Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-08
loly, you-only-understand-

his melancholy, northumberland
me air
IA golden background for tho god
dess." he breathed softly, as he
placed her in an automobile gilt seat
after which he arranged himself at
ease in wide, softly-cushioned arm
chair
There, seemingly oblivious of her
discomfort, he sat the entire evening,
gazing tenderly into her eyes and
murmuring sweet nothings in her
willing ears.
The saccharine. quality OF the con
versa.ion and the ror1atic type Of
Percival's beauty could not quite
blind h;:- to the consciousness OF the
clergyman's troubled face as he sat
at the writing table In the library
just beyond, nor that her aunt
glanced In the parlor disapprovingly
as she rustled by to join. the lonely
figure
This eyeaing was the beginning Of
daily meetings with the exquisite Mr..
Harriston, and his sad, impressive
dignity continued to fascinate the
visionary figure.
Margaret began her aunt one
night after one OF Percivals calls,
"do not get it into your head that
Harriston is any more than a colossal
bluff. He doesn't care for a thing on.
earth or in heaven beyond his own
pretty self
"Oh, Aune Jean, II that be true,
why should he come here?"
"He comes here for the reason he
frequents teas and other silly, man
less functions, for the sake of the
incense you and other women, who
should have more sense, pour out SO
literally before the shrine of his self
love-"
'ssYou are unjust to him. ante.
He really cares for big things in life.
He tells me often OF his longing to
perform great deeds for the good Of
mankind"
"Humph,' grunted none too patient
Aunt Jean, "if he could be induced to
get off the. pedestal built on his love
of self for minute and use little
old-fashioned commonsense, it would
be much more to the point than all
this dreamy moonshine."
''You are unjust to Percival, Aunt
JEAN" repeated Margaret.
"Percival, Perciyal; we'll what can
one expect any way from man with
a name like that
please don't, auntie."
every we'll, I'll say no more, but
my chief consolation is that In your
heart you care no more for him than
do. You are fascinated by his ro-
mantle looks and high-flown speech.
pray earnestly, dear child, that you
do not throw away beyond recall the
substance for the shadow"
And Aunt Jean left Margaret to her
own not very happy reflections.
On Saturday afternoon not, long
after this conversation Margaret went
for a stroll in the rark with Mr.. Har-
riston 1t was an ideal red, gold and
green autumn day. Every grass plot
in the park was filed with gay,
laughter children. but finally Mar
garet and Percival discovered and
took possession of a bench in a path
way deserted but for an infant sleep
ing peacefully In a baby carriage OPP
posite. d
+ Percival, his languishing brown
eyes looking unutteraDle things, be-
gan to hold forth in the language
that seemed to go so we'll with his
type of manhood, while Margaret sat
listening entranceo. M
II assure you, Miss Startled, knight
errantry is not dead" he went on
grandiloquently "the things one can
do in these modern days are as great,
as noble, as chivalrous and are OF
larger 1rlI ort than most Of the deeds
done by knights of old. And when
the chance comes to me to prove this,
l promise you, shall De ready"
ooh. IL Aunt Jane and some others
could only hear him now. they could
not fail to be convinced of his
splendid manhood whispered Mar
garet to her own soul
"In the mean time" resumed
Percival, Ct
Before could say more terri
fed scream rent the air.
The baby carriage opposite had
started down the sloping pathway
and was perilously careering from
side to side. The infant was yelling
Justify.
"stop that carriage! Oh, run,
run, cried Margaret to Percival.
"How can you ask me to do any
thing so ridiculous? The infant is
In no danger. The children will"
But waiting to hear no more Mar
garet sprang up and ran after the
quickly moving little vehicle.
Her lalr came down, her pompa-
dour wilted, and her beautiful puffs
were lost for ever.
Margaret always afterward main
tanned that simultaneously with the
loss Of her first hairpin Percival dis
appeared behind some tree. In one
testing second she had learned to
value him at his true worth.
Suddenly she caught sight of the
cleaning lake in the distance. The
baby carriage was rushing toward it.
She rushed forward and reached the
handle bars Just as the clergyman,
coming from side path, stepped in
front of the carriage.
Over the squirming and indignant
infant their Eyes met. And for the
first time Margaret saw clearly and
truly. There was for them in that
brief moment in all the world only
one man and one girl, music and