Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-22
the two arrived at the steps the WON

the two arrived at the steps the wom-
an turned.
What is it you wish?' she asked.
There was not the slightest agitation
in her voice. there was not even cur
iosity.
"one look at your face" he an
swered simply.
She slowly removed her veil. Then,
for the first time, he looked upon the
face of this woman who had burdened
his dreams. The face was not like any
he had conjured It seemed to him
that Vecchio's- Paola Vecchios
Barbara had stepped down from her
frame; beauty, tranquil, dawless beau
ty. A minute passed; he was incap-
able of speech, he could only look.
"Well?" she said, in the same ex-
pressionless tone.
Let US begin at the beginning, he
replied, with an effort to initiate the
evenness of her tone.
Since this is to be the end
why did you answer my personal
in the first place? Why did you not ig-
more it? l should have been left in
peace"
An impulse of the moment, which
shall always regret
why did you let it go so far as to
permit me to dine with you that mem
orable night?'
"a second impulse, equally regret
table"
And why, after all had come to an
apparent end, why did you send me
that mask"
She did not answer at once.
''Why?" he repeated.
st is unanswerable Truthfully, I
do not know
Have you thought what all this
might mean to me?" with warmth.
Again she was silent, but her eyes
did not waver
when I heard your voice tonight
I know that doubt was no longer in
my heart"
3tDoubt?"
Eyes, doubt. knew then that the
inexplicable had happened
81 do not understand
"The inexplicable. For who will
believe that it is possible for sane
man to fall in love with a voice? Had
your face been SCARED, as once sus
pected; had you committed some
crime, it would not matter. am mad
He laughed angrily. Eyes. l love you
knowing not what you are nor caring
/ have been mad for weeks, only l did
not see my madness in true colors til
this moment
The light seemed to bother her eyes
for she turned her head aside, givins
this mad lover the exquisite profile
of her face.
sYou are indeed mad, or rather
your Jest is"
would to Heaven I were testing
And why did you avoid me in Monte
Carlo?"
She realized that there was some
justice in his questions and that sh,
was not altogether innocent of thu
cause of his madness, if it were that
II did not speak to you because
wished to avoid this very moment. Blu
since it was destined to be- let us hav
done What other question would 70
ask. MI Hillard?"
:. who is that mantle italian wit
! the scar-who ran after you tina
night?"
Il will not answer that
GA lady. Grace of Mary. that
drolr!"
why do you say that?'
ST am only quoting the man wit
the scar. Those were the words h
, used in regard to YOU
Perhaps he is right perhaps / al
not lady, according to his lights
) But she laughed
t "Do not laugh like that! What yo
are or have been, or might have bee
. to him, is nothing to me. Only one ia,
/ remains clear. and that is, that I 10y
!; YOU
! 'FNo, Mr.. Hillard, you are only e
cited You have been letting your il
q agination run away with YOU Be Sc
$ sible. Listen. You know nothing of me
!. you have neither my name nor N
q past-nothing. l may in truth be ever
n thing undesirable
"Not to me-