt all at ONCE that your heart was
reaching out-calling to me also-and
so it is that 1 write this letter.
Formally we babe good-by, our
hands barely touching. Now, across
the miles l aend my plea. I love you;
may l come to you?
Yours,
JOHN HAZLETON.
Dear MA .leton.
My eyes did not widen in surp1lse
as | read your letter, but often they
were filled with tears because of b
own remorse. 10 you I feel is dus=an
explanation of my stay in the hSlse
Of the foothills, to you alone, l make
confession and apology. Will you be-
lieve that in the JOY of our friendliness
/ intended no deceit? l foresaw no fu-
ture SORROW; yet it has come to us
both.
When our hostess called me MISS
Friedman" in introduction she used
the common phrasing of the commu-
nifty. Only at the last I became aware
of your natural Interpretation. Years
ago. when a schoolgirl, I studied mu-
sic in Germany, and in the glow OF
youthful romance / married there a
fellow pupil. Handsome and OF en-
gaging amer was Peter Friedman.
After marriage the husband became d
cruel master. Mine was q bitter awak-
ening-a young girl separated by her
own rash act from the cOmpanionshlp
of the family who would have shell
tered her.
l left Peter Friedman, hoping &c
\ hide from his persistent pursuit, in my
w country. Then the war broke out
| For a few years at least I would be al
peace, in the quiet spot where YOU
found ME. Even here his letters sough
ME out.
Marriage with me must always be
tie, though its bands become unDear
able. So good.by, John Hazelton. Tne
shadow in my eyes does come from al
= unhappy past. But here among I'M
foothills l shall have peace, and-tnt
memory Of white roses.
> In contrition,
+ MARION FRIEDMAN.
Dear Mister Hazelton:
When you was here you said yo'
would like to come back some TIM
when convenient. Would like to ses
you can come when you waIsait.
MRS. LINDA HASPTNS.