The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-06-30

haplt csItlh.spot1. 4 w15 : peculiar
fact that Miss Eyangeline Hawkins
was nearly always near those spots.
he was also given to incoming about,
and MI. Hawkins found some cause
for complaint Ia inattention. It might
have been noticed. In addition, that
he cherished q withered rose In a
drawer Of his dresser. This rose had
been worn BY Miss Nvangeline Haw-
kina at q small dance given at the
house one weekend. She had dropped
It and he had picked 1t up. All these
signs. Of course, NEAR nothing In par
ticular.
And then one day he lost his note
book and Miss Evangeline Hawkins
found It.
An hour after he had discovered his
loss he came upon her in a little sum-
mer house in the garden. She was
reading something-hi his notebook With
q sign Of relief he approached. She
rose, and smiled at him-a little I'M
certainly. Heres your book" she
said. /
THANK your He was relieved that
she had found It.
"What neat shorthand you make I"
she said.
He blushed crimson. 1--we had Z
good deal Of practice i
did you know" she said idly, y
went to a school once and learned
s~tenography2 / thought I'd be useful,
i can still read It"
The red In his face deepened.
let me read some Of yours-Tve
been looking it over and I can read II
very we'll" She was turning the pages
as she spoke. He became conscious
OF q wild desire to grab the book from
her hands and fee; but he remained
rooted. to the spot.
Here" she said Dear Sir-Youl
letter Of the 18th received love her
IN reply would say that-she is the
sweetest girl III the world. We are
unable to make any other terms thar
those stated In our last communities
tion-Of course, I have no chance, but
maybe !"
He found his voice. please, Miss
Hawkins, don't torment me.
shouldn't have done It, l know
haven't any right-bht I couldn't helI
it-won't You give me the book "
She handed him the book. and he
left her without a word. +
That night as he prepared for bed
he glanced once more over the pages
where, in neat curves and angles, were
the damning words that had made him
hopeless for all time. He stared al
them DULY as he read sentence after
sentence, Hawklns's terse business
English ~interspersed with the thought
Of his own-as he thought-secret
heart. And then his heart gave a bound
and began beating madly; for at the
bottom Of a page, In characters quite
unlike his own, a new line had beer
scrawled. He translated 1t breathlessly
"Why say you have no chance? You
never asked mel"
$50 you've been making love to my
daughter behind my back, chr" Old
Man Hawkins glared at his blushina
secretary.
"well. sir-she-didn't seem t.
mind" &
"Oh, she didn't Well, how do YOU
know I won't?" .
The baited Collins could only gulI
and stammer. But into the room burs'
Miss nvangeline Hawkins. all radian,
and happy and overwhelming.
Daddy, you're not to pretend that
you're angry when you're not. You
know you told me-"
'Hush up!" roared Old Man Haw'
kinds. But the mischief was done. Col
Inns turned on him. "Do you mean tc
tell me that you've been soaring me t.
death all this time for nothingf III
never be afraid Of you again ]"
''There it isl Run along, children
run along. You've found me out, and
rye lost the best private secretary
ever had, butt e to have gained
an excellent son-in-law."