Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-10
CHAPTER v11-(continued)

CHAPTER VII-(Continued)
b'"Nfuch may happen to both of us,
she answered. ''there is a long span
fof life before us.
\ s"I thought you spoke as if you had
some definite incident In your mind,
as if you knew of something that was
going to happen, something that might
lead me to think-to think i'll of you"
b. She shook her head sadly and was
silent.
! Laura" he cried passionately, eff
there Is any such thing-if there is
some other reason for refusing to
marry me beyond the fact of Ben Hol-
Hands death, tell me, for Gods sake,
tell me-
b "It Is because Of Ben Hollands
death that I cannot marry YOU she
replied in a steady voice; there is
nothing else between us"
K. ri believe you," he said simply.
T. "And you trust me?" she asked.
y. 81 trust you
+ "And you love me?" she whispered
n II shall always love YOU
Goodbye, dear heart" she said,
holding out her hand. Remember
come. |, shall not forget them
81 will remember them" he said,
and then, raising her nand to his lips,
he kissed it reverently. 1t might have
seemed that the occasion called for
q more passionate goodbye, for a
long embrace, for hot kisses on a
tear-stained face, for burning words
Of love. But that quiet kiss on the
~f
was an act of reverence, of homage, Of
devotion to one greater than himself.
Goodbye" he said hoarsely, hold
ing both her hands in his. Goodbye,
my queen"
Goodbye, my king" she faltered.
/. He loosed her hands and left the
room and went out into the long
night.
! Two days after the departure Of
John Shil, Laura Vane received let
ter from her aunt in London, asking
ther to pay visit which had long
been talked of, but which had never
taken place.
! AS may be imagined, this letter was
mot the result of a fortunate accident
Laura Vane had often been asked to
stay with Mrs. Toby, her fathers only
sister, but an intense love for her
own home and for the quiet beauty
fof the country in which she lived had
always made the idea of even short
stay in the great metropolis distaste-
fful to her. When, however, she had
decided to marry William Tankerlane,
she saw the value Of such an easy
method of leaving home without ex-
letting comment. She wrote to her
aunt and suggested paying her visit
at the earliest opportunity.
The reply was such as might have
ibeen written by any kind, motherly
woman, who had no children of her
own, and a sincere affection for her
brothers only daughter
? Old Sam Vane raised no objection
ITO the visit. 1t was evident to the
Iold farmer that the breaking off of
ELaura's engagement to John Shil had
seriously affected her health. She
had given no reason for declining to
marry the young land agent, beyond
the fact that she felt the marriage
would be an unhappy one Her faith
er had not pressed the matter. He
had merely said that he was very sor-
ry, and that she must do what she
thought best for her own happiness
No suspicion Of the truth, nor even of
part Of the truth, ever entered his
plain, honest mind.
The night before her departure she
spent the evening, as usual with him
In the parlor. Her heart was very
sad but she let no trace of her sor
row find expression in her face 81
voice. On the contrary, she appeared
to be in boisterous spirits. She laugh
ed and sang and .ested and Der beau
tiful face was flushed with eager ex
citement. A more critical observer
than old Sam Vane would have no
ticed that her merriment was hover
Ing on the verge of hysteria. But he
only saw q young girl exulting in the
thought of visit to a great and won
derful city,
you're right to be PLACED. my lass, ;
he said, with kindly smile, as shf
had just ratified off lively little song
"Sure sartin, you'm right to be plaa
ed There's a wonderful lot to be
seen in Lunnon, and the sight of it'll
do you good. Yet a selfish old fool is
not over-plazed tonight"
She came behind his chair, and
throwing her arms around his neck
kissed him on the forehead 1t wa
well for him that he could not see he
face. AS the sunlight on the wayn;
grass dies at the coming oof storm