Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-01

up and nearly frOZe him with her look
You forget, sir!' says she. Everything
but my mad lovefor you, yes, says he. And
as he was getting on his knees she put
out her hands in front Of her as if to
ward him off, and says: oh, Richard!
Richard! Am l not wretched enough
already without your making me worse?'
But | guess he thought not, for he
kept on making her great deal worse"
And, as l understand it." said the
detective, 'she was not SO tremendous
ly angry, after all?"
well, not what 1 call angry" re-
turned the parlor maid, promptly. If
ithad been me, and me married woman,
I'd have knocked him down; but she
only seemed to get on her guard to
keep him just so far, and no nearer.
But then, YOU know, she says she amt
married. and suppose if she's got that
notion, it makes difference. And ali,
Richard!' she says, when / think of
what we two have lost because OF our
own miserable felly'-I can swear to
them words miserable folly-says she,
when | think Of it almost go mad.
l have punished myself by year of
torment. and wasted, ruined life, and
you And then she covered her face
with her hands and began to cry"
What! Marion Stackhouse! Cry!
Impossible" exclaimed the detective.
"Cry!" echoed the parlor maid. "And
why not? I've seen the tears come into
her eyes for very spite. Oh, guess
you don't know that woman. She can
cuddle up and be as cunning as kit
ten, if she wants to- Well, she was very
melancholy then, and sat down and
cried for long time, and he tried to
console her, and she kept saying it was
useless, to leave her alone to have
pity on her'-and that sort. And says
he: But what's the harm, Marion, after
all, since you know the truth and
know it, why can't we go long way
from here and be happy YETI But she
wouldn't hear to 1t. No. she says,
there's no happiness for me anywhere
and I guess that's true enough, too,
for she's not the kind that would ever
be happy, If she had the run of every
thing. Oh she says, you don't know
me, Richard Fetridge, or you'd repulse
me. instead of sitting beside me-"
did she say that? Are you sure?"
broke In Thomas.
That, or something awfully near IL,
sir. I'm not taking my oath to every
word; but I'll take my chances on get
ting the sense out Of thing once
hear 1t good. I know you, Marion,
says he, very we'll. You're reckless,
and impulsive, and proud, but you mean
to do right. You have carried your
pride before this to the brink Of ruin
ing your own happiness and making a
wreck of my life. but I'll answer for
your meaning to do your duty And
she says to him: What you call
my pride, Richard Fetridge, is the evil
In me. Do you know, sometimes be-
lieve my mother and there she
stopped and said: AT times l feel as
If was possessed of the devil. And
thought to myself, others in your serv-
ice have thought so besides you, young
lady. But the way she said it, I can
breath, was enough to give one the
creeps. 1t even seemed to scare him
for the minute. And then he tried
to cheer her up, and she began to go on
about her sister Stella, and to say she
believed she'd been the death of that
girl. And right in the middle of it
she had regular Mysteries, and she just
sat on the sofa and wrung her hands
and screams out: oh, I'm wicked,
wicked! wicked! I'd give my lie to
undo what have done! Oh, will moth
ing come to my relief? Oh, I'm dying
by inches"
Thomas and Lamm exchanged puzzled
and startled glances.
There is no question" said the de-
tectiYe, in a low voice, that Marion
accused herself in such language?'
Not the faintest," said Miss White,
positively. THAT part of it is quite
certain. She cried it out SO loud it's
a wonder folk in the street didn't hear
her. And then he grasps her hand
and says: Come, Marion; you must
no longer keep me in the dark. You
must tell me everything If 1t does
criminate him whom the world calls your
husband"
mol" interrupted both men at once.
He didn't say that, did he?"
He used them words" said Miss
White, with positiveness that set at
defiance both doubt and syntax. "And
he was very particular about it, too. l
can tell you, / had both my ears wide
open about that time. And she didn't
seem to hear him, but kept right on.
And, oh! Richard she said, do you
suppose anything, any provocation, the
worst treatment you can imagine a
person to have received at another per-
sons hands, would justify mean and
cowardly crime? And with that he
starts away from her, and she shrieks
out: oh, for PHYS sake, don't cast me
on! am tortured beyond bearing!'
Confess, he says, and she threw her
arms right around his neck and whis-
perd in his ear. And just at that mo-