The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-02-11
By BertG Rack

needn't pretend any more that I want to
What could he do but stare stupidity at.
her? Following that look with an even
Stuptder, Don't you want tor"
Il would shake my head, If it didn't
somehow feel 80 silly and weak. It doesn't
matter now, though, saying that / didn't
want to, except for perhaps a minute at
the very beginning. You remember that
when you proposed to me, / owned up to
you / had been in love with a man, but
Yes, you said that there'd been some
thing-but that was over
Roger, a week after we were engaged
that man wired, telling me by what boat
he was coming home from India. / wrote
to the steamer to tell him I expected him
to call. l thought if he came he might see
he never came. So / went on being en-
gagged because 1 thought there was nothing
afternoon we were to go out skiing
yesterday afternOOn-nO. Anyhow, 1t was
Christmas eve; you called for me. You
called up the stairs to this room, 'NOelg
life with this perfect dear?' So"
Roger interrupted her. Even an intelli-
gent man, when Overstrained, can be I'M
~speakably Obtuse. Roger actually stumbled
upon the word generosity"
you think I'm making it up?" Noel
cried, exasperated. WASN'T / writing to
you y~esterday-nO, that afternoonF That
moment when you called up. l knew 1
should never be able to say it. I wrete the
note. 1 put it into an envelope. hadn't
time to address it. I hid it away quickly
there, look; therei' She pointed at the
new novel, laid where she had put it
down on the top Of her writing table.
Find it,"
Between those pages he found, and read
the note in which Noel broke off their
engagement. There was no standing UP
against the date of two Christmases ago.
"NOel!' he said. "NOel, Noel, my dear
and kissed her hand in establishment. 81
don't know what to say"
You might" Noel murmured briefly and
shyly, tell me what happened to" She
mentioned his name.
1t was that of the quiet, one armed sol
der who had travelled up in the train with
the undergraduates. The man who always
looked on.
Hes here, my dear" Roger said, tense
". II always wondered why he came here
on sports. He wanders about like a dog
without a master; he talks to anybody who
will talk about you. . You'll see
Noel"
And, when the doctor, fastening in, had
given it as his opinion that all was we'll
that there appeared to be no danger, anC
that in his opinion nothing need prevent
the young lady from spending Christmas
day as a normal cOnvalescent, Roger sped
down to the telephone. Feverishly, he gOt
the hotel number. Certainly the clientele
were still dancing. Certainly Miss Blonde
Leonard and her family were still up-anC
that majOr-that one armed Offieer-yes
He was there.
"Then," called Roger Monroe, babblins
as if light headed, "a perfectly respectful,
sickrOOm will presently look like a nigh
club. What with evening dress, and cham
payne, and ham and eggs"
81 don't get you, monsieur" called bacl
the Swiss concierge, in his best American
'Then send me Miss Blonde Leonard, ant
Mr.. Give. And the major. ASK them all t
come up at once, please, to Miss Leonard
chalet, to celebrate the awakening Of Mis-
Noel Leonardo
1t was an indescribably merry Christina
breakfast!