The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-02-10

Of the best that is in you. Promise
me that you won't forget that you
have won. Promise ME that You will
walt and take fremont, all OF him
with honor"
What do you mean7 What did
you hear?" cried Miss Van T. angrily
her pale face suddenly flushing.
"From the start of 'the ride to the
finish l heard every word" declared
Mr.. Randolph frankly, land more"
And more!" repeated the hard,
pressed girl. what do you mean by
morer' She still tried to browbeat
him, but remembering one incredibly
long kiss, her eyes fell in the unequal
battle with Bobby's and attempted te
create diversion by staring at his gal.
tered legs and Heavily booted feet.
Look up, Madge. Lock at me-
said Mr.. Randolph and waited patient.
~ until first her long lashes fiuttered
and then her lovely eyes swept slowly
up to his face. ''That's It." he con.
tlnued as their looks met and locked
Lets hold that so we can't lie"
why should / lie if you really heard
everything?" asked Miss Van T., and
suddenly smiled. ~
"Madge, you little devil" said Mr.
Randolph, s~uppressing an impulse te
shake her, 'can you think Of what
you've been doing and laugh"
Eyes, I can, just now," said Miss
Van T., In little gasping phrases that
to a man, especially one OF Mr.. Ran.
dolph's limpid nature, carried only
their face value in words, but which
to any woman would have read as
plainly as the red-weather signal,
Look out for showers Of tears fol-
lowed by storm"
SWELL" said Mr.. Randolph solemnly,
"if you really don't realize just where
you have been, let me tell you. First
you flew high into clean air and you
took fremont with you. You were
possessed Of a vision and you made
him see 1t, too, a mirage Of those
lifted places that are the altar Of the
mind before love. just a mirage, an
Illusion. of perfect happiness, which
cold reason tells us we can't rel turn
into reinforced concrete and plant in
the yard, but which we must either
forever hold as a vision or admit that
love is a sordid and wingless thing.
Miss Van Tellier's eyes fell from
his. frank gaze. Something seemed to
crumple within her; she put her arms
around Mr.. Randolph's neck. chung
to him, dropped her face against his
shoulder and sobbed, not noisily, but
as n who weeps to rest.
He held her close to him and went
on, his face set as though to a duty.
'"Then what did you do? Because he
hesitated, merely hesitated at the high
door Of alteration, you promptly
slammed 1t and dropped plumb
straight down like that traitor arch
angel Johnny out of heaven into the
arms of hell"
Bobby" cried Miss Van T., throw
ing back her head and struggling to
release herself. "How dare you say
a thing like that2 How dare you be
here, anyway? I hate you. I don't
know how I ever could have thought
I loved you. / fell, but it was into
Beacher's arms, and I wish / was there
right now" More sobs, convulsive
ones, that shook the slim body in Mr..
Randolph's embrace from twitching
shoulder to tired feet.
Lest the reader be startled by what's
coming next it will do well to remind
him that. this poignant scene was
staged at three o'clock In the morning
on the high stoop of the Van Teller
residence in East Ninth street and
never left the perimeter Of the door
mat which in itself presented an al
most feminine contradiction, in that
1t bore, done in red on it's face, the
word welcome" but was neverthe-
less padlocked and chained to the iron
. railing. .
Even as Miss Van Teller was Sob
bling her heart out and MI. Randolph
was standing in the bewilderment OF
one who knows he has not only taken
the wrong turning but placed both his