Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-06
!" NAME ON EVERY PIECE"

| l. 1,s,.2 ::::;, 4
not yours, not mine, but ours. And
hoped that the loss might bring us
nearer together"
'It has set us farther apart she
answered coldly. ct was for the
sake of the child that l married you.
And now She looked at him for
a moment in hatred, and then rose to
her feet You see how God has APP
proved of my sacrifice" she cried
f1ercely But I am not crushed yet.
still have strength to live my own
| life All the better part of me is
dead. 1t was buried yonder-in the
churchyard. I gave myself to you for
the sake of my son There is no rea-
son now why I should stay with you"
only your duty as a wife the
man replied.
DUTY" she exclaimed. 81 have
done my duty, and see how acceptable
| it has been in the sight Of God I can
promise YOU that henceforth duty will
not trouble me; that I have no con
science, no honor, no regard for any
one but myself. My whole life has
! been a sacrifce-and it has been all in
vain
May | ask what you intend to do?"
he said calmly. What does all this
+, me plainly what you are going to do?
We may as well be honest with each
other
|
ing to do she replied. 1T is possible
| that / may leave you, and find the
happiness that / can never find here"
In other words" said Tankerlane,
''you are thinking of John Shil."
| She did not answer but, moving
closer 10 the window, she looked out
across the park. In the distance the
spire Of the village church was plainly
visible through a network Of leafless
| trees.
81 shouldn't go to John Shil, If
were YOU he continued. ut would
not be to his advantage"
she turned on him savagely. 'Ah,
you'd speak, would YOU she cried.
But your oath holds good
II am not sure that it does,' he re-
piled, "but even if break it, I shall
only be following your example Per
haps l, too, am in that frame of mind
which can fling honor and morality to
the four winds of heaven"
please leave me. she said family;
81 did not seek this interview. It IS
cruel at such time as this. 1t is an
insult to our dead child. Please leave
me. I shall do nothing yet. l must
have time to think"
"Laurie!" he cried passionately.
"You know how love you!"
She was silent, and, walking away
from him, picked up a book, and open
ed it.
He glanced at her for a moment,
then the look of entreaty on his face
changed to hard smile, and he left
the room.
For whole month Laura remained
at Tankerlane Court She was rarely
seen outside the house, and never out.
side the grounds. Her father was the
only visitor that she ever received,
and, though she welcomed his visits as
relief from the monotony of her life
life, she never opened her heart to
him, and the old man prayed in vain
for some softening influence on the
In the neighborhood it was rumored
that Lady Tankerlane's mind had be-
come unhinged by the death of her
child. It was only natural that she
should cut herself off from all society;
but the servants gossip had revealed
a most unnatural state of affairs at
| Tankerlane Court 1t was reported
that Sir William Tankerlane and his
wife never met, and lived separate
| lives in the same house. That this
should be the case in the face of the
recent sad event which ought to have
drawn husband and wife more closely
together, set many tongues wagging.
And Lady Tankerlane formed staple
subject of conversation, both at the
dinner tables Of the rich and in the
public houses Of the entire district.
There's something at the bottom of
all this was the verdict among her
social equals.
"'Tis the judgment of the Lord,
was the opinion of the lower classes,
who are always well informed as to
the intentions of the Almighty.
my poor child" cried old Sam
Vane, in the silence and solitude, Of his
home. "Oh Lord, hare mercy on her
in her hour of trouble
But Laura herself lived her own dull
monotonous life, as though every min,
ute of it were task that she had 10
perform against ,-er will Dreary day
succeeded dreary day, and the only
! hours of peace were the hours OF
sleep. Remorse, regret, bitterness OF
| spirit, rebellion against the world and