Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-29

| ed Tor feel all the more impelled to emulate
his industry and enterprise. All my studies on
this side have been pursued with eye single
! to become electrician. The study has taken
| an immense hold upon my fancy, and as this is
essentially the age of electricity expect to do
something along the line of invention and dis
coyery. My original purpose Of studying law,
with view of being taken into partnership by
my guardian, he has discouraged from the very
beginning. Perhaps he is right in saying that
the bar could well dispense with two-thirds OF
Its numbers and still leave good working force.
Luckily, my darling, we will not have to wait
for a business to be built up. Broxton Hall is
waiting for its fair mistress. There are jewels
and plate in its strong boxes, all for you, love,
| and the fondest of lovers thrown in.
You would smile, my sweet one il I were to
try to tell you half the visions have indulged in
OF you mistress OF Broxton Hall. l have seen
you at the head of the table in the breakfast
room, darling, with the roses my mother planted
wreathing gorgeous background to your pretty
hair. have handed you into the old family
coach and taken my seat beside you, while the
old family horses iingled their glittering silver
harness with proud consciousness OF bearing away
the loYeiest, daintiest mortal that ever bore tho
name Of Broxton.
All, my sweet one, pardon the exuberance of a
loyesck man yearning for home and you. Some
times such wave of longing to hold you in my
arms comes that feel if could not
complete the term
Olivia, wait for me- trust me, take good care
of my beloved for me. Heaven has seen it to
leave me very much alone in my young days.
All the love that might have been diffused among
father, mother, sisters, brothers. has conferred
about one small, bewildering little woman, con-
centration begetting fervor, until wonder how
my heart contain its longing without trans.
l porting me to your feet.
/ don't know that sat down to my desk with
this letter in my mind have been trying to be
angry with you. What's here set down is never
absent from my heart. love you; l have always
loved you; shall always love you no one but
YOU You are the only woman in the world to
me, Olivia. Take good care OF my precious one
! until come to claim her for my very own.
You got between me and my thesis today You
haunt my days; you consume my nights. Per-,
haps now that have poured out all my love- all
my hopes, all my intentions, l can get back to
the cold hard duties lying nearest to me. Thanks
be to those who went before, dear, we will not
have to wait for anything.
Oh, how the months lag! Already begin to
count those that still divide thee and me- Pres
emily it will be weeks. then days, then hours,
then minutes and l will live again. My sweet,
good night Yours, and only yours, while life
stirs the pulse of your devoted slave I. B.
Olivia, reading this letter through
rapidly-she had. an engagement with
Mr.. MISSIONER, and Clarence laid SO
and flushed softly. Homage is sweet
to every daughter Of Eve, and Tom
did make love charmingly, Presently
her little hands made sad havoc of
Toms ardent letter. She tore it into
small bits and sifted the bits reflective
~ through her fingers into her waste
paper basket. On one of the fingers
through which TOMS message of love
filtered in scraps was a big diamond
ring that had not been there when he
went to tell her goodhy,
" From smiles she had passed to
frowns. The letter was distinctly dis
turbipg. Usually, by. the time she had
reduced letter to fragments she had
forgotten its contents.
But this letter of Toms refused ito
be erased so readily. From condem-
nation Of his Stiffness and blindness
she passed to self questioning and ac-
cusing.
Had she ever let him suppose that
her feelings for him We're other than
those of an aunt for nephew, a
guardian for a ward or anything else
safe and mature one could think of ?
She was. sure, quite sure, she had not.
Tom had no one but himself to thank
| for his misery. But, then, that lie
should be miserable-that stung her
tender little heart to the quick. Tom
had had so much sorrow already. Oh,
!, what a hateful letter to have to an
swer! Now she would have to tell him
, about Clarence and herself.
Mr.. Clarence Westover's step was
heard entering the yeranda. and Tom
BroAton was resolved, by the Magian
/, touch of love, into a fading myth.
Much more disturbing was the letter
written by Mr.. Matthews to his ward
1t was much shorter than TOMS to
Olivia, but it went straight to the
!, point with a brutal directness as eff
fective as well placed blow between
the eyes. 1t left him stunned and
GREATNESS.
Said the lawyer in his business let.
ter:
= My Dear Thomas-As only few more months
remain of your allotted two years absence,
{ think the time has arrived for me to make plain
statement to you
You will soon be coming home man in the
eyes OF the law, legally emancipated from all
guardianship-in Short your own master.
rejoice to perceive from letters that you have
made excellent OF your time and opportuni.
ties. As have told you before I highly ap'
prove of your taking up electricity. 1t may
stand you in good stead in the near future.
: And now it is my painful duty to infict very
? great surprise upon you. have known, since IN
my capacity as your guardian have had to ex-
anime into your fathers papers, that he had
, been led into some most unfortunate specuations
: | and investments.
My most earnest efforts were directed toward
drawing your funds out of the rapidly sinking
concerns in which he. with a lack of judgment
not common to him, had invested. After veal
Of futile endeaYos in this direction bent my en-
ergies toward rendering you self supporting should
. the crash which fully anticipated occur during
your minority. 1t did occur, Thomas, and hay,
known for Ave years that you would have barely
: enough to finish good education upon and t.
supplement it by carrying out your fathers cher
ishcd plan OF travel.
Toward this end have toiled and hasbandet
|, your resources to the best OF my poor Judgment