The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-09-15
CHAPTER XII.
Which Continues the Romance Of Abe
and Ann Until the Former Leaves
New Salem to Begin His Work In
the Legislature. Also It Describes
the C%oloneIino of Peter lukins.

The next day after his return, Abe
received a letter from Ann. She had
come over to the store on the arrival
Of the stage and taken her letter and
run home with it. That Saturdays
stage brought the new suit of clothes
from Springfield.
1t was an Indian summer day of the
first week in November. That after
Ann to walk out to the Traylors' with
him. She seemed to be glad to 60.
She was not the cheerful, quick-footed,
r~osy-cheeked Ann of old. Her face
was pale, her eyes dull and ~listless.
her step slow. Neither spoke until
they had passed. the Waddell cabin
and were come to the open fields.
Il hope your letter brought good
news said Abe.
ut was very Short" Ann answered.
HE took a fever in Ohio and was
sick there four weeks and then he
went home In two months he never
wrote a word to me. And this one
was only a little bit of a letter with
no love in it. / don't believe he cares
for me now or, perhaps, he is mar
ried. l don't know. I'm not going
to cry about it any more. / can't. I've
no more tears to shed. I've given
him up"
"Then / reckon the time has come
for me to tell you what is on my
heart" said Abe. II love you, Ann.
l have loved you for years. l would
have told you long ago but l could
not make myself believe that l was
good enough for you. / love you so
much that If you a only be happy
with John McNamar l will pray to
God that he may urn out to be a good
keep his PROMISE"
She looked up at him with q kind
Of I'VE in her face.
"Oh, Abe! !" she whispered. Il had
made up my mind that men were all
bad but my father. l was wrong.
l did not think of you"
Men are mostly good" said Abe.
But it's very easy to misunderstood
them. In my view it's quite likely
that John McNamar is better than you
think him. l want you to be fair to
John. If you conclude that you can
not be happy with him give me a
chance. l would do my best to bring
back the JOY Of the old days. Some
times / think that l am going to do
something worth while. Sometimes !
think that l al see my way far ahead
and it looks very pleasant, and you,
Ann, are always walking beside me
In it. Before we take another step
/ wish you could give me some hope
to live on-just a little straw of
hope"
you r a wonderful man, Abe
said Ann, touched by his appeal. my
father says that you are going to be
a great man."
II can not hold out any such hope
to yOu," Abe answered. I'm rather
ignorant and badly in debt, but /
reckon that l can make q good living
and give you a comfortable home.
Don't you think, taking me just az l
am, you could care for me a little2'
"Yes; sometimes l think that j
could love you, Abe" she answered.
Il do not love you yet, but ! may
some time. / really want to love YOU
THAT is all | car ask now" said
Abe as they went, on. 80 you hear
from BIN Kelso2'
i have not heard from her since
June"
II wish you would write to her and
tell her that / am thinking Of going
down to st. Louis and that / would
like to 50 and e her.
4IIl write to her tomorrow said
Ann.
They had Z pleasant visit and while
Ann was playing with the baby she
seemed to have forgotten her troubles.
They stayed to supper, after which
the whole family walked ID the tavern
with them. When Ann began to show
WEAKNESS, Abe gently lifted her Ii
his arms and carried her.
That evening Mrs. Peter Lukins
called upon Abe at Sam HILLS store
where he sat alone, before the fire
reading with two candles burning OF