Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-03-17

children playing hide-and-seek in the
hall and went out for little walk
The day was bleak, and she felt TIL,
cold penetrate her heart
She pushed on Quicnly till she left
the house well behind her, and then
she sat down and closed her eyes, OF
late there had been many moments
when she had felt tired out in spirit,
when life would seem empty and un-
profitable; such mood fell upon her |
now. She was not sure If 1t was dis |
appointment or sense of relief that
followed on the realization that she |
was not to be uprooted from the life |
of the last six months. All she knew |
was that she had become SO nervous |
that she WINGED when the children |
screamed either in play or temper, and
that she had strong desire to
scream herself sometimes
81 think / will go off somewhere all
by myself for week or two" she
rid to live with just now. When
last night, saw Mr.. Brenton look at
me as if he thought I had gone mad.
| | believe | ought to have taken Mr..
Haverford's advice, and have travelled
little last year l should hate to
leave the children now, but am not
at all sure it would not be a good
thing for them Perhaps | will talk it
over with Mrs. Brenton." moment
later, she said, mo, don't think
will If do she will only question,
and if she wants to know what is
wrong and why I want to go away,
what on earth am to say to her? If
cannot satisfy myself am not like
ly to satisfy her.
With sharp sigh she relinquished
this train of thought, and, leaning
back, she closed her eyes. and re.
mained with them closed for little
while. Then all at once she was con-
scious that some one was watching
her, and she opened her eyes quickly.
In reality, Rupert Haverford was not
looking at her, but was pacing to and
fro in front Of the bench.
AS she sat forward with jerk, he
turned and came hurriedly towards
her.
What madness brought you out
here to sleep?" he queried almost
sharply
Katherine knit her brows.
'I don't think I have been asleep"
Then confusedly, "How long have You
been here?"
"Then minutes-a quarter of an
hour?"
He continued to look at her fixedly.
"You are ill.," he said; "you look
very white. Mrs. Brenton wrote me
she was anxious about you; that is
what brought me down today"
This brought the color flaming to
her cheeks
81 am perfectly well. l am always
well!'
He bent forward, took both her cold
hands, and drew her to her feet. For
an instant he chafed her hands al
most unconsciously. Then they walk
ed on little, Katherine as in a
dream.
Suddenly he paused and catching
her hands again more closely, faced
J her. There were tears in her eyes,
just ready to run down her cheeks.
"1f you are well, why are you cry
) derly, Come, Kathie, be honest with
, me. Something is wrong, and must
know what that something is. Don't
you realise that l would give my life
itself to be sure that you were happy?
Have you the least idea what you are
to me-how much | love you?'
, She shook her head and then she
, looked up, and her lips smiled for an
instant
"How should | know these things
: You have never told them to me-
: Surely, yes,' he said.
) "Surely, no." she answered. "That
| day you spoke to me just after you
7 came back from America you simply
dictated to me the fact that you found
you required wife, and that you
| considered me a suitable person for
, the situation; and you letter at Christ
8 mas was just the same thing
, 81 knew / had done some clumsy
l thing he said remorsefully. "But
? dearest, sweetest heart, you mus!
), have known that I love you!"
? He unloosened her hands as he
q; spoke, meaning to gather her into his
) arms but she placed those two little
hands in protecting fashion agains;
t his heart.
r mo. Wait" she said. "It can't be
true. Remember what she was tt
/ you. If you are the man l imagin.
4 you to be, then you are not one tt
g easily forget. You-you can't love
l. me if you loved ner.'
He smiled, but he answered he
). gravely.
l. "Since you have apparently studie:
. me and my nature so we'll, the Who'll,
n situation should be clear to you
Other people might doubt, but no
Q you, Katherine. You were so close
i ly mingled in with that episode, an,
you must have realised that when sh
e took herself out of my life every
/ thing appertaining to her faded absc
l. lutely into the background. The wa
had been prepared Cor this so thor
l. oughly You know that evening
n came down here that l was clingin
y to last hope, even though I kney
u how poor it was. l Confess he sal
, with faint smile, that had we sel
l. arated differently, some sentimen
E. might have fingered It was the wa
j. she went that swept my heart clear
! And yet he added, 81 am wrong t
i deny her all sentiment I am he
e friend-I am glad to be her friend
"a and I shall never cease trying to hel