Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-08


voice it. And she was waiting for him
up there. How would she greet him,
knowing that nothing would have
brought him to her side but the hope
of love? With buoyant step he turned
by the porter's lodge and strobe down
the broad roadway to the villa, deep
ening green arch above him.
Handsome he was not; he was more.
With his thin, high-bred face, his fine
eyes, his slender, graceful figure, he
presented that type of gentleman to
whom all women pay unconscious hon.
age, whether low-born or high, and in
whom the little child places its trust
and confidence.
He arrived shortly. AS he entered
the glass-inclosed corridor the con-
cierge rose from his chair and bowed.
Hillard inclined his head and went on.
There was no one in the dining room
In the restaurant there was no one
but lonely Russian countess, who
had spent part of the year at the villa
for more than decade. He dotted
his hat as he passed through the room
and gained the picturesque terrace.
Afar he saw table spread under the
gazing down the winding terraces to-
ward the Lecco. 1t was still daylight.
and he would have known that head
of hair among the ten thousand houris
of heaven. Softly, softly! he murmured
to his heart, now become insurgent
Whatever may have been the dream
she was following, she dismissed It
upon hearing his step, strangely famil-
lar. She did not rise, but she extended
her hand, grave inquiry in her slum-
brous eyes. With equal gravity he
clasped her hand, but held back the
impulse to kiss it, He was not quite
sure of himself just then. He sat down
opposite her and, smiling, whimsically
inquired:
Nov, where did we leave OFF,"
At first she did not understand
He enlightened her. 81 refer to that
Arabian Nights entertainment in New
York. Where did we leave off that in
teresting discussions
She smiled brightly. 1--WE shall take
up the thread Of that discourse with
the coffee"
''Why not codntermand the order
for dinner? 1 am not hungry"
But I am" she replied. She was
wholly herself now. The tact with
which he began his address disembar-
rassed her. For two days, since she
despatched the telegram, she had
lived in a kind of ecstatic terror; she
had even regretted the message, once
it was beyond recall. 81 am human
enough to be hungry sometimes" She
summoned the waiter.
The dinner was excellent, but Hill
lard scarcely knew what this or that
plate was. All his hunger lay in his
eyes. Besides. he did not want to dis
cuss generalities during the intermit-
tent invasions of the waiter, who
never knew how many times he stood
in danger Of being hurled into the
Towering beds Of lavender which
banked the oath of the second terrace.
And when he brought the coffee and
fingered for further orders, it was
Hillard who dismissed him, rather
curtly.
"Now! Let me see,' he said mus
ingly. 1--WE had agreed that it would be
best never to meet again, that to keep
the memory of that night fresh in our
minds, souvenir for old age, 1t were
wisest to part then. Well, we can keep
the memory Of it for our old age; 1t
will be little secret between us, and
we shall talk it over on just such
nights as this
isn't this oak the most beautiful
you have ever SEEM she remarked,
looking up at the great leafy arms
above her head.
1.-THE most beautiful in all the
world; but he was not looking at the
oak.
Think Of 1t! It's many centuries
old. Empires and kingdoms have risen
and vanished It was here when Mi
chelangelo and Raphael and Titan
were ragamuffins in the populous
streets; it was leafing when Petrarch
indited pages to mis- Laura; when
Dante gazed Mechanically upon his
Beatrice oh! what little time we
have!"
he said.
He reached for her hand, which lay
upon the cover; but, without apparent
notice of his movement she drew
back her hand.
II have waited patiently for
weeks"
She faced him with an enigmatical
smile, lighted match, blew it out,
and drew line across the center Of
the table.
He laughed. what, again."
observe"
"Why, there is break in it," eager
ly and joyously.
She leaned over. $50 there Isl; but
there was no surprise in her voice.
SIS it possible for me to come
through?"
"There is one way"
'tPut the caskets before me, Portia;
shall not be less wise than Bas-
sanio"
She touched her lips with the
knuckle of a finger, in mood re-
Elective. "a camel and the needles
eye"
THAT referred to the rich man. All
the world loves a lover, even the SOL
emn old prophets"
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