Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-11-21

Lois, Lois dear, Lois listen to me;
have come to help you. can help
you. Lois, will you not hear me
PATIENTLY"
He caught her to him as he spoke
and pressed her burning forehead to
his lips. So she lay for little while,
rocked In his arms as 9: child that
would be comforted. "A single ray Of
wall above, dwelt for moment upon
her white face and showed him all the
pity Of 1t.
Lois, why should you speak like
this because come to you? 1t Is so
difficult to tell the TRUTH"
Did they tell you to ask me that,
Alban?"
TT was forced from me, Lois.
don't believe it. would as soon be-
lieve it Of myself But don't you see
that we much answer them? They
are saying It, and We must answer
them"
She struggled to be free half resent
ing the manner of his question, but
in her heart admitting it's necessity.
81 know nothing Of IT." she said
simply, you may tell them that,
Alban. If they offered me all the
riches in the world, l could not say
| more. don't know who did it, dear.
and I'd never tell them If ! did,
A little cry escaped his lips and he
| caught her close in his arms again.
1t was not to say that he had be-
lieved the darker story at which imagi-
nation, In a cowardly mood, might
hint, but this plain denial, from the
| lips Of Lois who had never told him
a lie came as very message of their
salvation.
You have made me very happy,
| Lois" he said, now can talk to them
as they deserve. OF course, shall
get you out of here. Mr.. Gessner will
help me to do 1t We have the whip
hand of him all said and done, for
don't you see, that If you don't tell
your people, shall, and that will be
the end Of It, OF course, it won't
come to that. know how he will act,
and what they will do when the time
arrives. Perhaps they will bundle us
both out OF Russia Lois, thankful to
see the back of u.s.
She shook her head, looking up to
him with wild face.
Il would not go, Alb dear. Not
while my father Is prisoner Who IS
there to work for him, If don't? No,
my dear, I must not think of It,
nave my duty to do whatever comes
But you, 1t is different for you, Alban
you would be right to CO."
He answered her holly with boyish
phrase, conventional but true.
you would make a coward of me
Lois" he said, "just coward like the
others. But l am not going to lei
you. You let me once before; have
never forgotten that You went tt
Russia, and forgot that we had ever
been friends. Was that very kind
was it your true self that did so? II
never believe, unleEs you say SO now.
She sat little apart from him, re
garding him wistfully as though she
wondered greatly at his accusation.
You went to live in another world
dear, and so did l. My father mads
me promise that | would not try t.
see you for six months, and | KEEP
my word. That was better for 20,
and better for me. If money hat
changed you, and money does chang
; most of us, you would have been hap
pier for my silence. I have told yol
about the letters, and that's God'
truth. If l had not been ashamed,
. couldn't have kept my word, for
loved you, dear, and | shall Away
love you. When my father sent yo'
to Mr.. Gessner's house, I think h
: wished to find If his good opinion
!. Of you was right or not. He said tia
l you were going to carry sword in
!, Wonderland and kill some Of tn
; giants. II you came back to us, 70
were to marry me, but If you forge
us, then he would never believe /
i any man again. There's the truth 70
. you, my dear, tell you because 1t a
means nothing to me now | coul
not go to London and leave my fathe
in prison here, and they will neve
: release him, Alban, they will never
{ 1t as things are, for they are NOR
!, frightened of him than Of any man |
Russia. When go away from her
= 1t will to Petersburg to try and see m
: father. There's no one else in all tn
. world to help him, and shall go ther
Il and try to see him. If they will Il
6 me stay with him, that will be som
thing, dear You can ask them fl
y me; when Mr.. Gessner writes, yC
IS can beg it Of the Ministry in Mr.. Ges
o ner' name"
q ASK them to send you to priso
Lois?"
ITO send me to my father, dear
v, Alban sat very silent. almost ashar
$. ed for himself and his own desire
y The stupendous sacrifice OF which 81
50 spoke so lightly revealed to him
II page in the story of human sympatl
t. which he had often read and as oft:
Ia derided. Here in the prison cell
n stood face to face with human To-
1T as Wonderland knew nothing Of
IL Supreme above all other desires
le her life, this desire to save her fathe
Ar to share his sorrows, to stand by hi
to to the end, prevailed. The riches
. the world could not purchase a dev
IN ton as precious. OF any fine philos
ply belittle it. He knew that 81
le would go to Petersburg because Pa
It. Boriskoff her father had need Of ne
This was her answer to his self
1g complaints during the years OF the
Id exile.
or "And what am to do If they ri