Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-07-16

IectlnS corners, Only a few minutes
before 1t had been radiant sunshine.
Open high-swung sea-victorias, with
their powered. liveried men on the
boxes, and unrotected occuants driv-
Ing from royal house to ducal as
semblage, were caught in the contested
mass of hansoms. top-heayy buses,
and passing carts. Stalwart, blue
coated giants were trying to stem the
rush and scramble
Diana crossed from the couch where
she had been sitting to the open win.
dow, In weeks time she was to
be married. She held note in her
hand, which had just come by messen-
ger. 1t was from Henry. He could
not take her to Ranelagh as he had
planned, he wrote. Unexpected bust
ness had arisen, but he would see her
later in the evening.
The room in which Diana stood
faced Hyde Park. The house was one
Of those built century ago by the
mad Duke of Delford, and was famous
for the beauty or its architecture.
On this spring day the front looked
like hanging garden. abundant and
exquisite were the large boxes of
trailing flowers. The room with its
Adam ceiling and mantel its Grim
son brocade curtains against the pale
cream walls, its rare specimens Of
Sheraton and Chippendale and pre-
cious bits of China, made harmoni-
Gus setting for Diana in her dove.
colpred gown. Bowls Of yellow joas
qnils and daffodils cleaned like golden
bits of imprisoned sunlight on slender
legged tables.
Diana was alone. Lady Dillingham;,
her aunt, and the mistress of the
Park Lane house was confined to her
room with sharp attack of govt.
From the window looking out across
the park, the rain glinted like fine
piece of steel 1t beat down the great
beds of flaming hyacinths and daffo-
dis that lined the park walk with their
glory of purple and yellow. The blue
and.white fieecy sky OF past halt
hour now hung over the town like
a dirty ships sail, with putting, dun
colored clouds sweeping past
Diana half consciously watched the
amusing scurry of the passers-by.
Through the long. open windows pro-
tected by projecting balcony she
could hear the splashing Of the rain
against the pavement. The, confusion
of carriages began to straighten It
self out. The hurrying crowds dis
appeared as though swallowed UP in
a drenched ground What had been
a fantastic, brilliantly colored panor-
anna was now desolate space.
AS Diana stood there, rising re-
sentiment at the broken promise filled
her mind 1t was not because Of the
| disappointment. So often, at the last
moment, her plans had been changed
by Henry's failure to keep his engage
ments with her. A sharp gust Of wind
| blew it's damp air into the room and
made her shiver She closed the win
dow and walked to the open log fire
| The spring days of an English climate
still permitted this luxury within
doors. AS she sat before the hearth,
1 the letter still In her hand hanging
]istlessly by her side. the door quiet.
| ~ opened and her fat er quietly en-
tered. On the previous day he had
4 come up from the country to join Di
| ana, who was visiting her sister while
the necessary Wedding preparations
were being completed The passing
years had greatly aged Sir Charles.
The delicate, highbred face had grown
more spiritual and he seemed further
aloof from material influences.
With pang Diana noticed the
change. She rose and crossed to him,
her tall figure lowering protectingly
over the old man. The maternal in
stinct was deeply Embedded in Diana S
nature. Quite tenderly he took the
young face in his withered but ex-
! quisitely modelled hands and kissed
her.
Alone, dear?" he said. II thought
Henry was to take you to Join some
people at Ranelagh"
Henry has just sent me word that
he is unexpectedly detained in the
city"
Something in her tone made Sir
Charles vince.
She was very beautiful in curious,
contradictory way. Her tender, seri-
Gus eyes suggested the Madonna but
her arched, full mouth made her a
half Venus. More than tall. she was
In the 1.-THE, girlish figure an embodi.
ment Of latent ra1iance and vitality.
Her usually calm face was disturbed
at the moment by look of intense
perplexity. 1t seemed az though she
was vafnly trying to combat her
! doubts.
She stood for moment irresollite,
then In burst of tears she slipped
down beside the big chair in which
her father sat
81 can't marry Henry--r can't she
+, sobbed. as she hid her face in her
hands.
For a moment Sir Charles was start
led; then smiling at whathe OWNED
! to be lovers quarrel. he patiently
patted the bent head as though humor-
| ing hayward child. Absorbed IN his
own narrow life, he had no knowledge
Of men, and to him Henry Wynnegate
was an ideal match for his motherless
| girl.
He had known the late Earl well,
and in the reflected glory of the par
ents he saw the son. His heart was
set on seeing Diana safely moored in
the house of Wynnegate and the bril-.
| liant position hers, which she could as.
sumo as the Countess of Kernill. These
tears. of course, were the foolish out
come Of the afternoons disappoint-
| ment. He let her have her cry out;
| then GRADUALLY draw tha clapdor bopd.,