Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-22
cordiality which his wife was now

cordially which his wife was now
showing.
Yes, I'm sure we shall make
of Harry Tristram."
He doesn't like things done for
him." Nina declared She wished to
show how very well she knew him
and spoke with an air of authority.
20, of course it won't look like that,
Madame Zabriska."
Now, the Imp's efforts had looked
that-just like it. She chafed under
conscious inferiority; Lady Flora had
smiled at being thought to need such
a reminder. Able to endure more, the
Imp declared that she must go back
to Cecily
ooh, poor girl, l quite forgot her!
You're going back to Blent with her,
l suppose? Do come and see us when
you're in town again." Was there
or was there not the slightest sigh
as she turned away, a sigh that
speaks of duty nobly done? Even to-
wards Roberts caprices, even to the
oldest people, Lady Flora prided her
self on a becoming bearing. And in
the end this little Madame Zabriska
had rather amused her: she was fun
ny with her air of ownership about
Harry Tristram.
| Well poor Nina understood! All
that the enemy thought was legible
to her: all the misery that keen per-
ceptions can sometimes bring was
sure to be hers. She had spent the
most notable evening of her life, and
she got into her cab miserable
woman
| When she reached home there was
nothing to change her mood. She
found Cecily in a melancholy so
sympathetic as to invite an immed-
late outpouring of the heart. Cecily
was beautiful that evening, in her
black frock, with her fair hair, her
pale face and her eyes full of tragedy.
She had been writing, it appeared;
ink and paper were on the table. She
was very quiet. but, Nina thought,
with the stiffness that follows
storm. Unasked, the Imp sketched
the dinner party, especially Harrys
share in it. Her despair was laced
with vitrol, and she avoided kind
: word about anybody.
Those people have got hold of him.
We've lost him. That's the end of it."
she cried
Cecily had nothing to say; she lean
ed back in slack dreariness while
Nina eXpiated on this doleful text.
r
sion, the stream of Mina's lamentation
begun to run dry.
20, it's no use talking" she ended.
"There it is
I'm going back to BIent tomorrow"
: said Cecily suddenly.
y 1t was no more than Nina had ex-
pected. Yes, we may as WELL" she
! assented, dismally.
Cecily rose and began to walk
about. Her air caught Mina's atten-
), ton again; on this, the evening be-
- fore she returned to Blent, she had
something of that suppressed passion
which had marked her manner on the
> night when she determined to leave it.
She came to stand opposite Nina.
. I've made up my mind. From this
! moment, Nina, Blent is mine. Up to
:, u now I've held it for Harry. Now it's
n n mine. shall go back and begin ev-
erything there tomorrow"
Nina felt the tragedy; the inevita-
y BILE was being accepted.
I've written to Cousin Harry I've
Il told him what mean to do. He must
3 think it right; it's the only thing he's
left me to do. But l told him I can
L do it only On one condition. He'll
have my letter tomorrow"
"On one condition? What?"
al Il said to him that he gave me Blent
!. because was there, because he saw
u me there in the middle of it ALL That's
true. If I'd stayed here would he ever
:, have told his secret? Never! He
!, wouldn't SO much as come to see me:
u he'd never have thought of me: he'd
have forgotten all about me. 1t was
5 seeing me there"
u We'll, seeing you anyhow
d Seeing me there-there at Blent"
. she insisted, now almost angrily. so
- he'll understand what l mean by the
thing I've asked of him. And he must
), obey Her voice became imperious
u I've told him that I'm going back, GO
ing to stay there, and live there.
8 but that he must never. never, come
Il there"
le Nina started, her eyes wide open in
70 surprise at this heroic measure
% "Never see him! Never have him
sc at Blent!" Nina was trying to sort
h. out the state of things which would
~ result. 1t was pretty plain what had
h happened; Cecily had felt the need
- of doing something; here it was. Mi
10 mas sympathies, quick to move, dart
~ ed out to Harry. "Think what it'll
70 mean to him never to see Blent!" she
-, - cried
ITO him? Nothing. nothing! Why
lie you yourself came home just now,
re saying that we were nothing to him !,
Blent's nothing to him now. It's for
" my own sake that I've said he mustn't
come"
n, You've begged him not to come?'
is I've told him not to come" said Ce-
ID oily haughtily. "If it's his let him take
lie it. If it's mine can choose who shall
come there. Don't you see, don't you
y. see? How can l ever cheat myself
II. into thinking it's mine by right if /
to see Harry there?" She paused a mo-
I'd ment. And if you'd thrown yourself
II. at mans head and he'd refused
lie you, would you want to have him
v. about?"
m "N,no." said Nina, but rather hest
IS tatingly.
W so I've ended it; I've ended every.
IN thing. | posted my letter just before