The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-08-18

JOnn CfOIt q come TO the city
from the country. like SO many coln-
try boys, burning to make a nane and
fortune IN the field where the prizes
are immense but the struggle acute.
No mercy - given on that battlefield.
He was twenty then, and Mildred
Carter had told him that she would
wait for him, If need be, forever. They
had been sweethearts for three years
and neither had been In love before.
And Mildred waited, though the walt
was long. Year BY year John Croft
had struggled vainly, hopelessly, until
his sudden recognition came. Then
he had married.
At last his wife and he had resolved
upon q temporary separation. It was
not to be permanent; they were Q
sincerely fond Of each other to dream
Of anything like that. Rather 1t was
to be q period OF adjustment In which,
each, alone, could examine his and
her heart and see wherein the Of
Tense lay.
His wife would not return for three
days. Why, then, should he not go
to her, to Clayton, the village Of their
birth, and wee her as she was now, re-
call the thousand memories Of their
love, steep his soul in those passion
ate memories which would encourage
him to take up the bqrddsen. Ct !lfee
anewl BE sat down at his desk and
wrote her q, letter Of a thousand en-
dearments. He was coming back to
Clayton. he said.
No sooner had the posted that let
ter than the plan became overwhelm-
ing In Its insistence. he thrust q few
things into his suitcase, descended In
the elevator, hailed a taxicab, and was
on his way to the station.
Ten minutes later he was seated IN
his car, watching the flying landscape
as the train steamed through the
pleasant country. on its way toward
the little Pennsylvania village.
II was SIX hours run. Croft's heart
was beating fast when at: last, well
toward shutdown, the train slowed.
down and . into the little station.
he made his way down the village
street under the long shadows Of the
elms. Cts ~
It was 4 long street, and before he
had reached the end the sun had set.
The gracious twilight Of spring shroud-
ed all things In mystery. The place
had not changed at all. He might have
been returning thither from college.
All sense Of the intervening years had
left him. At last he was standing at
the bottom Of Mildred's garden.
Mildred 7" he called.
Then his heart pounded violently in
his breast as he saw a slim figure In
q sunbonnet start out of the house and
move toward him with the old, leis-
urely grace. And 80 she passed be-
tween the borders OF Towering lilac
and at last stood before him. Why,
this was his Mildred4 unchanged
well, hardly changed, not at all to
him. He knew now that he would love
her until he died.
Mildred I" he cried and then he had
Cl6SNCu uSk " LAD 0AAA0 oAA ANA AVOA
was beating against his own. And
for a long time they forgot everything,
save that they two stood there to-
gether as they once had done.
"John, dear" she whispered, raising
her head and looking into his eyes.
mildred !" -
ut has been all a mistake, hasn't
it3 1t was the city that killed our
love. Dear, you don't know how hap
py your letter made me. If we could
always live here together"
Dear" he said softly, Il want you
to know one thing. l always loved you.
Sometimes, when we were least hap
py, fancied that there were two
Mildreds-my wife and the sweetheart
who came from Clayton to marry me
five years ago. But now they are
both one and we will live here togeth-
err and start u married life anew"