Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-25


saw they were running up sail on
board. one large Tapping white wing,
and then another, rose and spread pc
yond the trees. could even hear the
piping sound Of the sailors voices; and
then, with veering and fitting. and
FINALLY with graceful bowling motion
she stood away from the hill and began
to 60 out to sea.
Beautiful sight that IT. was looked
at 1t with despair. could not believe IT.
How had the Spanish woman got on
board without my seeing her? Could
she have slipped along through the pc
wildering shadows and so evaded me;
or had she gone on board even before
/ had come? But, no, that couldn't pc.
for then the lugger could have sailed
Immediately, thought, as stood on
the step OF the carriage and watched
the ship carrying my last hope swing
round and dip her nose deep IN the
channel tide.
There is only one chance" said
to myself. Perhaps she will have lett
some word for him behind her at the
house."
The thought had no sooner come
into my mind than 1t possessed me
with the conviction that this must be
so. For when remembered her looks
and her words to me as she talked OF
him I felt sure that nothing could
make her quite desert him, even
though he had disappointed her. The
idea of her house. which o little while
ago had terrified me, came now IKE
an inspiration. did not know what
should do or say when | reached II.
"But something will tell me what to
do when am there" thought, as we
retraced our way over the foundering
track Of the hills.
When. for the second time that
morning, found myself In front OF the
Spanish womans gate, sprang out OF
the carriage without moments hes
itation. I told the man to drive back
to our house on Washington street and
tell Mr.. Fenwick there that wanted
him.
There stood in the chill daylight,
shivering in my pale blue cloak, clang-
ing the brazen lions head upon It's
clapper. The outer door opened to me
noiselessly as it had done before, shut
ting as silently after. But the garden,
which had seemed picturesque and
dreamy under the kind sunlight, now
looked CHASTITY, disheveled, crumbling,
as IL it had been deserted for at least
hundred years. The inner door was
long time In opening. just as was
beginning to despair it swung a eau
tious crack. saw the glimmer of eyes,
then Immediately it was opened wide
by woman, the same maid whom !
had seen brushing out the Spanish
woman's hair.
"The Sonora valencia?" asked,
feeling the mockery Of my question,
but pressing forward in terror lest she
should not let me in. Her face had a
set appearance. She looked as II she
hated me, but she admitted me readily
enough. closing the door quickly upon
me- There, just within the threshold
Of the house, she held out to me
white envelope.
The outside was blank, enigmatic
as the servants face, but from 1t
|,pulled folded sheet of paper scrawled
in that bold hand, which, like all other
attributes of that woman, was unfor-
gettable Within the paper was card.
Upon the card read:
"You see, he understands me perfect
|ly. He wishes to be rid OF me and ne
has chosen the one way possible.
give you back his words. =
No signature, and the card was my
dance program still with its little PEN
Gil. on the back / read the farewell
Johnny Montgomery had made her II
was in Spanish. II am In love with an
other woman. Go away without me. !
am going back.
stood crumpling the thing in my
clenched hand and the first thought
came trembling in words: "Oh, cruel,
cruel! How could he say it," When
remembered her passionate face and
wild will ] wondered what love had
done with her when first she had read
that card. If girl like Laura Burnett
had tainted at a lesser shock, what had
creature like the Spanish woman
done? And then the next thought came,
wiping out the memory OF the hrst.
"But there is nothing here to help
Johnny Montgomerynothing at all.
The maids voice broke upon my be.
wilderment, harsh and grating. VIII
the Senorita walk upstairs 2?
turned to her in increasing amaze
ment. What might this mean? Was l
after all to find my mystery's clew!
"The Senora's ROOM" the woman
explained, going before, and followed
up the stair.
I thought I could have told without
previous knowledge that the house had
been deserted by, its mistress. The
rooms which had been warm as with
the heat of life were now deadly cold,
as If they had been closed for long
time. The sweet, thick perfume which
had pervaded them had failed, leaving
only a dank smell of old weighty hang
ings; the very mysteriousness seemed
to have disappeared out Of the passage
ways and doors, every turn and unex-
pected opening and winding of which
I remembered through sheer terror.
At the door of the private sala there
was no pause; the maid did not knock.
No need. was there lat the door of an
empty room? She led me straight
across the anteroom and there In front
of the curtain stood the impassive ma
1or-domo, the. man who had led me
there the first time. He was as still as
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