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

another thing to succeed. An invisible
hand was Juggling at her skirts to at
tract her attention; voice seemed, by
turns, to implore and command that
she look away from the bright, fresh
canvas, and the gilded frame, and dare
to look on the back of the picture.
Sometimes the voice sounded like her
own, sometimes like Fabian Dare's.
Perhaps she would have succeeded
in resisting the voices, or her whims-
cal humour might have laughed them
down, had Vandraken succeeded in re-
sisting her entreaty that he attend
service with her at the Donoyle Chapel
| the following Sunday; but her lover,
not willing to admit to himself that he
| was afraid of his inexplicable anti
! pathy to Fabian Dare, consented.
| Afterwards the girl tried to per-
suade herself that it was only an
optical delusion, moment of hysteria;
| for as the sermon proceeded, and the
| inspired thoughts of Fabian Dare fiat
tered down from the pulpit, clothed
| in the irresistible magnetism of his
voice, the face of the man whose per-
| sonality had made such an impression
on her girlish fancy began to lose the
soiled look which had repealed her for
the last year. She saw him again as
she had first seen him at Oxford, but
strengthened and ennobled by the con-
seriousness of having won victories. He
preached from the text, $50 God Made
man in his own image" Perfection"
he said, wishing to design something
perfect, could do no more. A great
sculptor, who had set up his master
piece in the marketplace, might call
to account the passeTs-by who had al
tered it to suit their lower level,
might forgive criticism, might forgive
neglect. but consider the DETACHMENT
of perfection as the objectionable"
| 1t was at that moment that Lady
Kitty had looked up at the young
chaplain, with the thought in her mind
| that he was the last man on earth to
preach that sermon, and saw him
TRANSPORTED in the perfection he talk
ed about.
| Then the impulse to look at the back
of the picture of the man who sat next
| her, in drowsy boredom, dominated
her. What she saw passed like flash,
or something too incredible to dwell
on. She had caught glimpse of his
defaced soul grinning through the
| mask which he had bought and paid
| for.
Vandraken, who was yawning at the
moment did not notice that she drew
away from him
| That afternoon Lady Kitty went out
alone into the forest, to do battle with
herself, to endeavour to shake off the
state of mind which threatened to
complicate a life which mad seemed so
simple a few days before. OF course,
all her world would believe that she
was marrying the American million
aire for his money-that was newt
| able. She herself knew she would
have married him for his money If,
by some kindly interposition of Prov
idence, she had not happened to fall
in love with him. And now, if she
/ discovered that she could not marry
him for love it would be almost i'm.
possible to marry him for his money
Existence would sink to that most
uncomfortable of conditions-a life,
long pretence. She was tempted to
put her fingers over the lips of her
SOUL to push away the hand that was
dragging her half-willing body back
from the man who could crafty every
/ physical wish that her mind could in
vent. And the cry which, at some
time or another, has broken the still
ness of the calmest life, rose to he1
lips: the Accommodation of the force
which had made her half human and
half divine, instead of all human or all
divine.
The aged, mauve tree trunks re
NAMED silent on the subject; the
flakes Of green which formed thei1
leaves were yet too soft and young
/ to whisper advice, and all the voices
of the forest, and the exuberance OF
spring, were ranged on the side of the
physical.
She came to the fallen tree above
the river, where, one Sunday, nearly
year before, she had talked with
| Fabian Dare, and as she sat down she
saw him coming along the path from
the opposite direction, with book ir
his hand.
He hesitated when he saw Lady
Kitty; but, moved by a sudden i'm
4 pulse, she motioned him to sit dowr
beside her. Perhaps she wanted tt
test the stability of that sudden i'm
preston about him she had had II
church.
What book have you got there?'
asked the girl, thankful for the small
chance Of conversation which the
: novel provided.
"The Master Chord he answered
regarding the book lovingly.
why that's the book everyone il
talking about, and wondering who thu
! author is! Did you know it was tn,
: most successful novel written in The
last ten years? Even the sensational
! pulpits refusing to abuse it have on
, affected it's popularity. I'm half Il
| love with the author. He must hav
, a beautiful mind-a poets mind. How
: he must have suffered! But you won
like it, Mr.. Dare-you aer clergy
man.
} 81 preached my last sermon today
Lady Kitty" answered the young man
GAS far as one can resign from tn
church, am resigning tomorrow"
"Resigning! But why?"
, because because l wrote" = h
held up the novel "The Maste
) Chord"
) you wrote it!'' she said, incret
, r,l0uS1v-"Vouio And she looked int