Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1904-04-09

bility, had erased from his mind the
bitterness of their parting. Now he
found himself so impatient that he
could hardly wait to get there.
He learned on his arrival that she
was not at home. Mrs. Renwick proved
not nearly so cordial as the year be-
fore. but Thorpe, absorbed in his ea-
gerness, did not notice it. Mrs. Rem
wick thought Helen had gone over to
the Hugheses.
Thorpe found the Hughes residence
without difficulty and turned up the
straight walk to the veranda. On the
steps Of the latter rug had been
spread. A dozen youths and maidens
lounged on its soft surface Thorpe,
as he approached the light from tall
lamp just inside the hall, hesitated,
yainly trying to make out the figures
before him.
So 1t was that Helen Thorpe saw
him first and came fiuttering to meet
him.
ooh, Harry! What surprise!" she
cried, and flung her arms about his
neck to kiss him.
"How do you do, Helen?" he replied
sedately.
This was the meeting he had an
ticipated so long. The presence Of
others brought out in him irresistibly
the repression Of public display which
was so strong an element of his ca
reer.
A little chilled, Helen turned to in
troduce him to her friends. He took
a place on the steps and sat without
saying word all the evening. There
was nothing for him to say. These
young people talked thoughtlessly, as
young people do, Of the affairs belong
ing to their own little circle. He had
thought pine and forest and the trail
SO long that he found these square ell
bowed subjects refusing to be jostled
aside by any trivialities.
He took Helen back to Mrs. Rem
wick's about 10 o'clock. They walked
slowly beneath the broad leaved ma
pies, whose shadows danced under the
tall electric lights, and talked.
"How have you done, Harry?" she
inquired anxiously. 'Your letters have
been so vague ~
"Pretty WELL" he replied. eff things
60 right i hope some day to have a
better place for you than this"
Her heart contracted suddenly. 1t
was all she could do to keep from
bursting into tears. The indetiniteness
of his answer exasperated her and fill
ed her with sullen despair. She said
nothing for twenty steps. Then:
Harry" she said quietly. "can you
take me away from Mrs. Renwick's?
II don't know, Helen. can't tell
yet. Not just now, at any rate"
Harry" she cried, "you don't know
what you're doing. tell you can't
stand Mrs. Renwick any longer I
know you've worked hard and that
you'd give me more if you could. But
SO have worked hard Now we ought
to change this in some way. can get
position as teacher or some other work
somewhere. Won't you let me do that?"
Thorpe was thinking that it would be
easy enough to obtain Wallace Carpen-
ter's consent to his taking $1,000 from
the profits of the year. But he knew
also that the struggle in the courts
might need every cent the new COM
pany could spare. 1t would look much
better were he to wait until after the
verdict. If favorable, there would be no
difficulty about sparing the money. If
adverse, there would be no money to
spare. And so until the thing was alb
solutely certain be hesitated to explain
the situation to Helen for fear of dis
appointing her.
Il think you'd better wait, Helen"
said he. "There III be time enough for
all that later when it becomes neces
sary."
"And in the meantime stay with Mrs.
Renwick?" flashed Helen.
Yes. l hope it will not have to be for
very long,
'sHow long do you think, Harry
pleaded the girl.
THAT depends on circumstances" re.
piled Thorpe.
"Oh!" she cried Indignantly.
Harry" she venturcd after a time.
why not write to Uncle Amos? His
Mailing liS ~ COillt W ullu SecIUS 10 me
very generous"
'.You will do nothing of the kind,''
commanded Thorpe sternly. "Amos
Thorpe is an unscrupulous man who
became unscrupulously rich. He delib-
erately used our father as tool and
rhen destroyed him. consider that
any one of our family who would have
anything to do with him is traitor!'
The girl did not reply.
Next morning Thorpe felt uneasily
repentant for his strong language. Aft
er all, the girl did lead monotonous
life, and he could not blame her for re-
belling against it from time to time.
Her remarks had been born of the re-
bellion; they had meant nothing in
themselves. He could not doubt for a
moment her loyalty to the family.
That night he wrote Wallace Carpen-
ter for $1,000.
Wallace Carpenter was not in town.
Before the letter had followed him to
his new Actress and the answer had
returned a week had passed. OF course
the money was gladly put at Thorpe's