Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-08

10 a small wooden quay and stepneG
ashore with the gun under his arm.
But his curiosity was aroused. and he
walked towards her across the grass
which fringed the road 1t was an
early hour for a woman to be abroad.
and it was hard to imagine what bus.
mess could have brought her to the
edge of the marshland. AS he came
within few yards of her, the re-
trlver ran forward and barked. The
woman raised her head, and stood up
right with her back to the wall, as
though face to face with an enemy.
John Shil stopped for moment,
and not a muscle of his face or body
moved He might have been carved
out of stone. And the dog also stop
ped head thrust forward, and nose
to the ground, after the manner of
his kind. And Laura Tankerlane
stood motionless against the wall. The
whole picture might have been painted
on canvas.
Then suddenly life returned to the
little group. Laura moved a pace for
ward and held out her hand
The man was the first to speak.
fallen most heavily on his head He
had not seen the woman he loved
since the hour when they parted at
Laverstone. Lately. when he had
thought Of her. he had pictured her as
the wife Of Sir William Tankerlane,
reconciled to her fate by the presence
of her child, and securely settled as
the mistress of Tankerlane Court.
But the woman who stood before him,
was white and haggard and worn:
there was look Of terror in her
eyes, and her whole demeanour was
that of one who had sinned. and has
yet the consequences Of her sin to
face.
Laura he cried hoarsely, as he
moved towards her. what are you
doing here? Am I dreaming? Surely
what does it mean-why have you
come here?"
She still held out her hand in silence
and, as he grasped it in his own
strong fingers, the GOODNESS of it
struck chill to his heart.
Laurie he said gently, what is
it, dear?" What are you doing here?
Where is your husband?"
Il have left my husband" she re-
piled coldly.
And the child?" he asked. Have
you left The child?"
She looked at him in horror and
amazement. She could not realise that
he was ignorant Of all event which
had altered the whole course of her
life; she gave a little moan of pain,
he i
his grasp she turned away from him,
and staggered back against the wall
Laurie, Laurie he cried in dis
tress, what is it? What have
said?"
The child is dead" she replied in a
low voice.
Dead" he echoed, 1.-The child
dead?" He understood now why she
had come to him. The barrier that
had kept them apart was broken.
Yes" she continued. Did you not
see it in the papers? Leonore knew,
for she wrote me a letter-such a
sweet letter Of sympathy"
"Leonore. knew" he stannered.
And she did not tell me?'
of course she did not tell YOU"
Laura replied. She knew we'll
enough what ii would mean to you
| and me. 1t was she who persuaded
me to marry William Tankerlane."
Laurie, Laurie he cried, ARE you
mad? What do you mean? | don't
understand you. Why, you did not
even know Leonore when you married
| Tankerlane.'
| ooh 7 had forp0tten che anwcar
ed YEARLY. "Of course you did not
know. But | have come here to tell
you eyerything-only not here There
is no time. My husband will come
down to Black Hall to find me. You
must take me somewhere, " some