Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-01
her with meas long as she loves


| you"
Thanks" Wiltshire murmured.
And how is the dear thing?" Lady
| Alice inquired, in another tone.
81 think you may find her changed.
She isn't very we'll"
"Ah!"
you'll see for yourself. We are go
ing to dine with them this evening"
What do you mean by changed?"
You don't suppose she has anything
on her mind, do your"
"On her mind? What should she
have?"
He glanced up at her sharply, but
he turned his own eyes quickly away
before the scrutiny in hers. He had
! the uncomfortable suspicion that she
knew more of his affairs than he did
! himself. He remembered that Win
4 ship had stayed with her at Eden
bridge. not long ago. and might cas-
lily have taken her into his confidence.
ooh, | don't know" Lady Alice re-
sponded. vaguely. Girls often have
ideas which they'll allow to consume
them away before they'll speak Of
them-and especially nice girls like
Paula"
"Fm afraid I don't understand you"
Wiltshire said, affecting tone of in
/ difference. II think I'll go and dress
now. hope they've given you com
Portable rooms. We ought to leave
here at eight"
But, having passed into his room,
he did not dress. He sent his man
away and once more threw himself
YEARLY into an arm chair, where he
sat bordering.
Yes, it was clear that Alice knew
something that had been kept from
him. Her repetition of the clause ''if
she loves YOU 'as long as she loves
YOU" which had seemed to him few
minutes ago like stab delivered I'M
&, consciously, now came to him like a
stab delivered unconsciously, now
came to him like note of Intentional
warning Alice knew what Winship
knew, what Paula knew, what Traf-
ford knew. what every one knew but
himself-that Paula did not love him.
She was marrying him because she
could not see what else to do There
had, indeed, never been any secret
about that. 1t was the ground on
which he had approached her. He
had caught her in the snare of her
troubles, and bribed her by the prom
Use of deliverance. He had nothing to
complain of. She had never owned
to loving him otherwise thanh a
way. He knew now what the way
was. He should never have had any
doubt about 1t. 1t was the way she
had already acknowledged that day at
Monaco. It was in another way than
that that she loved Roger Winship.
AS the name crossed Wiltshire's
z mind he buried his face in his hands,
and groaned. The lifelong humilia.
ton, against which manhood and
pride had enabled him to erect some
kind Of barrier, swept over him now
with the whole force Of its bitter
food. He was the man so cursed
with physical insignificance that no
woman could love him for himself. He
had been wounded by the fact even
when he had been half Indifferent
He had noticed often enough that the
proud beauties, who hol let him see
that they were willing to bear his
name and wear his coronet shranE
from his personal contact. But this
was the browning Instance of all
Paula did love HMM way. That
+ is she honored and esteemed him
She trusted him with the secrets
which, he believed, she would never
confide to any one else on earth. She
was ready to marry him, not out Of
ambition, nor from any worldly mo
tive whatever And yet even she
q as she came to him, held out despair
ing hands to a Roger Winship-a pau
per-a nobody-a man who could
give her no proud place in the world
! nor. indeed, anything but himself
In spite Of his native simplicity
, Wiltshire could not help feeling this
last fact to add gall to his wormwood
}. 1t emphasized his condition of per
sonal inferiority. No one could have
{ greater advantages Of position, wealth
and character; and yet, because he
was short and ugly and dull-eyed, hi
, could neither command love nor wiz
It, The utmost he could hope fol
would be the sort of tempered affec
ton which Paula gave-the affection
of one who could look below the sur
face and honor him for what was hid
den there.
Then as the first bitterness Of his
, reflections passed away, there camt
, the thought. Why not be content will
him only half loaf, was it not bet
was out of the question for Paula II
marry Roger Winship, in any circu n
stances in which she could be placed
Then why not make the best of the
situation by marrying her himself
The conditions would not be ideal fol
any one concerned but he would take
care that they involved no actual mis-
cry, OF whatever suffering there
might be to bear, he would accept thu
lions share as his own. That woui,
be better-anything would be better :
than to give her up.
, 1t was cold comfort, but he had M
!, other. Such as it was. it gave hin
the courage to dress, and go will
Lady Alice to dine with Paula and he
!. father. 1t supported him through thu
l ordeal of the evening, and helped hin
to conceal his pain. as he watches
Paula's jaded efforts to infuse into he
5 regard for him something which wa!
not there.
, 1t was when he was driving back t.
the hotel with his sister that the cur
rppt ff bic obapoo1 oro;-