Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
CHAPTE XXI (Continued)

marksmen from the range were re-
turning cityward They were dirty and
tired. yet none seemed disconnected
with his lot They passed in haze
of dust.
The man and woman resumed their
chairs, and Hillard bent his head over
the cup and stared at the circling tea
grounds in the bottom. The move
ment gave her the opportunity she de-
sired: to look freely and without let
at his shapely head. Day after day,
serene and cloudless Florentine days,
this same scene or its like had been
enacted. 1t took all her verbal skill to
play this game safely; hundred
times she saw something in his eyes
that warned her and armed her. When
he passed that evening on horseback
she knew that these things were to be.
She had two battles where he had only
one; for she had herself to war
against. Each night after he had
gone she fought with innocent desire;
argument after argument she offered
in defense. But these were all use
less; she must send him away. And
yet, when he came. as she knew he
would, she offered him tea! And in
rebellion she asked, Why not? What
harm, what evil? Was it absolutely
necessary that she should let all pleas
ure pass, thrust it aside? The suf-
fering she had known, would not that
be sufficient penance for this little
sin? But on his side. was this being
fair to him? This man loved her, and
she knew it. Up to this time he had
met her but twice, and yet he loved
her, incredible as it seemed. And
though he never spoke Of this love
with his lips, he was always looking it
with his eyes; and she was always
looking into his eyes.
She never looked into her own
heart; wisely she never gave rein TO
self-analysis; she dared not. And SO
she drifted on, as in some sunny
dream of remote end.
How inexplicable were the currents
and cross-currents of life! She had
met a thousand men, handsomer,
more brilliant; they had not awak-
ened more than normal interest. And
yet this man, quiet, humorous, ordi-
narily good-looking, aroused in ner
hear discord and penetrated the bar
riers to the guarded sentiment. Why?
Always this query. Perhaps, after all,
1t was simply the initial romance
which made the impression so last
ing. All, we'll; tomorrow or the next
day the end would come; so it did not
matter.
There was one bit of light in this
labyrinth: Worth had spoken; that
disagreeab1e incident was closed. And
this present dream, upon what reef
would it carry her? She shrugged
This action brought Hillard back to
earth. for he, too, had been dreaming.
He raised his head.
why did you do that?" he asked.
''Do what?"
"Shrug."
did shrug? l did so unconscious
ly Perhaps was thinking of O'Mally
and his flock Of tourists.
Doesn't it annoy your
mot in the least. 1t has been a
fine comedy believe he Is the most
accomplished prevaricator ever met.
He remembers the lie of yesterday
and keeps adding to 1t. I don't see
how he manages to do it. He Is better
than Pietro. Pietro used to bring
them into the house" She gathered
up handful of the roses and pressed
them against her face, breathing
deeply.
Hillard trembled. She was SO beau
tiful; the glow of the roses on her
cheeks and throat, the sun in her hair,
and the shadows in her eyes. To
smother the rush of words which were
gathering at his lips, he raised his cup
l. II txroc cnr C.
thing. But the battle was wearing;
the ceaseless struggle not to speak
from his full heart was weakening
him. Yet he knew that to speak was
to Danish the dream, himself to be
tanished with it.
IF were poet, which am not
He paused irresolutely.
you would extemporize on the
beauty of the perspective she sup.
plementsd. How the DuSmo shines!
And the towers, and the Afno-"
| II was thinking of your hair he
interrupted. Il have never seen any.
thing quite like it. II isn't wig is
| it?" jestingly.
NO it is my own" with an answer
ing smile.
"An, that night! 1t is true, as you
said; it is impossible to forget the
| charm of it."
She had recourse to the roses again
| Dangerous ground.
"You have not told me the real
reason why you sang under my win
dow that night"
Have l not? Well, then, there car
be no harm in telling you that.
! had just signed the contract to sire
with the American Comic Opera com
pany in Europe. saw the world a
my feet, for it would be false modestl
TO deny that L have voice. More
disiliusions! The world is not at m!
feet lightly.
But am" he replied quietly.
! She passed this declaration. .
might have more successfully applied
to the grand opera in New York; bu
my ambition was TO sing here first"
But in comic oDera?"
Another hlunder, common of ii:
kind to me. Have not told you tina
am always making missteps such a.
have no retraclng?"
will you answer single ques
TOM"