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

out into the road with very inconsider-
ate speed. frightened your fathers
horse, and he dropped his bag.
picked it up myself and handed it back
to him.
He told me the next day-you re-
member, 1T was when you brought him
in your phaeton-that he missed some
papers and thought they might have
dropped out when he let his bag fall"
"All Of which" said Olivia stonily.
"goes to prove that some papers wera
LOST
Yes, but of course he found them
again. He said that morning that he
presumed he must have left them in
the study at the Hall, but it did not
matter much. They could not have
been very important"
But Mrs. Spillman-wher does she
come into your story?'
Il told her when went back into the
house all about it. Poor mother!
got into the way OF repeating every
thing to her. 1t interested her, you
know, and, being queer already, she
got a twist in her head about those
papers, I suppose, which there is no
use trying to account for''
But she was so terribly in earnest
last night, Miss Malvina. There must
have been something more than imagi-
nation in it all. But there, now. That
sounds as if I were helping her to cast
discredit on father"
Miss Malvina sighed YEARLY and
turned her eyes toward the cold, still
form on the bed. There was note Of
pride in her voice when she said:
Mother was always one of the terri
bly,, earnest sort. used to tell her she
must have some of the blood Of the old
Coyenanters in her veins. Mother
burnt out. She didn't rust out. Poor
dear! How glad she must be to have
done with it all-this Tuning and fret
ting. l mean. Mothers wasn't happy
nature, at least not here below. l hope
she is now. I've told you all know,
Olivia.''
Olivia was standing, with meekly
folded hands, looking down upon the
dead woman. How strange it all was!
Less than IL hours ago that quiet
form had quivered with passion as it
lowered over her fathers sickbed, and
those sealed lips had hurled terrible
accusations at him almost with their
last activity. Now, if she should offer
up her own vigorous young life in ex-
change for single word she could not
purchase it.
Yes, !" she said slowly, ssshe looks as
If, she had found RES. II would give
my life, though, to bring her back to
answer me one question. There would,
be no guesswork about it now She.
knows, and o dear Lord, want to
know: Just one question / want to
ask
With touch of exhausted patience
Miss Malvina asked, "And the ques-
tion?"
Where are those papers?"
How should she know, child? What
would she be doing with papers that 3
belonged to your father or to Thomas
Broxton? She spent her whole waking
time in that big chair. | never will be
able to look at it without bringing her
back. How could she have found any
papers? And, if she had, she would
have turned them over to the person
they belonged to. Mother was too hon.
est to trick her worst enemy. II
sound peeyish and cross, child, bear in
mind, that 1, too, have gone through
an ordeal"
Olivia drew in her breath with
quick gasp of excitement. She was too
oI>,o f,l.c
was trying to unravel to take any note
of the tired look on the plain face she
was searching.
"Ah, something else comes back to .
me! feel like some one who has had
a clew put into his hands, but it is so
frail and delicate he is afraid to strain
it for fear of losing it forever. = It
that chair. I remember one day-it
was long before my garden party-I
came here to see you about something.
You were not here, and was afraid Of
her. I have been afraid Of her ever
since I was little child. I drew back
when saw you were not in the room
and waited on the porch for you.
knees before that big chair acting so
queerly. thought at first she might
be praying"
Which don't doubt she was" said
Miss Malvina coldly. "She was very
devout. Mother prayed great deal.
I expect you disturbed her at her morn.
ing devotions."
4 II don't think 1 disturbed her." said
Ollie humbly. II stole right away very
quietly and left her patting the chair
all lover with her hands outstretched.'
"Patting the chair? Mother some.
times got very feryent in prayer"
ooh; now can see you are getting
angry with me! Think of it, Miss NAL
vina-my father may soon be as your
mother is now. When they meet up
yonder, she Yill know him as he is.
All mistakes. all doubts, will be set to
rest forever for them. But for me oh,
help me to lind those papers before he
leaves me! must have them"
Sobs shook the tired young frame.
o.