Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-20

SStd iOthSu seventeen W Ndy
blossom, a veritable nymph of spring,
fresh from bath of morning dew.
Hugo laughed
1T was disgraceful, unpa: donable,
even if we admit the provocation, and
perhaps the one exhibition of emotion
for which Angela was unprepared.
Lady Barnbog1e had hurtled texts at
her; John, the brute! had used Ian
guage heard upon the towpath; poor
young Tressilian had blubbered.
"How dare you laugh?'
II beg your pardon said Hugo,
''but you did overrate my intelligence.
ought to have foreseen that you
would find somebody else. Who is he?"
81 am going back to John. He loves
me, he has been very kind; have
suffered horribly-please don't look so
incredulous-an have had to think
of Poppet, darling little innocent! i
have forgiven John-And he has for
given me-
The phrases were spoken with odd
intermittencies of silence. Then Hugo
said stupidity:
you are going back to joint"
The thing was so obvious, SO amaz-
ingly a propos, so simple, that he
gasped Then, pulling himself together
he said with becoming gravity: "From
the bottom of my heart l congratulate
both of you"
He stood up Angela bit her lip; the
blush became a flush; she seemed to
lose the babyish, innocent expression.
A woman of thirty said viciously, with
a sharp intake of breath
81 know you were always absolutely
heartless."
And an ass. What an ass I have
been! Call me every name you can lay
your tongue to-
Instantly, her eyes softened, for she
saw that he was angry; tribute she
expected, and without which she
would have been miserable. How an.
cry he was, she did not divine. His
anger welled up slowly with the ma
tural forces so long suppressed behind
it, and in front Of it, restraining IT,.
the artificial forces which we cali con-
vention, good breeding, and gentle
manly forbearances.
This thing had stood between him
and happiness; this counterfeit pre-.
sentiment Of women, this rag and a
hank of hair" How agreeable it would
be to kill her, to take her white neck
between his hands, and with inexor-
able gentleness wiring the life out of
her! And then, afterwards, to put her
| into a cardboard box lined with tissue
paper. with pink frills at the edge Of
and dispatch it, sealed and registered
to John. Lightpastry- This side up
With Care!
"You are furious" she murmured,
land though you would be SO glad.
She eyed him gratefully For an aw-
full moment she had feared that her
power over men had ceased Hugo felt
his anger oozing from him. She was
right. He ought to be glad, he was
! glad; she had severed his chains, en-
franchised slave But for the moment
he had not grasped this. Horror and
rage possessed him, because at last he
had recognized in her one of those
terrible, inhuman, vampire-like mon
sters, who, assuming the guise of fair
women, lure men to their arms and
destroy them.
He went slowly to the door.
AS before, upon the threshold she
called him back, unwilling that he
thought that she was losing irrevoca
bly, something she had once possessed
Hugo she said piteously, "are you
going without a word? didn't mean
to be cross. have tried, indeed
have, to act for the best. And we have
been so much to each other" Her
voice melted into sob. Then she fin
ished the phrase: Nothing can wipe
out that, can it?'
Nothing" said Hugo grimly.
won't you take my hand, say good
bye kindly. and wish me well?"
as it possible that you ask me tc
take your hand?"
"How hard you are!'
He took her hand, regarding 1t cur
, iously.
Hard and heartless- Ell? There
was a time when this hand of yours
held me and all had in the hollow Of
it, Because Of that do wish you well.
Something in his glance must have
frightened her, for she lowered hel
eyes and let him go without another
word With a faint sigh of relief she
reflected that if she had lost a friend
she had not made an enemy.
Hugo hurried INTO Inc Park, ana sal
down upon bench near the Serpen
tine He was sensible that he hac
wished to kill woman at the mo
ment when she was doing him an un
expected and incalculable service
, WHY didn't he go down on his knee.
and thank her? The animosity dice
Out of him. He blamed himself no
. her. What glamor had she cast, wha
sorceries had she used? Not till toda.
Z. had he seen her exactly as she was.
: There is one greater fool than I IL
England" he reflected, "and his nami
: is john"
D Then he remembered Lady Barn
Il bogles enigmatical smile.
= ITO be Continued.)
Abba.