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


small blue squirt, and suddenly In the
little upthrown illumination saw the
! lips holding tightly the cigarette; 1T
tie higher the flame stretched, ana !
saw the eyes and the black bar OF the
brows. almost screamed. At the same
instant he looked up and saw me.
It was just for an instant we gazed
at each other thus. Then the match
went out. the. light Of the cigarette
failed, and saw 1t drop like glow
worm to the ground. / was looking
again into nothing but impenetraDie
dark. Could it have been real-that
glimpse Of him-or only picture on
the night?
| leaned forward through the window
and called softly into the blackness:
"Come here!" had the scared, shamed
unreal. feeling OF child playing at con-
jurer, who hopes, yet knows no miracle
can happen. The shock was the greater
then when, after moments interval,
a formless bulk Swallowed my window.
/ shrank back in the surprise and Joy
and fear of knowing him there.
What can / do for you?" a voice
asked. proceeding from the shadow. as
courteously, as formally, as II 1t were
speaking in the lighted ballroom ! had
Just quilted.
"Oh, get in, get into the carriage!" I
cried, for 1t seemed to me that all the
city was spying on him, and the risk he
ran was more than I could bear. He
hesitated one more heart-breaking In
slant Then, thought, he drew back:
I reached out blindly toward him and
clasped his wrist.
MY fingers were astonished at the
great pulse that throbbed under them
like heart, sending thrilling
| through my veins. Then felt the
downward sway OF the carriage and
the sweeping of serape over my feet;
and / had released his wrist and knew
he was sitting opposite me. leaned
out Of the still open door and spoke TO
the cabman, Drive over to Washing
ton Square and then around the
square"
Extraordinary as this direction was,
he made no demur, only sort OF grunt
deep in his coat collar and almost be-
fore was in my seat again the wheels
/. were turning, and saw the arm OF my
otherwise indistinguishable companion
move darkly against the paler square
of glass as he closed the carriage door
and shut us up alone together In the
dark He himself was scarcely separ-
able from 1t, but seemed to know how
hard he was looking at me.
! Where we're you going?" said.
Nowhere that you may go. Tell me
quickly what you want Of me?
1t was strange that he, who SO long
/ had been speechless figure-our only
communication by looks-now had be-
come a disembodied voice, like HIM
self, quick, strong and imperious.
! There were dozen questions which,
over and over in imaginary interviews
1 I had asked him, all my anxieties and
wonders and terrors about him: why
! he had said those first words of his to
4 me in the police station; why he had
4 encouraged me so recklessly with my
4 Testimony, and then fed, and Of all
those other puzzling Inconsistencies In
his behavior But now that my oppor-
Itunity and he were both here there
boiled up in my brain my latest, most
lbitter perplexity OF all, the one that
Ihad been presented to me tonight, not
question but confession Before
realized what / was saying. was tell
ling him. very incoherently how ter
rihlv I felt about having had to give my
evidence and why It had seemed the
only thing to do. "But know you do
not think So" said "You think It
strange and cruel OF me that did not
/ keen silent.
His voice sounded very calm. almost
casual. II think nothing Of the sort.
You did quite right and / am glad there
lis one woman who can speak the
4 truth"
This was utterly different from any
4 thing that had ever expected; "But. =
4 I stammered, from the way you looked
at me first when-when you ran out
at the door, and then again when had
/ to tell them who you were. thought
. I heard the sweep OF his serape as he
leaned forward toward me. 81 hated.
4 for your own sake. that you should see
anything so hideous When I came out
OF that door and saw you there on the
4 other side Of the street. do you know
4 what you seemed to me? You seemed
4 to me like the reminder Of everything
good had ever hoped for or believed
4 In. looking at me across that distance,
Mortified at me- It was that could not
bear" His voice sounded harsh and un-
certain, but It was better to hear than
the even off-hand tone he had used at
first.
81 hated to have to see you 60
through that sordid business in the po.
4 lice station" he said, "hated to have
YOU dragged through the court, To
i think you had to touch such things
even to know that they exist. could
not forgive myself! But what are you
doing here alone at this hour of the
night?" He broke OF suddenly. The
half stern. half protecting note made
my heart beat.
4 II was at ball." stammered. Il
came away suddenly because because
i l couldn't bear 1t. heard them talking
behind the curtains They said 1t was
4 / who had convicted you"
A touch came on my hand as II II
had been the point Of 9 finger, BE
lieve me, that is nonsense. It was
who convicted myself"
4 turned toward him. l would have
given anything in that moment for a
4 glimpse of his face.
"If you did anything at all toward