Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-24
Westover laughingly said, "Pretty
bad indeed"

westover laughingly said, "Pretty
bad indeed
at would be much better not to get
married, wouldn't it, Clarence?"
She was twisting her slim fingers in
and about each other. CHANGING down
at them, he noticed, with start, that
they were ringless. He looked at her
Her eyes were fastened on her clasped
hands. He touched the finger that had
been encircled by his ring of betrothal.
"What does that mean, Olivia?"
She opened her hands and showed
him the ring clasped in her palms. She
did not look at him as she answered in
slow, dull voice:
at means that 1 want you to take it
back, Clarence, and give it to some
girl who will make you happier than
l could. 1t means that don't want
your mother and Jeanne to buy me
anything, because-because-t will
be no wedding"
She laid the ring in his hand with
little gasp, then sat quite still. He
stared at it dumbly for moment, the
hot, indignant blood mounting higher
Into his temples every second.
would you object to being a little
more explicit?" he asked presently,
with biting GOODNESS. II take it for
granted you have some reason or some
thing you call reason for this re-
markable change of mind"
Her lips quivered ,piteously. The hot
tempered young fellow, smarting I'M
der a hurt to his pride, took no note of
it. He waited in cold silence.
Il have made up my mind never to
marry at all, Clarence. l am going, to
live like Miss Malvina. At first it
won't seem at all nice, but I'll soon
get wrinkled and old. and my hair will
fall out, and life will grow smooth,
and won't care for anything but
making beef tea for poor people and
going to church. Miss Malvina is
much happier woman than ~
A loud laugh, fuller of mockery than
Of mirth, broke up the decorous still
ness of the house. Mindful of his
growing wrath. Westover clutched
frantically at a scapegoat
ooh, l see. You are under spinster
tuition at present. l fancy Miss Spill
mans temptations to commit matri-
mony have not been numerous or ir-
resistible"
He had rather hoped that she would
flame out at him with her old willful-
ness and defiance Of contradiction.
Instead she answered with a forbear-
ing meekness which made him stare.
He would have pitied her if he had
known how hardly it was won.
Please don't say anything unkind
about Miss Malvina, Clarence. She
will be the only friend 1 have in the
world after you go away hating me-"
His mood was still resentful. mo-
he said, with an unpleasant smile.
'You forget"
II forget?''
"BroXton. He is a grand fellow, a
most formidable rival, but was not
just prepared to find him in the
field
| "Clarencen
She flung out her hands toward him
imploringly. Her cry was one of min.
gled pain and Indignation. Belonging
as Westover did, to the school of Low
ers who abjure romanticism and
eschew heroics, it fell upon unplacat-
| ed ears.
"But, my dear girl, do try to be SEN
stole. Put yourself in my place. For
over year now I have been your
affianced husband, ready to marry
| you whenever you would consent to
fix the day. First your father inter
posed his loneliness and your youth as
arguments for delay. Then his sick
ness and death prolonged the term OF
probation. At last, when by the most
patient calculations 1 consider myself
approaching the goal, am met with
the rather unexpected piece of infor-
nation that you have decided you
do not want to marry anybody"
II know-I know. 1t sounds abso-
lutely insane. tits not worth puzzling
over. am not worth grieving about.
You won't for very long"
She was wiping the tears from her
eyes with gentle air Of resignation
which quenched the fires of West
overs temper as nothing else could.
His voice had kinder tone in it when
he said:
Perhaps have come to you too soon
after your bereavement, dear. You
can think of nothing IT your father
p