Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-06-23

loss of property makes no difference to her; and,
she is going to be my wife in the sp,ing, heaven
willing. Need l say that am happier now, as a
poor man, than was before with ali my prospect.
i've wealth when though''-ah . We'll, ycy fnow
If. in their secret hearts, either Ralph
or Viola differed with Victor Montford in
his estimate of Blanche, they did not say
so; they were both too pleased with the
denouement.
~ don't care anything about the Mont
ford property, now" Viola said, blushing
family, "not-not unless you do, dear
Ralph"
"le You don't think I'd take it from
him, If l did want it, hope! I've got all
the Montford property ask for, here"
STOPPING over and kissing the family
flushed cheek and the pretty, tremulous
lips, and the dropping lids that yelled the
happy eyes.
You see, this hero of mine was young
and in love, which accounts for contempt
Of property" If he lives a. long as
you, dear sensible reader-always suppos
ing one Of that class reads this story at
all-he will doubtless learn better, and
have due admiration for "solid !"
charms.
Into this charming little scene the voice
of Captain Dick Waite dropped like q
clumsy bumble-bee into plate of rose
leaves. Fortunately he was out of eye
shot
Anderson Anderson! Come here,
man |" the voice was quick and impatient,
much as if he was ordering q man to the
masthead.
Ralph obeyed very promptly, and found
the captain in close, excited conversation
with tall, dark haired and dark bearded
mana very handsome man, who seemed,
in his way, to be as much excited as he.
The stranger turned his face full toward
him as he came into the room, and he
knew instantly who he was-the pure
olive skin, the loose curling, jetty hair,
the great, bewildering, luminous eyes,
each and all were but the counterpart OF
hers, and so Captain Waite's information
was no information at all when he said ::
This is Mr.. Harry Montford, Ander-
son; Harry Albertson Montford, By
George! knew I'd get bim If he was
on the foot stool. 1t was the merest
chance though after al]-confound the
telegraph it's all stupendous humbug.
Ii hadn't been to the depot and in the
cars, shouldn't ha' had him now"
Captain Waite has been telling me a
strange story, sir he said, taking Ralph's
hand, cordially. al hardly dare yet TO
believe in the great happiness dropped SO
suddenly into my life. You think there
is no doubt about it, young sir?" The
voice was rich and full, with little UNI
dertone of tremulous eagerness pulsing
through It,
u know that there is no doubt about
it," Ralph replied.
Atterward, an hour, perhaps, and after
great deal Of scientific beating about the
bush by little, sweet.voiced Minna Waite,
to whom was delegated the task OF max
ing the revelation to Viola, Mr.. Montford
was admitted to his daughters presence,
with great many charges to "be CALM"
and to abe careful" and the like.
Viola cried little, softly, but on the
whole she behaved admirably for such an
excitable little thing, and Minna Waite
was rather proud OF her success as pre-
parator. =.
"You look just as you used to, papa"
Viola said, smiling through her tears; II
remember so we'll"
After while the story of his strange
disappearance and long absence was told
| will give il as briefly as possible.
He went, by the special invitation OF
Alfred DeVries, on yachting expedition
which was to cross the channel and touch
at several points, and, after weeks alb
sence, to return. II came up suddenly
rough soon after they sailed, and the night
shut down early and stormily, Still they
had no fear but they should be able to
outride the gale easily enough, and he
had been talking to that effect with the
captain, who then left him and went for
ward. He was about midway the bost,
irving TO make out light In the distance,
when some one pushed suddenly and vio-
lenty against him. He caught at the
side OF the boat, but through the dark
ness face was bent down and voice
Kissed: "Who Is the victor nowf What
shall / tell Genevieve Mallard for your
and his hands were struck suddenly from
their hold and he fell over into the boil
ing sea. He remembered sensation as If
he was going down, down, hundreds OF
fathoms, into the depths Of the sea, and
among the thoughts that flew like lightning
throu III his brain was this: Alfred De.
Vries had invited him on this trip, hoping
and meaning that, If II was possible, he
should never return. He understood full
well his last taunting speech, for Genevieve
had told him that DeVries had sworn he
would some day triumph over both her
and the man who had won her from him,
DeVries having been former lover OF
hers, though never favored one. His
last thought was vague wonder II Gene
We've would ever suspect that DeVries
had anything TO do with his being drown
ed, and then all was blank, long, dreary
blank, in which he knew or realized
nothing, save sometimes an intense sense
of physical agony, bat no thought, or
fancy, or speculstion-nOt the vaguest or
most indefinite thought or wish.
Three months afterward he reused from
what seemed to him long, panied sleep,
reused with still heaviness, weight,
as It were, pressing on his brain. He felt,
still, like one in sort of lethargic trance,
though he was able TO sit on the deck and
walk q few steps. Physical health came
back to him after time, but his mind
was under a cloud still. He had no
idea of time-no connected thought of any
thing, and no memory Of the past, save
vague sense of something painful and OPP
pressive. Since, he had learned that he
was picked up floating on his back, In
motionless, unconscious state, long, mar
row strip OF thin board under his shout
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