The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-03-10
...... III
Underadvertising
BY Will I. AMES

Adu more PERSONAL---VERY., 0
near that, either" Julia Fellows
frowned abstractedly over her bed
time glass. Of matted milk. 1T isn't
that he hasn't character n tndivid.
uality enough, but somehow he seems
to be forever keeping a checkrein on
himself, sort Of afraid to let any sdn.
gle enthusiasm get loose and caper
around in that sober old head Of his.
"Sometimes 1t seems to me as If he
were using up a lot Of steam just try.
ing to live down to that ~dreadfully
commonplace name Of his-as though
he'd made up his mind that nobody
called Henry Brown had any business
to put flourishes around his person
atty any more than around his sig
nature, and vas trying to avoid CIV
ing offense. I hate anything like that
anything like elf-effacement." .
Mrs. Fellows was the knitting kind
Of mother. She was knitting now, and
smiling the very least Of smiles at her
daughters attempts to analyze the
person called Henry Brown.
II have observed" she answered,
shat you don't appear to altogether
detest Henry wen If you do hate
some Of his characteristics. Personally
l can't see that he lacks self-respect
or even force. OF course, he is in
contrast to Forrest Noyes'-the mother
took a sly look upon that young wom-
an, engaged as she was with the last
of her milk-"and, If you want my
opinion, in rather favorable contrast"
"But, mother, that's just 1t. I can't
understand it at all. I just dote on
Forests bubbling optimism; his van
ity is appalling but fascinating"
Henry Brown was In real estate.
H was a broker, not Spectator, and
he made his money In bits.
On the day following her brief talk
with her mother a visit to her den-
fist, whose offices. were in the same
building, brought Julia Fellows to the
door Of Henry's place of business.
She opened the door to bid him good
morning. Henry's stenographer was
putting on her hat. "Mr. Brown is
out" she said, "but he'll be back in
a moment. I'm just running out to
the bank. Won't you watt"
Julia had scarcely more than seated
herself at the window before she heard
Henry's voice in the hallway outside,
exchanging greetings with some &C.
quaintance.
A visit from her would be a sur
prise to Henry anyhow, and she might
as we'll make it complete by popping
out at him as soon as he had settled
himself at that orderly desk Of his.
But Henry was not alone and the
voice of the other person was that Of
Forrest Noyes. The girl was trapped.
She detested being bantered about
Henry; and at that moment she real
ICED as she never had before what a
gossip Forrest Noyes was.
TITS no use, Forrest" she heard
Henry say; II won't have anything
to do with it. TIL grant there's money
in 1t, and it's easy to put over"
"But," protested Noyes, they'll be
getting their land cheap enough so
they can afford to correct these faults.
They'll get their moneys WORTH"
"That's probably true, Noyes. But
they wouldn't be getting what was
promised them. Just to take a GUS
toner up there and show him those
lots, at the price you figure on, would
be to promise him twice the value Of
his money-and If he bought he'd be
good and lucky to break eve I don't
do things that way" :
"Oh, blazes! How far do you think
you can carry that stilted stuff in
life"
Gall the way. Most tragedies come
from somebody's failure to- keep not
a spoken promise but an implied one.
I've tried to avoid making them.
Here's what I mean. A fellow gets
a chance to meet some clever people.
He coaches himself up for the &C.
casion, plans a number of bright things
to say-says them, and gets away
with it. He's promised them clever
companionship and they take him on
the strength Of the promise-and pref:
ty soon they drop him. He didn't
make good on a voluntary pledge
seeY"
Noyes grunted. "Overstrained
morality" 4
you're wrong, Noyes; merely play
ing safe and avoiding bumps. Here,
you take the case of q man and a
girl. Chap plays up his wit, plays up
his good temper, plays up his generos-
ity, plays up his interest In things the
girl Is interested in, plays up his high
spirits-plays. 'em all up away above
par till he makes the girl think he's
the cleverest thing that w happened,
and the best company, and he gets
her. Then In about a month the girl
finds that he's shot of all his sky
rockets, played out his basket of
tricks. He promised her a lifetime of
interest-and he. delivers a goose egg.
He hasn't made good. You a chase
1t all the way down the line, Forrest,
and you'll find that overadvertising
-overpromising-in business, In SO
cial life, in the family or, wherever
doesn't pay. Here, come on out and
~ - G.t&a II.