Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-07-25

&. - 80 E-S
mad felt for many months, he told
himself that health, in a sense, was as
contagious as disease. The Forest was
a mighty concrete example of regen-
Grafton. Outside, silence seemed to
encompass all things, merely because
ms ears were too dull to register a
million subtle vibrations. But the
great cleansing forces of Nature never
rested day or night. The foulest
stream, percolating through a
few yards of gravel, became pure
and limpid: the rotting leaf was alb
sorbed by the vigorous new growth:
the first law of life, this, but a law
he had never applied to himself.
Three days later he was introduced
to Joy by Burgess, with whom he had
been walking round the golfcourse.
The girl was coming out of the club
house as the men were entering. From
the tone of the young fellows voice,
Hugo knew he had been the subject of
discussion between Burgess and Joy.
Instinctively, also, he was aware that
the girl might be jealous of his inter
course with her cousin: an intercourse
likely to become intimate. AS soon
as his eyes met hers, he noticed a
curious expression of interrogation,
partly physical, for lid was slight
ly thicker than the other.
Here was a young lady who asked
questions and would insist upon an
swers. At the same time, Hugo was
struck by the informing sweetness and
serenity of her face. Like many other
men of his age and experience, he had
some to distrust mere beauty, ever to
l 6iS1ilyo ~ rrhO,, r,,1-.f e1yt,, Iann #EE FL
Comparing Angela with Joy-and a
man has always n specimen woman
with whom he compares others-Hugo
decided that Joy was not a beauty,
according to the Mayfair standard. At
a ball or reception, at any indoor func-
ton, the world would stare at Angela
and fail to notice Joy. Here, in the
Forest, the two would meet on better
terms, but, yer here. to the super
fetal eye, Angela would reveal herself
az the lovely siren, and Joy as the
"~nice-looking" girl.
She was tall and slenderly built. And
she moved with that delightfully."- free,
easy step which is a sure Indication
of health. Her skin was fine in tex
ture, and d%elicately tinted by wind
and sun Angela possessed that won
derful warm, white complexion, re-
garded as exotic in England, which
suggests the dollhouse, and, possibly,
treatment by a masseuse. joys face
reminded n of a field that the Lord
had blessed and then washed with
dew.
They shook hands. Joy asked the
eternal question long absent
from the lips of a Forester:
rs this your first visit to the For
ESTE"
yes. Everybody here speaks of it
as the Forest
She laughed.
NATURALLY; it is the one and only
to us. You have seen other forests,
perhaps9 Yes. Don't you think this is
the most beautiful of them all?"
Hugo hesitateG. He was tempted
to tease her; she looked so eager and
SO competent to champion anything or
anybody she loved.
There is Fontainebleau-'
"a French forest!"
Have you been to Fontainebleau,
Miss Vennable?"
I've never been out of England, but
Fontainebleau-- see languishing
ladies in powder and patches, calva-
liers in white-silk stockings, when l
think of Fontainebleau."
Fontainebleau was in existence be-
fore Vatican and Lancret. l a as
sure you"
eff you value your life--' She
hesitated. reflected, perhaps, that she
was going too fast with this stranger,
of whom she knew nothing except that
Esme Burgess had described him as
"an awfully interesting fellow, who
looks as if he'd had a knock.
Perhaps l don't" said Hugo.
eff you do, be careful what you say
about our Forest. Goodbye. Good
bye, Esme. Remember that you are
lunching with us the day after tomor-
row."
She moved swiftly away. Both men
watched her till she was lost in the
dip of the road, which descended
sharply to Hernshaw Parva.
That's the best and prettiest girl
in England said Burgess with sol
emnity. "And the more you see of
her, the more you'll like her. Mark my
words!"
Hugo nodded. An impulse urged
him to tell Burgess his real name.
But an inevitable repugnance to speak
of the past rose up and strangled this
impulse. He had not sought the ac-
quaintance of Joy. A formal intro
duction might mean anything or moth
ing. He would see that it meant
nothing.
'I've talked to my cousin about
YOU" he heard Burgess saying. And
l told her hat she wouldn't dare to
ride roughshod over you, as she does
over me-"
ride roughshod? She has the kind.
est face
"AIl the same she tramples ruthless
ly upon some of my opinions. She'll
go 'canny' with YOU
Hugo answered indifferently.
Miss Vennable and | are not likely
to see much of each other"
"You seem to forget that you're her
parishioner. When l want to make
her angry l call her the parson in
p%etticoats. She knows everybody in
Hernshaw Parva and HernshaH
Magma, and she rules them with that