Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-08-02

stronger man than am to hold 1t to-
gether. I merely gathered It; he must
keep it. You haven't qualified In
either respect yet"
Mildred had interrupted petulantly
"Oh, this endless chatter of money!
1t Is disgusting. only wish we we're
poor. Instead Of blessing, our wealth
is an unmitigated curse--a terrible,
exhausting burden. I hear Of nothing
else from morning till night. 1t gives
us no pleasure, nothing but care and
worry and-wrinkles. ! can do with.
out horses and motors and maids. and
all that. want to live. really to
live" She had arisen and gone over
to Boyd, laying her hand upon his
shoulder 81 will give 1t all UP. Let
us try to be happy without it"
1t had been tense moment for
both men. Their eyes had met
defiantly. bat reading in the fathers
face the contempt that waited upon
an unmanly uecision, Boyd's pride
stood up stiffly.
No." he replied. Il can't let you do
that Not yet, anyhow. Mr.. Wayland
Is right, in way. If he had not been
SO decent would have married you
anyhow, but | am indebted 20 him
He has shown me lot more of your
life than knew before. and he has
made his word good. am going to
ask you to wait, however; for quite a
while 1t may be. am going to take
gamblers chance
What is it,"
"a gold strike has been made in
Alaska"
'Alaska!"
yes! The Klondike. You have
read of 1t? am told that the
chances there are like those in the
days of 40, and am going"
So 1t was that he had made his
choice, fixing his own time for return
Ing, and so 1t was that Mildred Way.
land had awaited him.
If today, after three years of de,
privation, she seemed to him more
beautiful than ever-the interval hav.
ing served merely to enhance her
charm and strengthen the yearning
OF his heart-she seemed in the same
view still futher removed from his
sphere. More reserved. more digni-
fled, In the reserve Of developed
Womanhood, her cession was the more
gracious and wonderful
His stork finished, Boyd went on to
tell her vaguely of his future plans
and at last he asked her, with some.
thing less than an accepted lovers
confidence:
Will you wait another year?"
She laughed lightly. you dear boy
am not up for auction. This is not
the third and last CALL 1 am not sure
could induce anybody to take me
even if desired"
II read the rumor Of your engage
ment in back number Of San
Francisco paper. Is your retinue as
large as ever?"
She smiled indifferently. ut alters
with the season, but I believe the
general average is about the same
You know most Of them" She men
toned number of names, counting
them off on her fnger-tips. Then, O
course. there are the old standbys
Mr.. Macklin, Tommy Turner the Law
ton boys
"And Alton Clyde!"
ITO be sure; little Alton, like the
brook, runs on forever. He still wor
ships you, Boyd, by the way
"And there are others?"
"a few"
"Who?"
Nobody you know"
ANY one in Particular" Boyd de
manded, with lovers instance.
Miss 5Wayland's hesitation was sc
brief as almost to escape his notice
Nobody who counts. OF course, father
has his predictions and insists upor
engineering my affairs in the same
way he would float a railroad enter
prise, but you can imagine how roma
tic the result is."
"Who is the favored party?" the
young man asked, darkly. But she
arose to push back the heavy draper
les and gaze for a moment out into the
deepening twilight. When she an
swered. it was in tone of ordinary
Indifference.
Really is isn't worth discussing.
shall not marry until am ready, and
the subject bores me-" An instant
later she turned to regard him with
direct eyes.
do you remember when offered
10 give IL Ill ny anu 81 Will yOu
Boyd?" $50. =. !,
slant"
"You refused to allow It,"
Certainly! had seen too much
Of your life, and my pride figured a
bit, ALSO"
.Do you still feel the same way?
her eyes searched his face rather an
xiously.
IL do! It is even more impossible
now than then. am utterly out OF
touch with this environment. My
work will take me back where you
could not go-into land you would
dislike, among people you could not
understand. No; we did quite the
sensible thing"
She sighed gratefully and settled
~ W n ~