Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-27
CHAPTER VII.
The Moment Draws Near.

JAMIE liver had been brought up to
know her own mind; it was the
eleventh commandment in the liver
household. liver entertained the in
tellectual, his wife the moral, objec-
tion to shilly-shalling; their daugh-
ter's training, while conducted with
all kindness. had been eminently
sensible, and early days had offered
few temptations to stray from the
path of the obviously desirable. The
case was different now; riches
brought change; the world revealed
its resources; life was spreading out
its divers wares. jamie was much
puzzled as to what she ought to do.
more as to what she wanted to do,
most of all as to what she would in
the end do-unless, indeed, the fact
that she was puzzled continued to
rank as the greatest puzzle of all.
Naturally, the puzzles were per-
sonified, or the persons made into
puzzles. Men became lives to her,
as well as individuals--the Tristram,
the Duplay, the Broadley life; her
opinion of the life complicated her
feeling toward the person. The
Tristram life attracted her strongly,
the life of the great lady; Harry had
his fascination, too; yet she did not
think that she and Harry would be
4 very happy together woman and man.
The Duplay life promised another
sort of joy; the majors experience
was worldwide, his knowledge vari-
Gus, his conversation full of hints of
the uneXplored; she would be broad
ening her life if she identified it with
his. Lastly, there was that quiet
) Broadley life, to be transformed in
some degree doubtless by her wealth
yet likely to remain in essentials the
Neaceful, homely existence which she
anew very WELL
She found herself thinking, in
: terms specifically repugnant to con
yer lion that she would like to pay
I. long visits to the other men, but have
| Bob to come home to when she was
t inclined for rest and tranquility Hel
: perpleXity was not strange in itself
: but it was strange and new to her
! and, imbued with the parental view:
e about shilly-shallying she was angr!
with herself and inclined to b.
! ashamed.
d Judged from the outside, she wa
f; not open to blame in her attitude to
n wards Harry; he was not in love witt
her and hardly pretended to be.
l Nor had Duplay any cause of CON
: plant in being kept waiting; h
would be held exceedingly lucky no
/ to be sent to the right-about instantly
!. But with Bob Broadley the matter wa
y different. On the subtle question Q
It what exactly constitutes encourage
I ment" (it is the technical term) i
o these cases it is not perhaps neces
II sary to enter; but false hopes nigh
no doubt, arise, from her visits t
n Mingham, from her habit of riding u
" the road by the river about the tim
l. when Bob would be likely to be rit
il G down it, or of sauntering by tn
fool on the days when he drove hi
u gig into Blentmouth on business-a
this being beyond and outside legit
mate meetings at Fairholme itsel
1t Unless she meant to marry him sh
lie might indeed raise hopes that WEI
false.
K, Yes, but it did not seem as thong
"a she did. Bob was humble. She ha
IL tyrannized over him even before tt
'e Ivers grew so very rich.
se Send the gig home and stay ar
II talk" she commanded, and /
~ stopped by her on the road; he We
~ returning from Blentmouth to Min
IN ham and found her strolling by Il
IS pool 81 want to speak with you"
H. He has his bailiff with him-the
% % had been selling a COW, and left hi
10 to take the gig home. He shoe
g hands with frank cordially.
That's awfully nice of you,"
~ said what about?.'
", 10 Nothing in particular" said sh
~ ~ "Mayn't want 1t just generality"
~ 20, well, thought you meant the
=. was something special. I've sold tt
-, COW WE'LL Miss JAMIE"
- - Bother the COW! Why haver
as you been to Fairholme?"
-, "a WELL in fact, I'm not sure that N
AZ liver is death on seeing me there t
or often. But shall turn UP all rig
% soon"
a ar Have you been going about an
W where's?
20 mo. Been UP at Mingham most
III the time
~ Isn't that rather lonely?"
&c Lonely? Good heavens, no. T.
90 got too much to do"
he jamie glanced at him. What W
nh to be done with man who treat
In provocative suggestions as thou
nj they were sincere questions? If
,r. had not cared for her now? But s
: knew he did.
H.. well, I've been very dull, anyho
One never sees anybody fresh
" Fairholme now. It's always either n
~ Tristram or Major Duplay."
nd well, l shouldn't be very fires
nd either, should II" The names s
re- mentioned drew no sigh from him.
pc 81 don't count you visitor at 6
ad And they are visitors-I suppos
CIV She seemed little in doubt, yet be
Ia. the gentlemen, anyhow, were not p
he sumably received as members of
family.
IRE 'I'll tell you what I've been thil
IDS ing about" said Bob, speaking SLOW
he and apparently approaching an |
i've portant announcement.
lit "Yes?" she said, turning to h
he with interest. and watching his hal
it some, open face: 1t was not We
1ot clever face, but 1t was a very pie
,od ant one; she enjoyed looking at it
tie "I've been thinking that TIL sell I
black horse, but can't make up
,kel mind whether to do 1t now or Ike