Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-11-10
CHAPTER 1.
THE Woman. with the Diamond.

suffered an eclipse. Why and how,
am about to relate.
l was not made for love. This
had often said to myself; very often
OF late. In figure l am too diminutive,
In face far too unbeautiful, for me to
cherish expectations of this nature.
Indeed, love had never entered into
my plan of life, as was evinced by the
nurses diploma I had just gained
after three years of hard study and
severe training.
I was not made for love. But If
had been. had been gifted with
height, regularity of feature, or even
with that eloquence of expression
which redeems all defects save those
which SAVIOR of deformity, knew well
whose eye should have chosen to
proud to win.
This knowledge came with a rush to
my heart-(did say heart? l should
have said understanding, which Is
something very different)-when, at
the end Of the first dance, looked up
from the midst Of the bevy of girls by
whom l was surrounded and saw An
son Durand's fine figure emerging
from that quarter of the hall where
our host and hostess stood to receive
their guests. His eye was roaming
hither and thither and his manner was
both eager and expectant Whom
was he seeking? Some one of the
many bright and vivacious girls about
me, for he turned almost instantly our
way. But which one?
thought knew. remembered at
whose house had met him first, at
whose house had seen him many
times since. She was lovely girl,
witty and vivacious, and she stood at
this very moment at my elbow. In
her beauty lay the lure, the natural
lure for man of his gifts and strik-
ing personality. If l continued to
watch, should soon see his counte-
nance light up under the recognition
she could not fail to give him. And
was right; in another instant it did,
and with a brightness there was no
mistaking. But one feeling common
to the human heart lends such
warmth, such expressiveness to the
features. How handsome it made him
look, how distinguished, how every
thing was not except
But what does this mean? He has
passed Miss Sperry-passed her with
a smile and friendly woodland is
speaking to me, singing me out, Offer
irl, me his arm! He is smiling, too,
not as he smiled on Miss Sperry, but
more warmly, with more that is per-
sonal In it. took his arm in a daze.
The lights were DINNER than l
thought; nothing was really bright ex-
nc f0 ctop
the world for me. l forgot that was
plain, forgot that l was small, with
nothing to recommend me to the eye
or heart, and let myself be drawn
away asking nothing, anticipating
nothing, till found myself alone with
him in the fragrant recesses Of the
conservatory, with only the throb of
music in our ears to link us to the
scene we had left.
Why had he brought me here, into
this fairyland Of opalescent lights and
intoxicating perfumes? What could
he have to say-to show? Ali in an
other moment knew. He had seized
my hands, and love, ardent love, came
pouring from his lips.
Gould 1T be real? Was the object
of all this feeling, L? If SO, then life
had changed for me indeed.
Silent from rush of emotion, I
searched his face to see if this Para
disc, whose gates was thus passion
ately hidden to enter, was indeed a
verify or only dream born of the
excitement of the dance and the
charm of scene exceptional in It's
splendor and picturesqueness even for
SO luxurious a city as New York.
But 1t was no mere dream. Truth
and earnestness were in his manner
and his words were neither feverish
nor forced.
Il love you! / need you'll" So
heard, and so he soon made me be-
lieve. you have charmed me from
the first. Your tantalizing, trusting,
loyal self, like no other sweeter than
any other, has drawn the heart from
my breast. I have seen many women,
admired many women, but you only
have loved. Will you be my wife?"
was dazzled; moved beyond any,
thing / could have conceived. I for
got all that I had hitherto said to my
self-an that had endeavored to i'm
press upon my heart when I beheid
him approaching, intent, as believed,
III LIS SediCu LOT duOIu0T woman,
and, confiding in his honesty, trusting
entirely to his faith, l allowed the
plans and purposes of years to van
ish in the glamour Of this new JOY,
and spoke the word which linked us
together in bond which half an hour
before / had never dreamed would
unite me to any man.
His impassioned mine! mine!"
filled my cup to overfowing. Some
thir,g of the ecstasy of living entered
my soul; which, in spite of all have
suffered since, recreated the world
for me and made all that went before
but the prelude to the new life, the
new joy.
Oh, was happy, happy, perhaps too
happy! AS the conservatory filled and
we passed back into the adjoining
room, the glimpse caught of myself
in one of the mirrors startled me into
thinking so. For had 1t not been for
the odd color of my dress and the
unique way in which wore my hair
that night, should not have recog.
nized the beaming girl who faced me
SO naively from the depths of the re-