Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-11-14

and the words stumbled upon his lips
because he had been called Lois Boris
koff's lover? 1t used not to be so
, when they walked Union street to-
| gether and all the neighbors regard
ed the engagement as an accomplished
fact. He had never resented such a
charge then-what had happened that
he should resent 1t now? Was it the
long weeks Of temptation he had SUI
fered in Anna Gessner's presence?
Had the world of riches so changed
! him that any mention Of the old time
could make him ashamed? He knew
not what to think-the blood rush ed
to his cheeks again and his heart beat
quickly when he remembered that but
for Count Sergis's visit to Hampstead,
he might have been Annals betroth.
ed today.
In this he was, as ever, entirely
candid with himself, neither condor
ing his faults nor accusing himself
blindly. There has been nothing of
the humber realities of love in his
relations with Richard Gessner's
daughter; none of the superb spirit
of self sacrifice; none of those fine
ideals which his boyhood had desired
to set up. He had worshipped her
beauty-so much he readily admitted;
her presence had ever been potent
to quicken his blood and claim the
homage of his senses; but Of that
deeper understanding and mutual
sympathy by which love is born she
had taught him nothing. Why this
should have been so, he could not pre-
tend to say. Her fathers riches and
the glamour Of the great house my
have not little to do with it. Albal
had always seemed to stand apart
from all which the new world showed
to him. He felt that he had no title
to place there, no just claim at all
to those very favors his patron thrust
upon him SO lavishly
He was as man escaped from
prison whose bars were of gold -
a prison where of the iailer had been
beautiful and capricious woman. Here
in Warsaw he discovered new world:
but one that seemed altogether
familiar. All this clamor of the
streets. this going to and fro of peo-
pie, the roar of traffic, the Shrek of
whistles. the ringing of bells-had he
Lois was his friend and old Paul his
ucTS udu UGH udlly
Poles by Thrawl street and the harsh
music of their tongue came to him
as an old friend. 1t Is true that he
was housed luxuriously, in place for
millionaires; but he had the notion
that he would not long continue there
and that newer and a stranger
destiny awaited him. This thought,
indeed. he carried to his bedroom AMI
slept upon at last, He would find
Lois tomorrow and she would be his
messenger.
There had still been excited crowds
in the streets when he found his bed
room and a high balcony showed him
the last phases of weird pageant.
Though 1t was then nearly midnight,
Cossacks continued to patrol the
avenue and the mob to deride them.
By here and there, where the arc lamp
Illuminated the pavement, the white
faces and slouching figures Of the
more obstinate among the Revolu-
tioraries spoke Of logged defiance
and an utter Indifference to personal
safety. Alban could well understand
why the people had ventured out, but
that they should have taken women
and even young children with them
astonished him beyond measure
These, certainly, could vindicate no
principle when their flesh was cut by
the brutal whips and the savage
horses rode them down to emphasize
the majesty of the Gear. Such sights
he had beheld thatatternoon and such
were being repeated, if the terrible
cries which came to his ears from
time were true harbingers. -Alban
closed his windows at last for very
shame and anger. He tried to shut
the city's terrible voice from his
ears. He wished to believe that his
eyes had deceived him.
This would have been about one
O'Clock in the morning. When he
awoke from heavy sleep (and youth
will sleep whatever the circumstance
the sun was shining into his rooms
and the church bells called the peo-
pie to early mass. An early riser.
long accustomed to be up and out
when the clock struck SIX he dressed
himself at once and determined to see
something Of Warsow before the
Count was about. This good resolu-
ton led him first to the splendid
avenue upon which the great hotel
was built, and here he walked awhile,
rejoicing in him freedom and wonder
Ing why he had ever parted with =.
Let man have self-reliance and
courage enough and there is no city
in all the world which may not be-
come q home to him, no land among
whose people he may not find friends,
no government whose laws shall
trouble him. Adams old nomadic
habits brought these truths to his
mind again as he walked briskly down
the avenue and filed his lungs with
the fresh breezes of that sunny morn
ing. Why should he return to the
Count at all What was Gessners
money to him now? He cared less
for it than the stones beneath his
feet; he would not have purchased l
hours command of princely fortune
for one Of these precious moments.
He was not alone in the streets.
The electric cars had already COM
menced to run and there We're many
soberly dressed work people hurrying
to the factories. 1t was difficult to
believe that this place had been the
scene Of a civic battle yesterday. ur
to picture the great avenues. with