Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-02-28


hotel directing him to register Ray
mond Holbin and wife in room 2s! Here
is pen. ink and paper!"
Are you insane?' he cried, rising.
angry and amazed.
Yes; totally so! Insane enough to
kill YOU" Then she deliberately leveled
pistol at him. ''Sit down and write,
/ leave this room with an acknowl-
edgment from you in the hands of
witness, wife-or murderess. did
it once, Raymond; can do it again. L
killed man for you last night" AS
she uttered this confession her face
grew pale as death. the pistol was low
cred, and she stood shiyering in abiect
terror. "You have not heard Of it 2"
| she whispered. "Are not the papers
| full of it?" Her form, which had been
erect, seemed to shrink; she looked
| over her shoulder towards the door,
listening. The man STROBE forward and
wrenched the weapon from her cold
hand. Then he forced her into chair
Louise. Louise!" he groaned; and
then in awe he said: "Insane!" She
had swept over the new issues.
No she moaned, mot yet. Would
| to God / were! You do not believe me,
Raymond. Listen. l found out where
you were stopping in the city. l found
| the street and number. | had de-
| termined to go in and bring the horrid
uncertainty to an end, for you had not
| ne Lott hoi
comet"
But you did not go in" he said, Ter
ritied. Surely. you did not"
NO. l walked by again and again.
| | went around TO the size street and
4 looked into the garden; but | said: L
will see him first; Raymond cannot
mean to be so BASEL Still you did not
come. Will you believe it. went back
1 at night, hoping to see you? l could
| not stay here alone in this room-I
] slipped out! Two men entered that
| gate, and one of them | would have
| sworn was you. l followed and saw
them enter the wing room. While
waited there, wondering If you would
| appear again-it was but few min
/ utes. think-one of the men came from
| the wing-room, passed me, and. going
out, locked the gate. | was prisoner,
for the fence was tall with spikes of
| iron. Then I went and stood under the
/ window, thinking the room was yours,
and l might attract your attention.;
and ! heard your voice and woman's
1 in there"
st is liza lie! the room belongs
! to Frances. was not in the city,
Frances? Who is Frances? But no
matter, they We're there all night; and
I, crazed and abandoned, wept and
ragged outside"
You are simply daft. Louise; you
| don't know what you are saying
They were there, tell you. Once a
match was struck. and l could hear a
woman pleading; and-there / was,
lying upon the ground, the window
/ just out of my reach. Then l found
myself climbing the ivy and cinging
to the shutters; and l saw you sitting
there, this woman with curly golden
hair kneeling in her night dress before
you, her hand upon your shoulder,
saying good-by to her lover while she
held a lighted match above his face"
Louise, this is unbearable!" Hol-
bin was beside himself
81 thrust your pistol between the
shutters, took aim at you and fired;
my aim was true; the man fell for
ward into the darkness, and l back
upon the wet grass. Look See the
CT IF No had ~, ~
upon the gown! see the blistered
hands! look at your pistol! The ham
mer is upon an empty shell! l got
up and ran for the gate, but man
was entering and his carriage stood
opposite. Crouching in the shrubbery,
! saw him come back"-her voice sank
to whisper-"with dead man in
know-and locked myself in. When
You came | thought it was your spirit
| What will they do with me? Will
they lock me in gaol? Will they hang
me? Why don't you speak to me.
Raymond? Why do you look at me
that way? Raymond! Raymond!-I
did not know what / was doingl 7
was insane, jealous! l had lost my
child-oh, they ought to know that,
Raymond, before they judge me too
harshly. Raymond, Raymond, answer
me-answer!" He mastered his emo
ton by a powerful effort.
You have had your revenge!" he
said, hoarsely, his lips parting in a
soundless laugh. ''rhe shot went to
the mark" He sank in his chair by
the table and gazed helplessly upon
her agitated face, his thoughts else
where.
/ But do not understand" she said
my revenge, if you We're not the
man"
why, it is incredible!' he cried, an
grily. Give me the key! the key!
the key! Quick! the clock is striking
4 ten-the key!"
you will not give me up, Raymond
the mother of your child!-you will
not
"Ah-no, no, Louise. You are safe
while l live. Quick! the key!" She
| gave il to him. and passino ont he