Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-24

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argue, to listen. He would strike.
And Tankerlane, if he left the
hands. of his adversary alive, would
remember nothing of oaths and prom
Uses. He would tell all he knew about
the death Of Ben Holland.
No. it was clear that the truth,
apart from the shame of telling it,
must never reach the ears of John
Shil- for the sake of the man him
self.
Then, lastly, there was Leonore,
her friend, but still the wife of Will
liam Tankerlane. Loura's mind with
regard to Leonore had assumed def
Hotel Imperial in Paris. She had de-
cided that any further attempt at
friendship would be impossible. Her
own self-respect, shattered enough,
heaven knows, but still alive, forbade
further intercourse with Leonore. And
so when she left Tankerlane she
went to another hotel and did not
even accept Leonore's invitation to
spend the night at the latter's apart
mentS.
This same mental attitude remained
mistaken. 1t would be impossible for
herself and Leonore even to be friends
again. The very idea Of friendship
was repugnant, loathsome, horrible.
To one of these four people Laura
would have to apply for pecuniary as
sistance. They would all gladly re-
spond to her appeal. Yet honor, or
self-respect, or decency, prevented her
from writing to anyone of them.
An hour passed, and still Laura sat
at the table with her pencil, and still
the sheet of note paper before her lay
blank and unsullied save by the vel
low finger Of time. She could not
solve the problem that confronted her,
and yet it had to be solved. She had
been driven into a corner, and there
was only one way out of it.
1t was pretty problem for phil
osopher, for a student Of the moral
and mental forces which mould the des-
tiny of man. Considered in the alb
stract it was full OF subtle difficulties
and would have been JOY to Schop-
enhauer or Nietzche. But considered
by a woman, half distraught with
frief and fear, it was cruel diem
ma.
Laura's long, weary attempt to de-
eide on the least unpleasant way out
of her difficulties was interrupted by
the hurried entrance Of Mrs. Burton
"Now don't e be alarmed Mrs Dan
by she began roughly. The tone Of
her voice was in itself note of
alarm, and Laura rose to her feet
with a look of fear.
"What has happened?" she ex-
claimed What is it. Mrs. Blurton?"
| ai,,'t f,1r oil
tells yer; but 'e's took worse, e as;
now there's"
But Laura waited to hear no more.
She brushed past Mrs. Blurton's portly
body and ran up to the small, dingy
bedroom where the sick child lay,
black faced and gasping for breath
A single glance at the child told
her that he was in need of urgent
remedies, but she had had little eX
! perience of childish ailments, and was
Ignorant of what she ought to do. She
4 leant over the little body in an agony
of fear, and then, running to the door
shrieked out for Mrs Burton.
But the landlady, who had followed
her as fast as her size and age would
permit, was already half way up the
stairs.
Don't e be alarmed" she sale
breathlessly, as she entered, 'e'l
be orl right I've give him some goot
medicine"
"Medicine?" queried Laura quickly
"What is it? When did you get it?"
81 'ad it for my 'Enry, when e wa'
about your kids age. I allus keep
medicine and saves doctors bills. IT.
been we'll corked for twenty years"
Twenty years." cried Laura in hor
ror. ooh, run for the doctor, please
, Mrs Burton, quick. He is dying"
"Just yer run along yerself," ar
swered Mrs. Burton; "Ill look afte
i'm"
Il can't leave him; won't leav
him. He may die while I'm away. or
, please go, please"
Old yer noise,' said Mrs. Bluhtor
, catching her roughly by the arm
Now look ere. You amt no earthl
| use ere. Jist yer cut along. Yer ca
, run, if yer don't know anything 'bou
> kids. Jist cut along, sharp"
>. Laura hesitated for moment, an
3 then, realizing the force of the lane
: lady's remarks, she leant over tn
>. sick baby, kissed him, and hurried on
. of the house without waiting to put o
her hat When she had found the do
e tor an dobtained his promise to com
e round to Widely street at once, sh
:, fastened on to the nearest post oftic
n and despatched the following tel
l. gram
V Miss Leonore Jackson,
, Regal Theatre, Haymarl1et.
, Please call to see me tomorro
2 morning, most urgent : Laura,
It Widely street, Deptford.
J. She reread the words, pencil
d hand, and then, thinking the nan
was too indefinite, she added "Tanke
!, lane" to her Christian name. The
- she scratched it out and substitute
\ Vane. Then it occurred to her thi
:, Vane might convey nothing to Leo
= ores mind, and she once more repla
u ed it with Tankerlane. She had I
Il right to the title, but it would ser7
s to identify her.
is She opened her purse, found sh