Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-22

and then Mrs. Lancaster felt shudder
pass through the figure in her arms.
Evelyn was thinking of look she had
seen in Ronald Fanshaw's eyes as they
sat alone that morning.
AT this juncture the couple saw Capt.
Wrinkle sauntering down the veranda
towards them.
He is looking for you,'' said the
widow; Shall l leave you alone with
him."
Evelyn's voice sounded harsh when
she replied:
presume you might as we'll; it is
plain that he wants to have it out with
me. think [ can manage him"
Mrs. Lancaster rose as the officer drew
near.
II think shall ask the musicians to
play my favorite," she said, speaking
at Wrinkle, to whom she had nodded.
As she moved away the captain start
ed to sit in the hammock beside its oc-
cupant, but Evelyn promptly stood up
and leaned against the balustrade. Her
action was greeted with grunt-of dis
approval on the part of the young man.
1T is just little cool at this end =
she said, half apologetically.
"1ou make me feel that it is decidedly
So" he retorted. "But hope you will
bear the temperature a moment
longer"
"1ou wish to speak to me, sir"
He was evidently under great agita-
ton and he seemed to reduce his voice
to calmness only by extra effort.
II have for some time suspected that
you were allowing yourself to become
interested in that country bumpkin,' -
he said, almost brutally; "but did not
dream till tonight that you were in
correspondence with him"
"Most of your dreams occur at night,
do they not, captain?" Evelyn had
lifted her eyebrows and was smiling
coldly, defiantly.
81 guess there is no dream abo,.t your
corresponding with him-at Lease that
he has written you to-day" returned
Wrinkle, in white heat. :'Yoe. have
been in the house all the afternoon, and
besides no one but him could have
could have"
Wrinkle found himself sliding into a
pitfall of his own making, and the
startled vacuity of his small face caused
Evelyn to laugh out immoderately.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, 'you think he
wrote me about the shearing process"
For moment the captain could only
stare stupidity, then lame defense
came to his lips.
Il could not think of anyone else
who could report such lie to you," he
said.
"Then am not to believe that it re-
ally happened?" queried Evelyn.
THE very idea is absurd on the face
OF it, was the captains perturbed re-
spouse.
II can't believe that Mr.. Fanshaw
would write me a deliberate false
hood" she returned, still smiling tan
talizingly. "He is quite truthful and
honorable"
Wrinkles lip curled and quivered i'm
potently.
DO you consider it an honorable
thing to write lie about a MANIA
rival? I presume I may call him
that, since you have encouraged him
to that extent"
He has never thought of you as a
"a rival Knocked Evelyn, with pro-
nounced sheer. She moved towards
the others, but he grasped her arm
and detained her. His fury was now
unbridled.
Il shall report this to your father"
he threatened.
"You intend to tell my father that
1 correspond with Mr.. Fanshaw?" she
asked, sternly, coldly.
Il shall feel it my duty as his friend,
knowing that he would disapprove of
it, and that you are doing most fool
ish thing"
"Then you will tell him a false
hood" she said, with white smile,
and eyes which flashed like diamonds
in the moonlight.
You do not correspond with him ?
he has not written to you to-day %