Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-01-10
"Have you really engaged herr'

Have you really engaged her"
asked Goddard, dejectedly.
ooh, yes; we came to terms at once.
She has a son in London and is anxious
to see him. She will not want much
more than her passage money, but of
course l shall try to be generous with
| the poor thing. Don't expect to find
her beautiful. She is anything but
| good-loolsing, but that is not what I
am after. Good-looking women are
rarely useful"
| AS the major left the room his wife
resumed her seat at the window. Her
| color was high; her eyes were as full
OF life as fine diamond, and Blanche
could hardly keep her eyes from her
| face. She was beginning, now that
Mrs. Goddard was exerting herself to
she had on the major. To-day Mrs. God
dard looked as she had when Blanche
had first seen her and realized that the
| place her guardian had filed in her girl
ish heart must be deprived of its ten
ant, that she must never even in
| dreams remember those days when he
used to sit beside her in the little re-
ception room at Nine. Bells select
school. She had been sure during
those visits that his eyes, the pressure
of his hand, his parting kiss had meant
the same as her delicious yielding to
| them had implied. But the awakening
shock had come and she had borne in
silence her secret and gone through
the daily torture of witnessing both
her guardians alteration for another
and, what was almost as painful, that
others Indifference to it all.
When Goddard reentered the room
there was droop of utter dependency
on him that added years to his appear
ance.
well, how do you like her?" his wife
asked
"Oh, she is all right" he said. "she
seems good enough; but somehow 1
simply can't reconcile myself to-"
"Oh, publ" Mrs. Goddard rose with
a graceful sweep of her 1.-THE body and
/ stood with her beautiful hands linked
| behind her head; her yawn. showing
her perfect teeth. was as pretty and in
sincere as coquette's kiss. Blanche
she said, ''if you ever marry. make just
as many voyages as you can. The more
wife is away the more she is appre-
ciated. But | must go and give that
woman some final directions. What is
her name?" Mrs. Goddard picked up
the visitors card. "Nolan. ugh! what
a frightful mouthful. I'll have to call
her Lucy. as much as hate to address
a maid by her Christian name"
4 When she had gone out Blanche went
to the sofa on which the major was
seated and sat down by him.
Dear guardian" she said. 81 wish /
could do something to help YOU"
When he answered there was dis
tinct touch of faulttinding in his tone.
''You would not go away on pleas
ure trip and leave husband you loved
behind, would you. Blanche?"
She had hesitation to answer, but
when she did it was without twinge
of conscience, and her firmness sur
prised herself.
II could not do so, guardian"
81 know it, my dear girl" he said,
signing; "but she is not like you. How
ever, she wants the trip and she shall
have it,"
just then he saw Jeanne and Mrs.
| Moan passing through the hall to the
went out on the veranda. but was just
in time to see the cab driving away
with its occupant. He put his arm
around the statuesque figure of his
wife.
For Gods sake, drop it, Jeanne" he
muttsred. 81 don't feel as if l can go
on with it."
Its too late now, dear" she said,
giving him a glance from her wonder
4 full eyes. think of all the fun we shall
have when the girl finally succumbs.
4 No, You have given me your promise. l
shall hold you to it,
i Jeanne" he said, gazing into her
eyes, you are beautiful mystery to
me. | don't understand you"
Don't try. then She smiled be-
witchingiy and turned back into the
house.
CHAPTER vi.
All the remainder of the week Mrs.
Goddard was occupied with hurried
preparations, running into the city
on the morning trains and returning
in the afternoon. As her stay short
ened Goddard's depression became
more and more obvious. He Stunned
the companionship of his ward and neg
lected to give Talley any work to do.
When he was not following his wife
about like doting slave he was brood
ing alone in his room or walking nerv-
ously in the wood behind the garden.
The night before her departure Mrs.
A Goddard retired to her room imme-
diately after dinner was over. The
| first two hours We're given to her hus-
band, but at ten o'clock she dismissed
him with the request that he send
Blanche to her.
Our young lady found her seated over
little fire in her luxurious boudoir.
The gaslight in yellow globe was
burning low and the red Goals in the
crate gave a rich tint 70 the furnitura