Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-02-21

fear and advice Your objections wers
overcome, and you obeyed an elder per-
son in whom you had implicit conf
dence. That is all, and understand"
.'Then they did not tell yon about
mel" she whispered, breathlessly.
mo; You have told me all that knoM
OF you, here in the dark. You are ten.
der, modest, true and pure; and wers
you my wife in truth, ! would not ba
ashamed to tell this story to the world
myself and own you as such AFTER
The words fell from his lips so tender
ly, so kindly, she took his hand in both
of hers. and laid her face upon 1t, crys
ing silently.
1.-THE blame of it all is on our friend,
the DOCTOR" he continued, deeply
touched, and his voice little unsteady
"What tumultuous, headlong, hurris
cane sort of fellow he is! There is NO
blame for you; for look, if am here,
how could you have resisted him? And
it is only his judgment that was al
fault, after all-only his Judgment.
WHY. truer heart never beat than
Brodnar's."
would it offend you if ask guess
tion?" She had waited for composurs,
and now did not lift her head.
''Why, no, of course"
"You are right sure?"
Fright sure"
"Then, how could any gentleman
consent to be placed in such position
as yours? You must have known how
embarrassing it was to be for me-" His
,,/1;p Is ;r<1
establishment, but he restrained him.
self
"You forget, my child see you have
backslided into childhood-you forget
that in the first place was appealedto
in behalf of a woman and no gentleman
may resist that. And then had no rea-
son to suspect that | was to marry
girl. 1t might have been an experts
enced widow. Indeed"
But you are glad it wasn't, are you
not?" she asked, anxiously.
Eyes. my child"
'.Does my question then indicate that
am child?"
Eyes, my child"
81 don't see why"
Because you are still-a child" She
was not satisfied.
MIR. Somers, l want you to thinE
well of me always, and the thought that
] may meet you sometime doesn't em-
| barrass me now. 1t would not embar-
| rass me if did meet you-even if I
| should meet you tomorrow. But wish
| yousto know all about me, and am gos
ing to tell you every thing from the be-
ginning"
NO. indeed, you shall not he said,
quickly. She lifted her head. startled.
"Why motif | choose? I am NOT
afraid to trust YOU
No! no! Miss Frances"
"Ah, l am a woman again!"
eyes, a woman of charm so sweet
| and a heart so true that Richard Som
ers must arm himself. Not your honor,
but mine, the honor of your husband,
is at stake, and you promised to regard
that always"
And l shall, sir; only tell me how"
"Why. have promised my friend not
to seek to find out, or permit anyone
to tell me anything about you. may
/ not let even you inform me. You must
not"
She was silent, disturbed, and won~
/ dering at his intense earnestness.
Then she said, in awe at the mystery
of it all: when we part tonight we
are to meet as friends no more? You
may never take my hand in yours and
speak kindly to me again? Oh, sir, you
do not know, you do not know what
your tenderness has done for the girl
no, the woman you call a child. You
do not know what it is to have missed
fathers care, a mothers
/ 'Hush!" he cried, mot one word
more. You are making it hard-hard
for me to keep faith with my friend.
You are betraying his secret" She
threw off his hand and arose suddenly,
with an abandon of passion that over.
| whelmed him.
4 What mockery! what a mockeryE
4 / am ashamed-ashamed! 1t is I who
am betrayed" He had arisen also,
full of emotion and almost unnamed.
"Never-at my hands. l chose the
words deliberately. l will honor and
protect you-to the best of my ability;
but my ability ends where my promise
began. All is based upon my contract
with Francis Brodnar, my friend"
"Friend-friend!" she said, bitterly;
sin Gods name, sir, what am to you 2"
He was too deeply affected to answer at
once. When he did his voice was UNI.
steady.
"This: In the hour I have been
here you have found an uptrodden way
to the heart of Richard So1ners. Iknow
now that no woman was ever there
before you; none will ever follow you.
/ may not be here to give you my hand
Il do not know the circumstances that
surround you, or even if in winning
your sympathy am playing false--but
wherever you are, remember that my
soul follows, and I would keep guard
over you if might He spoke with
an earnestness and passion that dis
, turbed and alarmed himself Some
thing like groan burst from his lips
when he realized how far he had cbm-