Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-19


ance her assumption of masculinity
fell from her. and she became the
'womanly woman"-dainty, vivacious
captivating.
Fraser whom both had forgotten,
locked on at first in gaping, silent
awe, staring and blinking at his trav-
cling companion, who had undergone
such metamorphosis But restraint
and silence were Impossible to him for
long and in time he ambled clumsily
into the conversation. It Jared. OF
course, but he could not be ignored,
and gradually he claimed more and
more CT the talk until the young con-
~" "ie'r'ea TO the monologue, smiling
Ut each other in mutual understand.
ine.
Emerson listened tolerantly, idly
running through the magazines at his
hand. his hostess watching him COW
ertly, albeit her ears were drummed
by tie others monotone. How much
better this mood became the young
man! Suddenly the smile of amuse-
ment that lurked about his lip corners
| and gave him pleasing look hard
ened in queer fashion-he started,
then stared at one of the pages while
the color died out of his brown cheeks,
Cherry saw the hand that held the
magazine tremble. He looked up at
her, and, disregarding Fraser, broke
in, harshly:
Have you read this magazine?"
Not entirely. It came in the last
MALL
I'D like to take one page out of it,"
he said MAY II"
Why, certainly" she replied. "You
may have the whole thing if you like"
He produced knife and with one
quick stroke cut single leaf out OF
the magazine, which he folded and
thrust into the breast Of his coat.
Thank you," he muttered; then fell
to. staring ahead of him, again heed
less of his surroundings. This abrupt
relapse itno his former stage of sui
len and defiant silence tantalized the
girl to the verge Of anger, especially
now that she had seen something Of
his true self. She was painfully con-
sclous of a sense of betrayal at hav-
ing yielded so easily to his pleasant
mood, only to be shut out on an In
stant's whim, while girlish curiosity
to know the cause of the change over
powered her. He offered no explana-
t1cn, however, and took no further
part In the conversation until, noting
the lateness of the hour, he rose and
thanked her for her hospitality in the
same deadly Indifferent manner.
The music was a great treat" he
said, looking beyond her and holding
aloof-"a very great treat. l enjoyed
1t immensely Good night
Cherry Malotte had experienced a
new sensation, and she didn't like It.
She vowed angrily that she disliked
men who looked past her; indeed she
could not recall any other who had
ever done so. Her chief concern had
always been to check their artlor. She
resolved vicously that before she was
through with this young man he would
make her a less listless adieu. She
assured herself that he was selfish,
sullen boor, who needed to be taught
a lesson In manners for his own good
II for nothing else; that a woman's
curiosity bad aught to do with her eX-
ported little better today.
asperaticn she would have denied.
She abhorred curiosity AS matter
OF fact, she told herself that he did
not interest her in the least, except
| as a discourteous fellow who ought to
be shocked into consciousness of his
bad manners, and therefore the mo-
ment the two men were we'll out Of the
room she darted to the table, snatched
up the magazine and skinned through
it feverishly. All! here was the place!
A woman's face with some meaning
less name beneath rlled each page.
Along the top ran the heading,
Famous American Beauties" So it
was woman! She skipped backward
and forward among the pages for
further enlightenment but there
was no article accompanying the pic
lures 1t was merely an illustrated
section devoted to the photographs
of. prominent actresses and society
heard of, though here and there she
saw name that was familiar. In the
center was that tantalizingly clean
cut edge which had subtracted a face
from the gallery-a face which she
wanted very much to See She paused
and racked her BRAIN her brows fur
rowed with the effort at recollection,
but she had only glanced at the pages
when the magazine came, and had
paid no attention to this part of IT..
Her anger at her failure to recall this
particular face aroused her to the
fact that she was acting very fool
ishly. at which she laughed aloud.
We'll. what of it?' she demanded
Of the empty room. Hes in love
with some society ninny, and don't
care what she looks like" She shrug-
ged her shoulders carelessly; then, in
a sudden access of fury, she flung the
multilated magazine viciously into a
far corner of the room.
The travellers slept late on the fol-
lowing morning, for the WEAKNESS OF
weeks was upon them, and the little
bunk room they occupied adjoined