Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-20

amused. "You will marry one day, !
suppose"
/ After moment l said:
SIS Silver Eeels going to marry Mr..
! Butler?"
II hope So" replied Sir William, a
little surprised Mr. Butler Is gen.
tleman of culture and wealth. Felicity
has no large dover, and l can leave
but little if provide for all my chill
dren. I deem 1t most fortunate that
Captain Butler has spoken to me-"
4if." said slowly, "Stlver Heels and
are obliged to marry somebody. why
can we not marry each other?"
/ Sir William stared at me.
] "Are you in love with Felicity" he
asked.
ooh, no, sir!'' I cried resentfully.
SIS she-does she fancy she Is in love
with your" insisted Sir William in
growing establishment.
.'No. nor l said hastily, for his ques-
ton annoyed and irritated me. But
I only don't want her to marry Mr..
Butler. I'd even be willing to marry
her myself though once saw maid
in Albany"
What is all this nonsense?" cried
Sir William testify. What dye mean
by this idiots babble, eh?"
The expression Of my face at this
outburst first disconnected, then sent
him into roar Of laughter. Such
startled and injured innocence softened
his Impotence. He carefully explain
ed to me that as Felicity had no for
tun,s. and barely sufficient to sustain
me, such match could but prove u
sorry and foolish one for Silver Heels
and for me.
eff you were older,'' he said, "and If
you loved each other, should perhaps
be weak enough not to interfere,
though wisdom prompted. But it is
best that Felicity should wed Mr.. But
Ter, and that as soon as may be, for I
am growing old very fast, older than
care to confess, older than dare be-
lieve. This say to you, for have
come to trust you and to lean on you,
Michael, but you must never hint to
others that / complain of age or fee
bleness. Do you understand?'
Yes, AIR. answered soberly.
Besides" said Sir William, with a
forced smile, II have much to do yet.
! mean to accomplish deal of labor
before I-well, before many weeks.
Come, lad, we must not grope out here
snol-inr l,oy
ty stars. We are much to each other
We shall be much more, ELI? Come,
then. Quider will live spite of those
same sings and arrows Of which you
know not the totem marks
So we went home, comforted and
hopeful. But the morrow brought
gravest tidings from Quider's lodge,
for the Cayuga had fallen a-raving in
his fever, and it was necessary to tie
him down lest he break away.
Weighed down with anxiety concern
ing what Colonel Cresap might be do
Ing on the Ohio, dreading an outbreak
which must surely come if the Cayuga
belts remained unanswered, Sir Will
liam In his sore perplexity turned once
more to me and opened his brave
heart.
Il know not what intrigues may be
afoot, what double intrigues re-
yolve within, what triple motives urge
the men who have dispatched Colonel
Cresap on this adventure But 1 know
this-that should Cresaps colonials in
their blindness attack my Cayugas a
thousand hatchets will sparkle in these
hills, and the people of the Long House
will never sit idle when these colonies
and England draw the sword
Again that cold, despairing amaze
ment crept into my heart, for l could
no longer misunderstood Sir William
that his sympathies were not with our
king, but with the provinces.
We had been sitting on the bed in my
little chamber. The peace of Sabbath
brooded over all; COW bell tinkled
from the pasture: birds chirped. Sir
William rose to stand by the window,
and his gaze softened toward the sun
lit meadows where buttercups swayed
with daisies and blue flowers-de-luce
quivered in the wind.
\ Lord" he muttered under his
breath, that this sweet peace on
earth should be assailed by men,
/ And 80 1T went on, Sir William and
walking sometimes alone together on
the hillsides speaking soberly Of that
future which concerned our land and
kin, listening in silence, with appre-
i hension ever growing.
Often during that week came Mo-
hawk sachems and chiefs Of the Seae.
cas- and Onondagas to the Hall, pes
tering Sir William with petty disputes
to judge between them But these
i troubles Sir William settled impartial
" and with that simple justice which
made fraud loathsome, even to frauds.
At many of these scenes l was pres
ent. Why Sir William always called
me to bear him company in such pri-
vate matters l could not at once COM
prehend. Little by little, however,
saw that it was because Of his trust
In me and his desire that l should
know of such affairs, and his love and
confidence made me proud Was / not
/ the only person in the world who knew