Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-05-06

Ing. You are too sensible man 10
fall in love with shadow, a mask.
Your fancy has been trapped, that is
all. One does not fall in love that
way
You ought to know" with side
long glance at Sandford.
AS her glance followed his. hers
grew warm and kindly. Sandford, by
chance meeting the look, smiled back
across the room This little by-play
filed Hillard with sense of envy
and loneliness. At three-and-thirty a
bachelor realizes that there is some
thing else in life besides business and
travel.
TT is quite useless to ask who she
is?" he inquired of his hostess.
quite useless"
"She is married."
Certainly have not said so.'
He fiicked the ash from his cigar
ette. What was the use Of trying to
trap a woman into saying what she
did not propose to say?
Have you those letters?"
"One of them I'll show YOU
s'Why not the other?"
"1t would be wasting time. 1t
merely relates to your adventure. She
sailed the day after you dined with
her"
"That accounts for the shutters.
The police and the caretaker were
bribed"
81 suspect they were"
IF l were a vain man, and yon
know l am not. I might ask you if
she spoke well of me in this letter.
Understand. am not inquiring.'
But you put the question as adrot
ly as woman We are sure of van
ity always. Yes, she spoke of you
She found you to be an agreeable
gentleman. But" with gentle malice,
"she did not say that she wished she
had met you years ago, under more
favorable circumstances, or that she
! liked your eyes, which are really fine
ones"
He had to join in her laughter.
Come, give me the death.strol7e
and have don with it. Tell me what
you care, and I'll be content with it. s"
She opened her handkerchief purse
and delved among the various articles
therein
81 expected that you would be ask
ing questions, so I came prepared.
did not tell my husband for that very
reason. He would have insisted upon
knowing everything. Here, read this
i 1t is only a glimpse"
; He searched eagerly for the sigma
i ture.
Don't bother, she said. "TnS
/ name is only nickname we gave hel
5 at school"
r "school? 10 you mean to tell mt
that Won went to school with her
r Where,
, "In PENNSYLVANIA first; then II
' Milan. Read
t o Cara Mia-If only you knew how
sorry am to miss you! Why mus
t you sail at once? Why not come ,t
my beautiful Venice? True, l coult
3 not entertain you as in the days o
my good father But I have SO mucl
to say to you that can lot be written
You ask about the adventure. Pouf
9 goes my little dream Of greatness. ]
: was blank failure. Much as kneH
!, about Italy I could not know every
;, thing. The officials put unheard Of OF
v stacles in our path The contract
. were utterly disregarded. In the frs
;. place, we had not purchased our cos
tunes and scenery in Italy.
y sought the signature again. Mrs
II Sandford was staring at the moonl
bay.
d That poor manager! And that poe
man who advanced the money! The
forgot that the booking is as nothin,
the jncidentals everything. The bas
e of all the trouble was a clerk in tn
W consulate at Naples. He wrote I
that there would be no duties on co
tunes and scenery Alas! the man
r ger and his hacker are on the way
America sadder and wiser men. W
surrendered our return tickets to tt
- - chorus and sent them home. The re-
of us are stranded-is not that tt
word ?-here in Venice, waiting i
money from home. If were alone,
e. would be highly amusing; but thes
le poor people with me! There is on
" one way | can help them, but the
never. You recollect that my person
= income is quarterly and it will be tV
months before I shall have funds.
= could get it advanced but | dare ne
VI Nv COMPANIONS haven't the least i'd
) who I am: to them am one Of Il
profession. So here we all are wa
n; n, dering nbout the Piazza San Mart
~ calling at Cocks everyday in hopes
money and occasionally risking
ny n ,rE in corn fnr III" doves. q
staying with my nurse, my mothe
maid. in the Campo Santa Maria Fl
ls mosa, near our beloved Santa b
:. bara Very quietly have guarante
iei the credit of my unfortunate co
- panions, and thev believe that Vel
ae' tians are very generous people. G.
erous. Think of It. Come 70 Veni
dear; it Is all nonsense that you mi
40 return to America. Perhaps You
as wonder how I dared appear on
stage in Italy. A black wig and
'ne theatrical makeup; these were su
cient. A duke sent me an invitat1
to take supper wl.h him, as If W.
a ballerina, I selt one OF the Amt
can chorus girls, 4 little mink
mischief She ate his supper, {
then rar away I understand that
was furious. Only {; few mon
we'd more, Nell, and then ! may come {
per &c as please. Come to Venice
'a,,o 'pva Capriccioss
80 Willard did not stir Another la