Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-07-04

OF the universe, go forth to colonlSe
the new-fedged stars, turning some
into bells and others into heavens
Vandraken and Lady Kitty created
perfect beings during that wonder
voyage. And why should 1t not be
true? We know that thoughts, launch
ed at moments of tremendous emotion,
under the stress of murder suicide,
or some evil crisis, linger round the
spot as apparitions, which can be seen,
| by those in tune with them, hundreds
/ of years after the ephemeral beings
who launched the thought have even
| ceased their dusty dance as notes in
the sunbeams. If these thoughts of
horror have vitality, why not the per-
| feet emanations of beautiful young
| love? Why should not its distilled es-
sences and perfect fragrance, the
sweetness and beauty flung together
| by two temporarily almost superhu-
man beings, live on in some fitting
environment, leaving behind only the
evil earthbound thought to haunt the
earth? We keep flowers to give off
| fragrance, we leave the rank weed
where it grows; but the flowers do not
/ know why we keep them, or even that
they are flowers to US. Without know
ing it, we, too, may be flowers, per-
haps only in the making; but, by con-
slant selection, moving towards per-
lection.
AS if in pursuance of some such
plan, all the elements combined to
make the love voyage of Vandraken
and Lady Kitty perfect. The yacht,
| heeling over to gentle breeze on the
beam, slid through the sparkling blue
as though fiower-wreathed mermaids
/ towed it with laughter. Or was it
only shy laughter of Lady Kitty-the
| intangible sounds of joy woman
makes when she is yielding herself?
And yet-she could not Danish all
thoughts of Fabian Dare. With amaze
ment, she found that her feeling about
him did not clash with her love for
| Vandraken; that indeed, her love for
Vandraken seemed to vitalise her feel
ing for Fabian Dare, as though they
were the same person in different
moods.
The truth was the truth of all ideal
isation Love had lifted the veil be-
tween this earth and the star where
| lived their souls, and allowed her to
see the original design, the unmarried
work of the Great Sculptor, before it
had been trailed through the slime Of
the world. She had taken the lump
of clay which was Vandraken, and
out of 1t fashioned an image after the
original and perfect design which was
his soul. She had once done the
same with Fabian Dare, but the dam
aged clay would not hold it's shape.
Vandraken was not free from
amazement, either. The romantic
imagery of his love-making was con-
slant surprise to him "a jewel found
in the dust-bin of his materialism. He
could not connect it with hyponotfc
fusion of his personality with Fabian
Dare, or know that he was wooing the
object of his alteration with another
mans soul.
He felt almost omnipotent His
{, money had again triumphed in shut
ting the door on life of which he ha6
had enough. Sweeping up the frag
ments of a wine-cup drained to the
: dregs, it had blown away the clouds o
!, consequence which he had fancisd hi
: saw gathering, and purchased hin
: absolute happiness. He was not ever
4 troubled by regrets for his life of the
y last two years-another man was feel
g ing those regrets. He himself, through
: the invention his money had procured
/ him. had come through the flames al
s he once Dragged to Lord Ancestor
g would come-like sheet of asbestos
/ 1t was the last evening of the won
q der voyage. The yacht was GLIDING
q along the Irish coast, hardly listin.
over to the gentle off-shore breeze, blu
u moving swiftly with the set of the It'd
S through golden mist which had no
yet repaid it's borrowed glories to tn
e dying sun.
l. Lady Kitty and Vandraken we're sit
n ting in secluded spot up in the bows
y The girls eyes, which had been haze
2, with passion, grew wistful, almos
( troubled, as they came under the ir
e fuence Of the blac kcliffs which towel
e ed above them.
y Looking to leeward, there was notl
70 Ing to be seen but the kindly, in
$, palpable element through which the
"a had come, with the ease of Olsen
d bodied spirits; but on the landwar
IS side they were faced by a dark wa
1T of reality. Miles of naked rock, th
ID rough, crude stuff which worlds al
" made of, kicked back the elemeI
fawning at its feet, the element whic
had been SO kind to the lovers ,Th
n, soundless sea explored the caves, i
as quiring their purpose. and sent bac
lg menacing roar. The cliffs had hur
is ed down pinnacled rocks in the war
IN the material with the immaterial, {
I; though to warn away the yacht fro
OF the coast; now they were showed owe
IN with sea-birds, perched. silent and il
n, movable, in the dusk, till a cry can
OF out of the fog; and then, obeying
common impulse, flying low, the
T; winged their way mysteriously ov'
II the water, life earthbound souls wi
to have received their message of +
II, lease.
= Lady Kittys sensitive nature fe
the influence of her environment. /"
is almost over, Standish," she whispe
q ed, "our wonderful voyage. The mig
is coming, and round that next hea
a land, where the light is just begi
y ming to wink in the lighthouse is Il
end Of" She shivered instead