Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-21

too, that the new name I bear IL q name
marked for pity or contempt by those
few who have not long since forgotten 1t.
It is the death of my pride to say this.
Yet I say 1t.
My father is old and broken. His facul.
ties have failed; he is like q child who
forgets what his tongue utters, ever While
voicing his harmless desires. His prop
erty ID gone; he does not know 1t. He
sees around him the shadows Of the past;
he talks with the dead as though they
sat at his elbow.
His house is an empty she'll; his lands
have grown into thickets; his estate IL
lost to him through taxes long unpaid.
Believe me. dear friend. it Is pitiful and
sad-sad past all have ever known
For me. too. It is SO strange, 50 hope
less. that. even after these long days, 1t
is still an untrue dream from which I
seem too weary and stunned to rouse
drive the gray vision from me.
Dear heart, would you take me, even
after all you now know? Do you want
me. Michael-me-when all the world lies
before you?
I once most wickedly said tina II I
had been humbly born I would not for
my pride's sake wed with you. It is not
true, Michael; I will wed with you. But.
IL after what you ave learned you care
no longer to wed me, do not write me;
do not come to Civ me reasons.
MI. Foxcroft attends me. We viii
await you at his house at noon, and II
you come-as, God help me, I believe you
will-then I h teach you what a maids
low can mean. Oh. to have you again.
as I held you those long days on the trail
but you were too near death to know 1t
too close to death to hear ali / prom
ised you IL only you would live!
FELICITY.
Mount" l cried, all Of a-tremble.
81 shall wed this noon! Get me q par
son, man" And I began@tearing off
my buckskins and finging them right
and left, shouting for Jack the while
and dressing in my finest linen and my
silver gray velvet.
I shouted at intervals for Mount
until the tap boy came to say that
Mount had gone out. So I babe the
tap boy hasten forth and buy me a
large nosegay with streamers and
fetch it to me instantly, and then re-
turned to my toilet with a feverish
haste that defeated it's own purpose.
At last, however, I hung my sword,
busted the hair powder from frill and
ruf1e, buckled shoon and knees and
shook out the long soft lace over my
cuffs. Then l found the ring I had
bought in Albany and placed it in my
silver webbed waistcoat with it's flow
cred flaps of orange silk.
The inn clocks chimed for 10 as the
lad brought me a huge nosegay all
fiutter1ng with white silken streamers.
Where is my companion 1 asked,
red as a poppy under his grins.
Below, sir" replied the lad, hest
tating.
Drunk" I demanded angrily.
"Tolerable," said the lad.
With that I seized my nosegay, set
my small French hat on my head n
went down the side stairway to the
street.
Mount, staggering on the taproom
porch. spied me and rubbed his startled
eyes. But I seized him by the painted
cape Of his fox trimmed hunting shirt
and jerked him to and fro savagely.
idiot! Tippler! Pottle pot" l cried
In a rage. I'm to be m~arried-d'ye
hear7 Married! Married! Get me a
parson! Take my nosegay! So! Now
walk behind me as if you knew what
eecent folk are accustomed to do at a
sudden weddingv'
How can l get you a parson If I'm
to march here behind you, bearing this
nosegay| he demonstrated, siding
away toward the tavern again.
"You stay where you are! I said.
Then I called a servant and babe him
find a parson to go instantly to the
house Of Thomas Foxcroft in Queen
street and there await my coming.
Mount, almost sobered through sheer
establishment, regarded me wildly.
"Jack, old friend" I said In a burst
Of happiness, 1--WE found her, and she
will be my wife by noon! Give MI
Joy, Jack, and mind that nosegay, idi-
OF! Hold 1t aloft else the streamers
will trail in tbs dust! Now, then,
follow me! Gingerly, idiot, gingerly!"
"If you are to be welded at noon,"
he said timidly as we were hurrying
through Cambridge street, what are
we going to do until then-walk the
streets like thisT'
I stopped short. It was quite true
that I was not expected at Mr. Fox
croft's before noon, and 1t was now
but 10 o'clock or a little after.
IT can't sit still in that tavern" I said.
LET US walk, Jack! I am mad with
happiness"
At II o'clock Mount and I leaned
back against the railing Of the south
burying ground watching the busy life
of the camp on the common. l had
w before een 80 many soldiers to-
gether nor such a brilliant variety Of
uniforms. We sat there on the grass
watching the marines drilling. The
artillery trotted clanking past for ex-
ercise at the Fox Hill redoubt, and
presently we heard the dull boom
booming Of their annon along the
west shore Of the bay.
l sprang to my feet ilnpatiently, ad-
justed my sword and busted the skirts
of my coat.
ITS not half past II yet" observed
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