Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-01
Copyright, ,yol. by D. Appleton Co., aew York
CHAPTER XIII-(Continued.)

There was prle-d1eu near the head
of the bed. She turned and sank to
her knees before it, prayed earnestly
for him with such fervor and intensity
as did not usually find place In her
back to the bedside and stood looking
at him, despair in her heart lest he
should die, slip away, and make no
sign. But there was nothing she could
do so she schooled herself to wait.
and while she waited she studied him.
Suddenly her thoughts took another
turn. The shirt in which jean enaud
had dressed Grafton was left slightly
open at the neck on account of the
'bandage The chain and the locket
had been pushed aside and the locket
lay on the pillow by the side of his
face nearest her. Whose face was in
the locket? her heart cueried anxious
ly. Men did not usually wear lockets
unless they loved. All! she snatched
it up eagerly. In any event, she would
not have been woman if she had
not earnestly desired to look in 1t,
but now-the possibilities consumed
her.
81 wonder who it may be?" she MUIR
INJURED to herself. "Tis pretty case. +"
She peered impatiently, anxiously, jeal-
ously at it, turning it over and over in
her hand 1t fascinated her; she would
have given worlds to look, and yet
she could not bring herself to open IT..
~. Ill ofr pPoi, OF
rate" she said at last, dropping it upon
the pillow, but with great reluctance,
''tis nothing to me, and he Is moth
ing. He can never be anything but a
memory of my childhood. Pity" she
went on, relentlessly striving to de-
.ceive her heart by stimulating an in
difference to her feelings, that so
gallant man should be laid low by
such q mischance. Jean-Renaud says
the shot struck him in the back-1n
the back-I WONDERFUL no, know
he is brave, and, besides, he is friend
of de Wires, and de Wire is no cow
ard, nor would he choose his friends
from SUCH" She broke away again in
thought. 20 God, how quiet he lies!
Will he ever awaken from that deadly
stupor, wonder? would the doctoy.
were here! Poor Sir Philip, I'LL
don't want you to die!"
She laid her hand softly on his
.shroX, and he quiyered Kinder her touch
To her at that moment, she told her
self, he was only the friend of her
girlhood, her knight of the old tower,
comrade, wounded, helpless, depend
ent, suffering. 1t was lie, she knew
and the Rohans never lied. What was
the use of deceiving her; no mater
what was in the locket, no matter
whether he had. forgotten her or no,
whether he was false or true, she loved
him!
81 love you! l love you'll" she MUIR
INJURED.
1t was the truth at last. The gates
were open and the floods were out.
She took his head in her hands and
bent low over him. Why keep up the
deception any longer? And in any case
he would not see or hear, he would
never know.
1--WE yOu. 1--we you. j lOVC
you!" she said again and again.
He was dying perhaps Well, better
SO. He could never be anything to her;
those two had nothing in common but
the memory of a past. and perhaps
he had not even that-that locket-
but at least she could love-dead or
alive-forever She bent nearer to
him. Her hair-how he had praised
ft!-brushed his cheek; her eyes-how
he had admired them!-gazed into his
own, half-shut and dull.
She drew still nearer. With a grow
ing courage she kissed him. She laid
her lips softly upon his forehead
then shrank back affrighted at what
she had DONE A burning flush suf-
fused her cheek again. Aghast she
withdrew little from him and forced
herself to sit down. So she watched
him with eyes trimming, bosom heav-
ing, heart beating, and with words OF
prayer. and caress mingling in her
soul.
Presently he stirred slightly and
opened his eyes, at first slowly, and
then wider while he stared about him
in bewilderment. AS she saw this evil
dence of returning life her heart
bounded with hope, but she shrank
back farther in the shadow. He must
not see :ler. He must not know. He
could not-she was SO changed, and
he would never find out that they had
met. He could go back to the lady of
the locket
In little while he lifted his un-
wounded arm and felt eagerly for the
little case hanging from the chain
about his neck. His expression of anx-
iety gave place to one of relief as he
found it. All, she was right, then!
How she hated that pictured woman,
whoever she might be! He had for
gotten her. He should never know.
She steeled her heart against him,
closed her lips, turned away her head,
and made no sound.
AS his eyes roamed about the room
with an expression Of vague wonder in
them, he did not at first see her. When
he did he recalled her face, but only