Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-22


was saying 1t was awfully brave OF
her to do 1t, but how could she? Why,
If had been In such. a position just
thinking what it would have meant to
him, l know couldn't have made q
sound!"
well, If could wouldn't have!"
1t was Laura speaking with great bit
terness. 1t wasn't as II she had to tell.
She was the only one In the city who
saw 1t. No one would have known any
thing II only she had held her tongue
"Oh, but" Estrella broke in, in q
deprecating voice, lit was an awful
thing he did!"
ooh, was it?" Laura retorted scorn.
fully. Lots Of men do the same thing
and aren't so very bad and lots more
would do 1t IL they dared. Just because
he is handsomer and Drawer and has
higher temper than most, lots OF peo-
pie hate him. And because Ellie Fen
wick is little and looks young, and
every one was saying how pale and
pathetic she looked and how convinc-
ing 1t was, the way she told her story,
oh, heard the talk all around the
court room she just worked on the
sympathies OF the jury! 1t wasn't JUS
| tice that convicted him! It was Ellie
Fenwick!"
| sat perfectly still, grasping my cold
| little Ice cream plate in one hand, not
hearing anything more, not even
seeming to think, until heard Jack
Tracy's voice beside me.
| Good Heavens! what's the matter?'
And then, calling out in absurd alarm,
| Don't faint, don't faint"
Il am not going to faint" | said,
Though had very strange feeling OF
floating, and his face looked q little
misty to me- II want to go home. Get
me a cariage!"
but you're Ill! Let me call Estrel-
la" N
caught hold OF his sleeve. Don't
say word to her. Don't dare, promise
me-" 1 shook his sleeve fiercely. He
looked quite scared. Get me car,
rage said, "and mind you don't say
anything to any one until have gone.
Then you can tell Estrella that was
feeling i'll and decided to go home"
4 CHAPTER X.
! A Light In the Dark.
! Fortunately it was late, after mid
night, and few early ones, dragged
away by their fathers and mothers,
were already going; and muffled in my
long cloak and lace scarf managed
to slip out In the wake of group OF
these hoping they would not notice
my being alone-and into my carriage,
evading Jacks inslstence that he must
see me home by shutting the door IN
his face.
| AS the carriage went laboring on
down the dark hill crouched in heap
on the seat. If Estrella and Laura had
Eseized me by the shoulders and bodily
| thrust me out of doors could not have
| felt more utterly an outcast. Does
tevery one feel like that about me, even
lmy friends?" thought.
All my life had been taught, and
I had believed, that only good came OF
telling the truth. Well, now the oppor.
tunity to prove that had come. had
done what had been demanded OF me
and every one looked upon me as
Though l were inhuman. Had all the
flaws Of the universe been suddenly
turned upside down? Ought my lips to
thaye been sealed instinctively by what
4 1 saw? Ought I to have been struck
dumb on the witness stand? Was II
true, the terrible injustice Of Laura's
words, that because of me-1ot alone
the story had told, but my looks, my
misery, my very pity for him-he had
been convicted?
4 j was recalled to my surroundings
! by the rocking of the carriage. Great
rains, which had fallen lately, had left
\ tho roads quilted, and rough as the sea.
Tho moon would not rise until after
o'clock, and what made our progress
! really dangerous, something had gone
wrong with the carriage lights. They
ldwindled and went out when we were
lbut block on our way and no scratch
ling OF matches would make them stay
LIGHTED for minute. At the foot OF the
hill the driver brought the horses to 9
halt. and informed me that the road
ahead was impossible.
/ peered out of the window.
4 An unbuilt space was on my right,
and across the dark expanse, and
across the space which cut the other
side of it looked to the long roofs and
walls of the convent, all dull mono
!, tone scarcely distinguishable from the
night. Only on the corner solitary
tstreet lamp illuminated little space
4 of the wall and made pool Of light on
the pavement beneath.
The silence was broken by the sound
! of voices talking-the jargon OF poems,
7. I thought and remembered that
was alone, and driving across lonely
part Of he city. The voices seemed TO
be approaching down Powell street,
even now perhaps under the very con.
vent walls They sounded loud and TO-
4 vial. :.
Cant you turn into the sandlot and
4 make a. cross-cut to Mason street"
whispered to the driver.
/ Muttering that sand was 'decenter
4 than mud at least" he remounted his
box and swung the horses about In the
mud the wheels and hoofs made only q
soft "squshing'' sound. We turned away
into the dark. unlighted space without
4 the approaching group being any wiser
i OF our presence.
/ But, as we went, saw, suddenly
4 emerging from behind the convent
wall and coming out into the pool OF
Tight, the swinging serapes and great
] shadowy hats Of the Mexicans. They
we're crossing Lombard, they were
meaning straight on down Powell