Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-25

on familiar ground at last.
They came after while upon a kind
of village, in which the lights of the
one shop a post Office and general
stores combined = shone Hospitality.
The keeper of the stores, partly,
good-natured man, could suggest no
better help for the motor than to Dor
row a couple Of horses from the near
est farm and tow the car away from
the road. He amicably consented to
lend his trap to drive them to the,
nearest station. distant about three
miles, and when this was arranged,
Mrs. Lancing remained at the stores,
where cup of tea was Forthcoming,
whilst Haverford went back into the
mist to settle matters with his
chauffeur.
Divested of his heavy coat, the
man had crawled under the BODY of
the car, from which he emerged very
red in the face and very greasy.
Found 1t all right. sir" he said.
One of the nuts has sheared in the
differential shaft" He declared his
ability, however, to set the whole
thing right in the course of the next
few hours. Agreeing with Mr.. Haver-
ford that 1t would be a good thing to
get the car off the road, as it was an
obstruction, Haverford did not leave
the village until he had arranged to
give his man all the assistance pos
stble. This done. he lifted Camilla
Lancing into the tall cart that was
used to dispense the goods from the
stores, and they started for the sta
ton. To exchange the luxurious arm
chair Of the motor for hard, slip
perry seat where balance was most
difficult, over a rough country road,
was not the most delightful expert
ence in the world; but Camilla laugh
ed at all discomfort. Her good nature
was really marvellous Most women
would have been tired and cross and
difficult. Mrs. Lancing, however, made
the best Of everything. Even when
the station was reached, and they
found they would have some time to
wait, and then change trains before
reaching the nearest point to Yelver
ton, Camilla accepted the discomfort
philosophically.
II know you are dying to smoke
Leave me here; this is quite a cosy
place; perhaps will go to sleep" she
said, as she passed into the waiting.
room.
He obeyed her reluctantly.
She looked so pretty, so pathetic
with the pallor of fatigue robbing her
cheeks of their usual delicate bloom
He stood looking at her with kind
of frown on his face for moment
but he said nothing, and. to get rid
Of him. she closed her eyes and lean
| ed her head against the hard wooden
wall. egs&5,5f
Her lips trembled as he went out
and closed the door,
She was creature who lived abso
lutely from moment to moment. who
had the knack of separating hersel1
| from the most tenacious trouble tc
bask in the warmth and glitter of g
passing gaiety. Naturally these de
lightful moments were followed by
spells of reaction, when her volatile
spirit would sink to such depths O!
oppression that all energy, all hope
would appear to be swamped But she
had the optimism of the gambler;
let chance only give her the smallest
opportunity, and she revived again.
| Agnes Brenton (the woman with
whom she was staying, and a very
old friend) had once likened her tc
an india rubber ball
Camilla is an enchanting creature
a dear, sweet womanly soul but you
can never make lasting impression
on her." she had said However
hardly she is flung about, however
sharply she may seem denied. she is
bound to come smoothly to the sur
face again, and show no trace of what
has happened
She was being sharply denied now
In this hour of fatigue and disap
pointment memory forced open the
door she had held closed so resolute
ly all day.
On the morrow her visit to YeIver
ton would end, and she must 60 bach
to town back to the practically i'm
possible task of clearing her dali,
path of one or two hideous obstacles
There were some things awaiting
that had to be met that sent shive,
of dread through her now as she re
called them. She opened her eyes aft
er time, and sat watching Haver
ford's tall long-coated figure pass the
window of the waiting room every
now and then.
| aHu Will lue SCIdlCu vi d. pSu,
she said to herself YEARLY, che could
| put all my difficulties straight. VIII!
does he not speak? Sometimes I fee
he cares for me more than I have
ever been cared for before, then the
next moment he chills me; he almos
frightens me. He is so reserved, sc
deliberate. believe he must be hard
OF course" - her lip curled he il
cautious, and mean; people who are
rolling in money never can afford t.
be generous"
She repressed her tears with diff
Guilty. She was so truly sorry for her
self. Other women ESQ she pondered
had such ease in their lives; she
knew of no other woman who was 81
lonely as herself. so burdened, 81
troubled.
After a while she got up impatient
ly, and, pulling chair forward sa
down and stared into the fire witt
wet lashes. Her face hardened a it'll
as her mind drifted away from fretfu
j generalities to the practical outlook
to the immutable fact that two an,