Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-10

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beheld what he would have given half
his mighty fortune to prevent He
cried out angrily, but she anticipated
his thought
| "No, no, you must never injure him
again, for he was right and we were
wrong. You see couldn't under
stand"
He left her staring into the night,
and walked heavily below.
Emerson felt great sense of relief
and deliverance as he leaned against
his oars. His heart sang to the muir
muir of the waters overside; for the
first time in many months he felt
young and free. How blind he had
been and how narrow had been his
escape from life that could lead TO
but one result! The girl was sweet
and good and wonderful in many
ways, but-three years had altered
him more than he had realized. He
had begun to understand himself that
very afternoon when Cherry had told
| him her own unhappy secret. The
|
him from his dream, and once he be-
gan to see himself as he really was
the rest had come quickly. He mad
been doubtful even when he went out
to the yacht, but what happened there
had destroyed the last trace OF uncer-
tainty. He knew that for him there was
but one woman In all the world. II was
no easy battle he had fought with him.
self. He had been reared to respect
the conventions, and he knew that
Cherry's llie had not been all he could
wish. But he fronted the issue square.
I ~, and tried to throttle his inbred
prejudice. Although he had felt the
truth of Fraser's arguments and VI
Cherry's own words, he had still re-
fused to yield until his love for the
girl swept over him in all Its power;
then he made his choice.
The one thing he found most dill
cult to accept was her conduct with
billiard. Those other charges against
the girl were vague and shadowy, but
this was concrete, and he was familiar
with every miserable detail Of 1T. It
took all his courage to face it, but he
swore savagely that II the conditions
had been reversed, Cherry would not
have faltered for an instant. More
over, what she had done had been for
love of him; it was worse than vile to
hesitate. Her past was her own, and
all he could rightfully claim was her
future. He shut his teeth and laid his
course resolutely for her landing,
striving to leave behind this one hid
eous memory, centering his mind upon
the girl herself and shutting out her
mast. It was the bitterest fight he had
ever waged; but when he reached the
! shore and tied his skiff, he was exalted
by the knowledge that he had triumph
ed. that this painful episode was locked
away with all the others.
Now that he had conquered, he was
filled with a consuming eagerness. AS
he stole up through the shadows he
heard her playing, and when he drew
nearer he recognized the notes OF that
song that had banished his own black
desolation on the night of their first
meeting. He paused outside the open
window and saw by the shaded lamp
light that she was playing from mem
ory, her fingers wandering over the
keyboard without conscious effort.
Then she took up the words with all
the throbbing tenderness that lives IN
deep, contralto voice:
"Last night 1 was dreaming Of thee,
love-was dreaming;
l dreamed thou didst promise
Cherry paused as It entranced, Tor
she thought she heard another voice
ioin with hers; then she bowed her
head and sobbed in utter wretched,
ness, knowing it for nothing more than
I her own fancy. Too many times, as IN
other twilights past, she had heard
that mellow voice blend with hers,
only to find that her ears had played
! her false and she was alone with
memory that would never die.
OF. all the Jays of her life this was
the saddest. this hour the loneliest,
and the tears she had withheld so
bravely as long as there was work 10
do came now in unbidden profusion.
TO face those people on the yacht
had been an act Of pure devotion to
BOYD. for her every instinct had re-
belled against it; yet she had known
that some desperate stroke in his de-
tense must be delivered instantly. 9th
erwise the ruin of all his hopes would
follow. She had hit upon the device
Of using Constantine and Chakawana
largely by chance, for not until the pre-
vio,ls day had she learned the truth.
She had not dared to hope for such un-
qualified success, nor had she foreseen
the tragic outcome. She had simply
carried her plan through to it's natural
conclusion. Now that her work was
done. she gave way completely and
wept like little girl. He was out there
now with his love. They would never
waste a thought upon that other girl
who had made their happiness pos
sible. The thought was almost more
than she could bear. Never again
could she have Boyd to herself, never
enjoy his careless friendship as OF old;
even that was over, now that he knew
the truth.
The first and only kiss he had ever
given her burned fresh upon her lips
She recalled that evening they had
spent alone in this very room, when ne
had seemed to waver and her hopes
had risen at the dawning of new light
in his eyes. At the memory, she cried
aloud. as if her heart would break: