Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-25

entered in her sweeping golden gown
the sight Of Monty Brewster at the 9TH
er end Of the room gave her futter at
the heart, but twas an agitation that
was very carefully concealed. Brew
ster was certainly unconscious Of it.
To him the position Of guest was like a
disguise, and he was pleased at the
prospect Of letting himself go under
the mask without responsibility. But
1t took on a different color when the
butler handed him a card which signi-
fed that he was to take Miss Drew in
to dinner. Hastily seeking out the host
ess, he endeavored to convey to her
the impossibility of the situation.
nope you Won mlsuuuerstand
me-" he said. But is 1t too late to
cbacIe my place at the table?''
1T isn't conventional, l know, Mon
ty. Society's chief aim is to separate
engaged couples at dinner" said Mrs.
Dan, with laugh 1T would be pcs
lively compromising if man and his
wife sat together
Dinner was announced before Monty
could utter another word, and as she
led him over to Barbara she said: Be
hold generous hostess who gives UP
the best man in the crowd so that he
and some one else may have happy
time. leave it to you, Barbara, if
that isn't the test Of friendship"
For moment the two riveted their
an, ha 1,o h11p ~
the situation came to Monty.
Il did not know that we were sup
posed to do Gibson tableaux tonight"
he said dryly as he proffered his arm.
al don't understand" And Barba-
ra's curiosity overcame her determine
ton not to speak.
Don't you remember the picture Of
the man who was called upon to take
his late dancee out to dinner?"
The awful silence with which this
remark was received put an end to
further efforts at humor.
The dinner was probably the most
painful experience in their lives. Bar
bara had come to it softened and ready
to meet him halfway. The right kind
Of humility in Monty would have found
her plastic But she had very definite
and rigid ideas of his duty in the
premises, and Monty was too simple
minded to seem to suffer and much too
fippant to understand 1t was plain to
each that the other did not expect tc
talk, but they both realized that they
owed duty to appearances and to
their hostess. Through two courses at
least there was dead silence between
them. It seemed as though every eye
in the room We're on them and every
mind were specializing. At last in
sheer desperation Barbara turned to
him with the first smile he had seen on
her face in days. There was no smile
in her eyes, however, and Monty IN
derstood.
1--WE might at least give out the i'm
preston that we are friends she said
quietly.
More easily said than DONE" he
responded gloomily.
"They are all looking at Cs and won
dering."
81 don't blame them"
1--WE owe something to Mrs. Dan,
think"
II know"
Barbara uttered some inanity when
ever she caught any one looking in
their direction, but Brewster seemed
not to hear At length he cut short
some remark Of hers about the
weather
What nonsense this is, Barbara" he
said. with any one else 1 would
chuck the whole game, but with you
1t is different / don't know what l
have done, but I am sorry. I hope
you'll forgive me-"
Your assurance is amusing, to say
the least
But am sure-I know this quar-
rel is something We'll laugh over. You
keep forgetting that we are going to
be married some day"
A new light came into Barbara S
eyes. You forget that my consent
may be necessary" she said.
You will be perfectly willing when
the time comes. l am still in the fight
and eventually you will come to my
way Of thinking"
oh. see it now" said Barbara
and her blood was up. you mean to
force me to it. What you did for ia.
ther"-
Brewster glowered at her, thinking
that he had misunderstood. what dc
you mean?" he said.
He has told me all about that
wrctched bank business. But poor
TTIS MILlY.!l[ |