The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-01-13
LOVES :.
E
1920. Western Newspaper Union)
By VICTOR

When Allen Duryea left the train at
Rossville his first move was toward a
little one-story building bearing the
sign "Peter Warne, Real Estate"
Tive come here on a flying trip" he
announced, land II you are able to sell
some property for me I'm ready"
"That is my line Of business" an
swered Warne, shrewdly studying this
straightforward client. If the latter
had been more experienced in the
ways Of the world he would have con
strued that false, sinister face.
Here is the layout" proceeded Dur
yea briskly. my uncle died a few
months ago and I was one Of the bene-
iciaries under his will. He left me
the Addison tract. Do you know it?"
Like q book" declared Warne. ut
lies along the river where they have
the water rights, and a good many
plants are likely to go up in time"
THAT is my name," apprized the
other, rendering a card. II understand
from the executors that ~the~property
Is worth perhaps thirty thousand dol
lars. am willing to take something
less If I car dispose of it quickly, and
for ready cash. for / am offered an
opportunity to get into a promising
business partnership if-I a invest
twenty thousand dollars.
A crafty expression crossed Warne's
face as he rapidly analysed the situa-
ton: A young and impulsive client, a
stranger, and likely to be easily. i'm
posed upon. - ..t
"See here" he suggested, suppose
you let me drive you over and take
q look at the property. I'm afraid you
will be disappointed" ..
Duryea was indeed disappointed
when the raetling old buggy driven by
Warne reached a broad. deep river.
there's your land" spoke the lat
ter, pointing out a desolate stretch,
low and swampy. Beyond in both d.
rections were high lands, but this spe-
cial expanse made a d%eplorable slump
In the landscape.
"You talk Of thirty thousand dol.
lars" spoke Warne. "Well, in twenty
years and after a fortune spent In
drainage you might get ten-never
more"
All the spice and ambition suddenly
deserted Allen Duryea. His high hopes
were crushed. He stood ruefully view
ing the uninviting spot.
ut looks just as you say" he admit
ted gloomily. II reckon I will have to
begin business life on a more modest
scale than I had blocked out. You've
got my address. See what you can get
for the property. By the way, there
Is no train cityward for several hours.
I understand"
''That's correct" nodded Warne.
"You could make it by walking two
miles east and striking a trolley" and
he drove off, while Duryea thought
fully proceeded on foot. He had gone
about a mile when, passing a small
cabin, he paused to view an old man
In tears, directing a pitiful appeal to
another, who was reading to him an
oflcial-looking document.
"T'm sorry to distrain, Mr.. Marsh,"
spoke the latter, 'but law is law. You
owe fifty dollars and there's a judg-
ment against you. If you can't pay It
I shall have to levy on your rig"
"You take the bread out Of u
mouths If you dol" sobbed Gabriel
Marsh, and just there Duryea stepped
up to the official.
i've a little surplus cash." he said,
land this old mans honest face is good
enough for me. Write out a release.
I will pay the. BILL" l..@t..s1
."Oh, wait till my daughter comes"
pleaded Marsh, when he had recovered
from the first access Of gratitude and
Joy. "She is Mabel, and I want to
have her see and thank the stranger
who has rescued us from ruin. Oh,
sirl you have an old mans fervent
blessing. There is Mabel now" and
the speaker ran down the road to meet
a young girl. Duryea sought vainly to
escape the overwhelming gratefulness
Of father and daughter. For the lat
ter. modest, refined, sincere, he formed
an Immediate admiration, drawn closer
as he heard the story Of their strug-
gies to keep the woff from the door.
He did not readily forget Mabel
when he returned to the city. More
than. ono he felt drawn to go again
to R0ssville, and wal glad Of an ex-
cuse when one day he received q letter
from Warne, stating that he had found
q purchaser Of the river tract for four
thousand dollars. Duryea was getting
ready to 60 to Rossville when Mabel
Marsh entered his office.
II have come on q strange mission,
Mr. Duryea," spoke the young mi.
I'VE learned II your errand to Ross
vile after you had gone, and father
overheard q conversation between
Warne and his clerk which showed
that they had q plan on foot to swindle
you. Warne never showed you the land
you really own, which father lays is
worth a great deal Of money, Instead,
he had q plot to set your property
from You for a song and sell It for
an immense sum-"
~ have come to close our deal for