Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1920-07-27

SpOiIs Why tOOh ut uuC' ACio
am a million miles from my kind.
and I'm going to see 1t through. I'm
going to be an example for some other
poor suffering soul or die in the at
tempt"
But today she felt so good, so thor
oughly At, that she merely wrote:
"Who told you that / was a lunger.
anyway? NJ. NJ" and slipped 1t under
the door. With a smile she Topped
her book open to place and settled
down to reading.
Had she noticed that the tarps were
removed from the back windows. she
would not have been so shocked when
the door opened gently behind her.
She sprang from her seat, almost top
pling from the steps In her fright.
"Oh, I'm sorry! didn't mean to
give you such fright" said the own
er Of the bungalow. And looking at
the last little note in his hand. then
at Mary; "but you are no more q
lunger than I ami"
Her mind like q flash ran back over
the contents of those foolish notes
"Did you-did you read them all?"
she asked weakly.
"Why, of course did. Didn't you
write to me?"
"No. I didn't" flared Mary warmly.
l didn't know you were in existence.
l wrote them to your house."
Pardon me-" He bowed gravely.
Miss NJ. NJ, please enter and be made
acquainted properly with my shack. /
am Bart Drummond, geologist-"
"Oh, are you?" cried Mary. 81 am
Mary Minthorn, the old college room
mate Of your sister RhOda."
"Now.- who put the notion in your
head that you were a lunger?" asked
Bart later, when they had visited over
mutual friends.
"Well, you remember that anti-tu-
berculosis exhibit we set out? had
charge Of one section, and I worked
so hard and got so morbid that / Inn
agined had every symptom ever heard
of, so + decided to run away ana not
contaminate my friends"
"Yes, and sister Rhoda has worried
herself sick about YOU" declared Bart,
reprovingly.
"Oh," murmured Mary contritely. II
was selfish. But l had to work so
hard to keep up my courage that had
not time to write"
Except to vacant bungalows"
laughed Bart. Mary blushed. Wasn't
that silly?"
II don't think So" Bart assured her.
"It was quite fortunate. The fact Is,
I was down here one night for some
tools, and the notes identified you. /
came back today to find you, and !
wrote Rhoda who isecoming on soon
to visit u.s."
The way he said "visit us" caused
the color to flame up In Mary's
cheeks. Kissing hastily, she said: "HOw
delightful! But 1 must be going or
I shall miss my dinner, and Sunday
dinner Is an event at my Doarulng
place"
Bart got his hat, claiming the right
TO walk along; then, Of course, Mary
had 10 ask him to dinner. And some
how, since there were so few convent
encss at the bungalow, and Mary's
landlady more than willing, she had
to invite him to take all his meals ut
her boarding house.
And 1t just naturally followed that
when Rhoda arrived on the scene the
tarps were removed from oil the win
dows and the bungalow furnished set.
ting for very pretty little wedding.
Mr.. and Mrs. Drummond will live up
in the mountains closer to his work,
and though the bungalow is again
boarded up, they are more than will
ing to turn 1t over to any real or i'm
agined lunger who may come to that
part of Llano Estacado to regain health
and happiness.