Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-12

Ollie moved up very close to the old
man and put her clasped hands on his
heart as she said pleadingly, "She is q
lunatic, isn't she, DR.. Goyan?"
'Mad as March hare"
"'And nobody ever thinks of believing
what lunatics say, do they, DR.. Go
yan?"
"Not unless they are little touched
themselves"
He had no difficulty in tracing her
meaning. 1t was q piteous plea for
faith in her father. Westover had told
him of the scene he had invaded with
out revealing his own part in the pro-
ceeding. But, knowing as well as he
did the old woman's mania, the doctor
had no difficulty in supplying the de-
tails.
"Poor papa-to think of my not pro-
tecting him better"
Dr. Govan pushed her gently toward
the door. There, there, child, go. You
are working yourself up into condi-
ton of absolute uselessness."
"Oh, that will never do! I must not
become useless while father needs me.
l will go for walk"
THAT'S right. You are good child.
See that your walk means something.
will be back about TO-"
Passing swiftly ana resolutely from
under the gloomy cedars through the
smart, highly ornamented gate into the
broad public road. with it's fringe of
grass and weeds, gray with dust, she
turned her face westward. She was
going to the Spillman cottage. Miss
Malvina must tell her what her moth
er meant about finding and losing pa
pers that belonged to Tom Broxton.
She would not let Miss NIalvina know
about the awful things that poor old
crazy woman" had said to her father.
Those We're words that must never
ind utterance a second time. They
We're too dreadful, too cruel, too false,
absolutely false! And yet they haunt
ed her. Some sleek black and white
cows filed past her, vending their way
homeward for the night Their gener-
GUS udders hung heavy with the prom
AN'S VI - lSA. j 1Clu. All VI Tic UluCk
and white kline used to belong to Colo
mel BroXton. No one else had their
like. She could distinctly remember
hearing the old colonel discourse upon
the superiority of his imported Hol-
stems and being rallied by her father
on his extravaganza in keeping such
fancy breed. She wondered who the
black and white cows belonged to now
Tom, of course. The thud of rapid
hoof beats on the road behind her
made her draw still farther aside into
the dusty grass and weeds. She felt
Ike hiding. "Why?" she asked herself
spetulantly. With long, clean strides,
drawing a light sulky after her as east
~ us if it We're a baby's perambulator,
the colonel's black mare sped past her.
A stranger was in the sullly. A man
She had never seen was driving the
mare Winnie. She wondered who she
belonged to now-Tom, of course.
Sick at heart, sore frightened. hating
herself for even remembering that
''crazy old woman's' terrible words,
she reached the Spillman gate and
passed timidly through it and up the
broken brick walk, between Miss Mall
vina's two rows Of gayly blossoming
ANIMALS, into the cottage. without
knocking, for the door stood wide
open. If she knocked, Mother" Spill
man might answer.
There was no one in the little sitting
room. The great chintz covered easy
chair which she had never before seen
vacant had been pushed back against
the wall. Miss Malvina's sewing ma
chine was closed, and it's oilcloth cover
was spread over it. The books on the
table in the center of the room were
rigidly correct in their stiff arrange
nent. A lamp burned dimly in the
midst of them. There was a certain
air of decorous repose about the entire
room which smote upon Olivia's nerves
ominously. The door to the adjoining
room was ajar. A dim light shone
through it. Perhaps she would find
them in there. OF course she would.
DR.. Goran had said Mother" Spill
man was sick. She had forgotten it.
With considerate caution she made
her way toward the light. She did not
want to disturb "the poor old lunatic, .
but she must have speech with Miss
Malvina. She could not rest that night
without 1t. Yes, she found them in
there, mother and daughter, the one
quiet, motionless, at rest, with her
long, gaunt hands lying stretched
peacefully upon the white coverlet, the
other sitting by the bedside weeping in
noiseless resignation to the expected,
weeping for her dead. Olivia swept
swiftly forward and laid hand on
Miss Malyina's arm. SIS she sick? Is
she asleep?"
"She is dead" said Malvina quietly.
"She went very peacefully just five
minutes ago"
The lonely woman lifted her dull red
eyes to Olivia's. The girl felt a quick
rush Of sympathy. She wound her
arms about the mourner
Dead, and you here alonew
Miss Malvina turned and smoothed
the thin gray hairs back from the mar.
BILE cold face on the pillows.
sI'd rather have had it So" she saidy