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

the crevices and betrayed the secrets
of that strange refuge IN all their
amazing simplicity. Here was neither
costly furniture nor any edonment of
gold whatsoever the sunlight struck
down upon it. had been laid to such
depth that grown man might have
concealed himself therein. A few
empty bales stood here and there as
though thrown down at haz-
ard; theer were coils of rope and great
blocks of timber used by the steve
dores who loaded the barges. But of
the common things of daily life not
trace. No tables, no chairs, neither
bed nor blanket adorn this rude habi-
tation. Let a sergeant of police open
his lantern there and the tousled straw
would answer him in mockery. This,
for truth, had been the case. Little
Lois could tell tale of Cossacks on
the barge, even of rifles fired down in
to the hold, and Of cnilds heart
beating so quickly that she thought
she must cry out for very pain of 1t.
But that was before the men were told
that the ship belonged to merry Herr
Petermann. They went away at once
then-to drink the old fellows beer
and to laugh with him.
That had been a terrible day and
Lois had never forgotten 1t. When
ever old Petermann opened the door
If his Office now, she would start and
tremble as though Cossack's hand al
ready touched her shoulder. Some
times she lay deep down in the straw.
afraid to declare herself eve nthough
a friends voice called her. And so it
was upon that morning Of Adams
visit.
Old Peterman had shut the cabin
door behind him and discreetly left
the young people together. Seeing
little in the deep gloom and his eyes
blinking wherever Returned them
Alban stood almost knee-deep in straw
and cried Lois name aloud.
'Lois-where are you, Lois-Why
don't you answer me?"
She crept from the depths at nis
very feet and shaking the straw from
her pretty hair, she stood upright and
put both her hands upon mis- shoulders
+ 81 am here Alb dear, just waiting
for you. Won't you kiss me, Alb
dear?"
He put his arms about her neck and
kissed her at her wish-just as a
brother might have kissed sister in
tae hOur or peril.
II came at once, Lois" he said, "of
course I did not understand that it
would be like this. Why are you here?
Whatever has happened-whatd does it
all mean? Will you not teach me to
understand, Lois?"
"Sit by my side, Alb dear, sit down
and listen to me. want you to know
what you friends have been doing. On,
have been SO lonely, SO frightened,
and don't deserve that. You know
that my father is in prison, Ald-the
Count told you that?"
II heard it before I left England,
Lois. You did not answer my letters?"
81 was ashamed to, dear. That was
the first thing they taught me at
school-to be ashamed to write to you
until you would not be ashamed to
read my letters. Can't you under
stand. Alb? Wasn't right to be
ashamed"
She buried her head upon his breast
and put g little hot hand into his own.
A great tenderness toward her filed
his whole being and brought sense Of
happiness very foreign to him lately.
How gentle and kindly This little waif
of fortune had ever been. And how
even those few weeks Of better
schooling had improved her. She had
shed all the old vulgarities-she was
just a simple schoolgirl as ne would
have wished her to be.
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