The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-09-07

Alice's Other
MAJ,
By ELLA SAUNDERS


Copyright, 1929. Western Newspaper Union.
Alice Carruthers kissed her husband
at the door and watched him stride
down the street toward the station.
He always hurried to catch the morn
ing train, and, as she watched, she
saw him break into a run. A bitter
little smile lowered an instant on her
lips.
Jim and she had been as happy as
two children during the first year Of
their marriage. Then business troubles
had come along, and Jim Carruthers
had almost forgotten the days when he
had sworn to love and cherish his little
bride for all the years to come.
Alice turned back into the house,
washed up the breakfast things, and
then unlocked a drawer In her secre-
taire. She took out a bundle of letters,
addressed to her at the post office, In a
large masculine handwriting. Extract
ing one from it's envelope she read:
Darling Alice:
Your letter has been in my breast
pocket for days now, and If I have hesi-
tated to reply, it is only because words
seem Inadequate to convey to you how
much you mean to me. 7 love you and
I love you. Is there need Of anything
mors7
Darling, what you have told me does
not surprise me in the least. I think of
you as a beautiful, helpless bird in a
cage, and longing for freedom. You are
tied to a brute who assesses you as q
commercial proposition. A wife-to keep
his house tidy, to minister to his COM
fo~rts-nothing more.
Dearest, If you will come with me we
will begin life somewhere anew, where
gradually the memories of the old hateful
life will become dim. You will always be
all in the world to me. Will you come?
RODERICK.
Tears filed her eyes and dripped
down on the pages as she read. She
took up a pen, and, selecting a sheet
of paper, began her answer:
My Own Dearest:
Yes, I will come with you, to the worlds
end, If necessary. Today he went off to
his business as usual, without a thought
of me. The touch Of his lips wa hateful
to me. Surely, surely it cannot be right
lLlhL k"o PCOP1C IL dIo 81 acScI0IC1y
Incompatible should always be haine
together.
love you, Roderick, darling, and I
shall lcve you with my whole heart until
I die. I am yours forever. | will take
the $40 this evening n get out a.
Southport. Meet me there, and them
am ready to obey your commands and go
where you will.
ALICE.
She put away the letters and, folding
the one she had written, addressed an
envelope, slipped it inside, and carried
it to the le~tter-box at the corner. And
all the rest Of that day she moved
about within the house, happy in the
thought Of what the evening would
bring. When the afternoon was almost
gone she put on her hat and made her
way out of the house toward the sta
ton. Never again would she see the
hateful prison that had once been a
little nest for herself and Jim.
The thought that she was going to
her lover made her heart beat more
quickly, and a tender smile curved her
lips as Sue pictured Roderick, in his
strength, his simplicity, his goodness.
And she paced the platform of the
station in a fever of Impotence, wait
ing for the train from the city that
1t came Kissing up to the platform at
last, and among the crowd of descend
ing passengers she saw Jim.
They saw each other mutually. He
hurried toward her and folded her In
his arms.
"Alice, dear!"
Jim, darling"
"Good news, Alice. That business
trouble is settled now, and I'm to have
Gleason's post at a thousand more a
year. There'll be more leisure for us
now, and more happiness for you"
"Oh, Jim, dear, I'm so glad!" She
slipped her arm through his and they
started up the hill together.
1--WE been reproaching myself all
day for the way I've been n~eglecting
you Of late, Alice" he said.
"Never mind, Jim. I knew you were
worried. You-you're sure you love
me as much as ever?"
"What a question, sweetheart" He
laughed, and there was a little pause.
"Jim, dear, will you think me awfully
wicked if I confess something to your"
<"Out with it |" he laughed. "rve for
given you already, Allie"
"Ah, but it's terrible" she cried.
"You know, when-when I wasn't sure
you really cared, IL wrote myself a
love letter from an imaginary man,
and pretended to post an answer, and
we-were going to run away together.
Only, IL knew all the time that 1t
was you"