Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-25

mo one. L guessed IL.
And he might have denied all knowl-
edge of It!
won't you-won't you let it be as
it is? have never done anything
worth while before, and this has made
me happy Won't you let.m do this?
Only you need Know. I am going away
on Monday, and it will be years be-
fore l see Washington again. No one
need ever know"
''It is impossibIe!'
t'Why?'
She looked away In her minds eye
she could see this man leading
troop through a snow-storm. How the
wind roared! How the snow whirled
and eddied about them, or suddenly
blotted them from sight! But on and
on, resolutely, courageously, hopeful
ly he led them on to safety. ;.
He was speaking, and the picture dis
solved.
Wont you let it remain just as
it is?" he pleaded.
Her head moved negatively, and once
more she extended the note. He took
It and slowly tore it into shreds. With
1t he was tearing up the dream and
tossing It down the winds.
''The money will be placed to your
credit at the bank on Monday. We can
not accept such a gift from any one
You would not, know. But always
shall l treasure the impulse. 1t will
give me courage in the future-when
l am fighting alone"
@What are you going to do?"
81? I am going to appear before
the public, with assumed lightness;
IT and my violin"
He struck his hands together. THE
e?"-horrified
"I must ive,"-calmly.
"But a servant to public caprice?
It ought not to be! realize that
can not force you to accept my gift,
but this shall do; shall buy in the
horses and give them back to you"
f'You mustn't. shall have no place
to put them. Oh!"-With gesture
full Of despair and unshed tears, why
have you done all this2 Why this
mean masquerade, this submitting to
the humiliations I have contrived fol
you, this act of generosity? Why?"
Perhaps she knew the answers to
her own questions, but, womanlike,
wanted to be told.
And at that moment, though l am
not sure, believe Warburton's guard
ing angel gave him some secret advice.
you ask me why have played the
fool in the motley ?"-finding the
strength of his voice. "Why I have
submitted in silence to your just hui
Mutations? Why I have acted what
YOU term generously? Do you mean to
tell me that you have not guessed that
rid1le?"
She turned her delicate head aside
and switched the grasses with her rid
ing-crop.
"Welr"-flinging aside his cap which
he had been holding in his hand Il
will tell you. I wanted to be near you.
wanted to be, what you made me,
your servant. 1t is the one great hap
piness that have known. have done
all these things because-because. God
help me, I love you! Yes, love you,
with every beat Of my heart!
ing his head proudly. Upon his face
love had put the hallowed SEAL do
not turn your head away, for my love
is honest. ask nothing, nothing; I
expect nothing. 1 know that it Is
hopeless. What woman could love
man who has made himself ridiculous
In her eyes, as have made myself in
yours ?"-bitterly.
mo, not ridiculous; never that!"
she interrupted, her face still averted.
He strobe toward her hastily and
for moment her heart almost ceased
to beat. But all he did was to kneel at
her feet and kiss the hem Of her rid
ing-skirt. He rose hurriedly.
God bless you, and good-by!" He
knew that if he remained he would
lose all control, crush her madly in his
arms, and hurt her lips with his de-
spairing kisses. He had not gone a
dozen PAGES, when he heard her call
pathetically He stopped.
"Mr. Warburton, surely you are not
going to leave me here alone with the
horses?"
Pardon me, did not think I am
confused" he blundered.
"You are modest, too" Why is it
that, at the moment man succumbs
to his embarrassment, woman rises
above hers? Come nearer,"-a COM
mand which he obeyed with some hes
itation. "You have been a groom, a
butler, all for the purpose OF telling
me that you love me. Listen. Love
is like pillar based upon dream:
one by one we lay the stones of beauty,
of courage, of faith, of honor, of stead
fastness. We wake, and how the beau
tiful pillar tumbles about our ears!
What right have you to build up your
pillar upon a dream Of me? What do
you know of the real woman-for |
have al! the faults and vanities of the
sex; what do you know Of me? How
do you know that am not selfish?
that am constant? that am worthy
o mans loving?"