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

S~A~
knows you Chris, and wanted me to
ask you to come and see her."
Christopher Hatch said nothing; he
never did have anything to say con-
corning girls. Because he never men,
toned knowing one or e having
known one he was dubbed "girl-shy."
Now he gazed straight before him at
something which the room did not con-
tain, then abruptly attempted to take
up the argument where Sans entrance
had disturbed it.
But Sam, impelled by some perverse
impulse, blocked him. "You haven't
the nerve to go there and call on that
girl, Chris. Why not be a sport and
own up to it? Bet you-bet you my
autographed copy Of oliver Twist
you haven't the courage to enter that
apartment lair of the deadly sex and
drag forth said Mary Brown to our
next informal dance! J"
That Chris was intense in his adj
miration of Dickens, as he was in all
things, Sam well knew; and he knew
what a delight it would be to him to
owl that autographed volume. But
he couldn't know what was going on
right then in Chris's mind regarding
a girl named Mary Brown-how Id
came to the decision that. as the girl
had helped take from him the person
he loved most In the world, as he be-
lieved she had, he had a right to use
her to acquire something he coveted.
"Ill take you up on that" Chris said.
"Sam" said Tom Fitch after Chris
departed q wish you hadn't egged
Chris into calling on the girl. Brown
was the name of the woman his father
married, and there vas a daughter.
Chris hates them; hasn't had any
thing to do With his old man since"
"Whew" said Sam. But it can't
be the same one, Tom. She was a big
chemical blonde"
When Chris Hatch stepped into the
lobby of Hampstead House it was s
o'clock and the time of the evening
mail distribution. The place was fun
Of fiuttering femininity. Yes, Miss
Mary Brown vas in and would see
him. Chris subsidized into the nearest
chair, and placing his soft hat upOn his
stick. Solemnly twirled it around the
white. Then a voice said:
"Why Mr.. Hatch. This is a pleasant
surprise"
Standing before him was a slight
girl whose tlaXpn hair was brushed
straight back INTO Il SOIL bot at the
back of her neck and whose blue eyes
did not quite voice the pleasure her
words had expressed.
The opening speech Chris had so
carefully prepared crawled into some
hidden corner of his brain and Knocked
him. On all sides bright eyes ap-
praised him ears, from their coverts
of hair, listened.
There's a good picture at the EN-
pire," he blurted. would you like to
COZ
I'll be ready in a jiffy." The girls
voice betrayed amusement. All at
once and for the first time she under
stood this tall solemn young nan
he was basllful, Woman-shy-and that
was what caused all the misapprehen-
sions!
Chris emotions that evening were
mixed pickles, sweet and sour. After
ali, She was such a little thing, his
G!rl, and 50 pretty she Was-it would
only be the decent thing if he tool a
protective interest III her. Then again
lilo ned be hinged if he would He'd
use her to win that bet and thar would
Re the cad Of it. 1t was what she
.r>trNtu
1t h;tpI'pned on the day following
the making Of the bet that Sam john
son CONTRACTED u cold which grew
worse and developed into pneumonia.
Nrtntimc Chris brought Mary Brown
t" the seHli-WeeNly dance at the frat
! OuSe Wltre the three friends lived.
Chris did not dance, but the girl did.
INT made quite d hit. Immediately
upon his return from seeing her safe
~ back to the city, Chris went to
Sans b""iclse and took rom
the autographed copy Of "Oliver
Twist"
The story OF the wager had gotten
about, but the cal interest cauir wien
chris appeared at the next "infurmal'
with the girl, and it was reported that
they had been seen together several
times in the city. Chris beaaling a girl
around was irresistible, but when they
tried to jolly him he shut up like a
clam and would nave nothing at all to
say about her.
When Sam was convalescing Tom,
who was the first n allowed to see
him, related how the affuir Of the bet
had devIoped.
i cant understand it!' exclaimed
Sam. "Chris-WhO always hated shams
even worse than girls-to take up< with
a chemical blonde! !"
You're wrong about her hair, I'm
sure; I'll say that much, Sam Tom
was emphatic.
I'll bet you" began the patient,
but here the nurse summarily SEM
Tom away.
1T was the third dance to which
Chris had brought Miss Brown and
the first Sam had attended since the
wager. Coming down the stairs rath-
er late, when'the dancing was in full
swing in the big living room, he spied
Chris-girl-shy Chris-with an arm
close around a slight figure and a
faxen head snuggled in seeming con
tent into the hollow Of his shoulder!
Five minutes later Sam cornered
Tom Fitch and drew him out of ear