Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-27

see why she won't marry me now.
She's got to, some time or other"
You must have patience"
COR more money Can't O'Mally tell
a good story. thought"
Good company, too; but I should
hate to turn him loose in my wine
| cellars. l imagine that he's not a
| connoisseur and will praise anything
that's good to drink, unless it's wa
| ter"
Merrihew roared.
well here's your station, Dan. You
go home like good boy. Shall see
you tomorrow :"
"Eight-thirty in the park Gallop off
headache. Nothing like horse for a
headache. Good night"
Merrihew climbed the elevated
stairs and vanished. Hillard arrived
home tired and sleepy; but as he saw
a letter on the stand in the hall, his
drowsiness passed quickly There was
no other blue envelope like It, She
now had his house address; she was
interested enough to look it up. She
did not follow his lead and write in
| Italian: she wrote in English-crisp
! English, too. Again there was Meth
er beginning nor ending. But this
was letter; there was something
here of the woman, something to read
and read again.
l had told the maid to burn your
letter. But she left it on the floor
where I had thrown it, and l came
across it this morning. 1t looked rath-
er pathetic. So I am writing you
against my better Judgment. Yes, ]
know your name: I find that I am
well acquainted with people you know.
am woman who often surrenders
to the impulse of the moment; may
or may not answer any future letter
| from you. You write very good Itaf-
ian; but it will surprise you to learn
that detest all things that are Ital-
ian. Once I loved them we'll. Why
should YOU wish to know me? Our
ways are as divergent as the two
poles. Happy because sing? There
are some things over which we can
| sing or laugh, but of which we can not
speak without crying. Happy or I'M
happy what can this matter to you?
To you I shall always remain the
Lady in the Fog. Are~you rich, young.
talented? care not in the least. Per
haps 1t amuses me to add to your con-
fusion. Find me? I think not. Seek
me? Do SO; I permit you tos And
would you know me If you found me?
Misguided energy!
| Hillard put the letter away extin-
guished the lights and passed up 70
! This was g. direct, challenge. He
/ T.,
use no personal to tell her that let.
ter awaited her. She should make
the inquiries herself. And from the
mail clerk he would obtain descrip-
ton of the elusive Madame Angot.
Next morning he rode in the park
with Merrihew. Again he saw the
yelled lady on the Sanford black. Out
OF normal curiosity he telephoned the
stables and made inquiries. The reply
was short No one at the stables
knew the lady on the Sanford black.
Out of normal curiosity he telephoncd
the stables and made inquiries. The
reply was short. No one at the stables
knew the lady, but she rode the horse
on property authority.
That. night he wrote:
| I shall keep on writing till you
cease to reply. Let me be frank with
you. l am bored; so are you. The
pleasure you derive in keeping up this
mystery engages you. You
bid me to find you. accept the chal
lenge. You must understand at once
that it is the mystery that interests
me. 1t is the unknown that attracts
me. I am mentally painting you in Ill
| Iofx me
to find you, There Is nothing so reli
able as the unexpected, nothing SC
desperately uncertain as thing as
sured l warn you that I shall lay
all manner Of traps, waylay your mes.
sengers, bride them. I shall find out
where you live. The rest will be sim
pie.
She replied
j have no desire to alleviate your
confessed boredom. Your persistence
would be praiseworthy if we'll direct
ed Waters wear away stone. the
wind crumbles the marble, but a
woman is not moved till she wishes
to be. never thought that I should
dabble in an intrigue of this sort, and
am surprised at the amusement il
affords me. l really owe you some
gratitude. The few l have met who
know you tell me that you are a
mice young man"
He rebelled at the adjective. Every
man has some portion of self-love. Sc
his next effort was passionate de
NAL that he was nice. When should
he meet her? The postman brought
him a letter which contained one
word-Nimmer! He sent her four
pages, frank and witty description
Of himself and friends. his past and
some of theirs.
On the, day she received this letter
a cablegram came to her from the ia,
Mediterranean. Whatever it contain
ed had the effect to cause all restraint
to disappear from the tone of her let
tiers. They became charming; and
more and more Hillard found himsel
loving voice. All his watching, al
his traps, came to no successful end
She was too clever for him. He sougn
the mail department of the grea'
newspaper; the clerk couldn't remem
Der, there were so many calling fol
mail. Letters passed to and fro daily
: | M l,Jf 1uyo chr 1,oA