Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-05-17

the chandeliers, Nancy sat and played
on the piano until after her fathers
| latch-key had grated in the lock. She
| heard the sound of voices and knew
,they had gone upstairs. Presently her
| fathers voice in the doorway reused
F; her from a half reverie.
Nancy, dear, I want to Introduce
Mr. Ballinger-my daughter, the stay
at-home, Ballinger!"
1 The girl found herself greeting a
younger man than any her father had
yet introduced. He was young and
decidedly handsome, with the good
looks that are the endowment of per-
feet health. He was tall and his
shoulders were broad and he carried
them with little free swing that
seemd to belong more to the open
country than to the cramped city
life.
He looked with interest at little
Nancy, in her soft white gown, with
string of pearls about her white
throat. The brown hair was brushed
softly back from her white forehead
and the perfect crescents Of her dark
brows were arched above her steady
blue eyes.
Nancy flushed under his scrutiny,
brief as it was, and with few words
of greeting left the room to give last
instructions about the dinner. When
the gong rang she was waiting In the
dining room.
Mr.. Ballinger did not permit the
conversation to linger among the dry
details of business or politics; he
brought Nancy into a warm discus
sion of the merits of rival opera sing
ers, and laughingly gave in when she
had defeated his arguments. Their
talk turned upon art and travel and
Mr.. Owen learned with surprise that
his little home-staying daughter pos
sessed richly stored mind and
wide knowledge of subjects upon
which he confessed himself quite
ignorant. Both Nancy and her
father found Paul Ballinger Intensely
interesting.
Nancy sighed little when the din
ner was ended, but afterward, in the
parlor, it was still more delightful.
Mr.. Owens asked Nancy to sing and
she brought out her old books and
played as only Nancy could play. All
the old fayorites that the two men
demanded, the girl sang in her rich
contralto voice, and sometimes Bal
linger joined in with what Nancy
thought was the sweetest tenor IN the
world.
After that Paul Ballinger came
often. Sometimes he dropped around
in the evening and they sat in the
shadow Of the front door and talked;
the two men growing more intimate
ly acquainted while the girl sat near
by, happy to listen to the converse
ton of the only man who had ever at
|tracted her.
Sometimes Ballinger brought around
his motor car and the three went for
long spins into the country Nancy
often wondered what her sisters
would have said to her on such occa-
sions. She was sure that even the de-
lights of the seaside could not have
restrained them from coming home.
All the time Nancy was growing
prettier, stronger and happier. A
beautiful color bloomed in her cheeks
and her blue eyes sparkled with q
new light.
When the three months were up,
the Owen girls came pack from tnelr
vacations. Brown as berries, strong
and cheerful, at the dinner table that
night they dashed into a recital OF
their summer vacations.
There was frightful scarcity OF
men," confessed Beatrice, frankly.
eve girls had to dance together at
the hops and we all learned to row
and swim without the customary
help, Bess, being the beauty, re-
ceived most Of the attention."
Bess blushed rosily. Nonsense,
Bee You didn't miss much pleasure,
Nancy, DEAR" she said rather conde-
scendingly to her sister. and really,
now, dad, Nancy didn't need vaca-
ton! Look at her-She Is the picture
Of health.
Bears the