Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-12

the Cup race; fearing treachery, sup
pose, would be used to prevent your
driving. You are surprised?
He saw the crowded railway station.
on the morning of the return from
indianapolis, and Floyd's vivid, anxious
face turned to him in the artificial
light He heard the fresh young voice:
eff you won't take care OF yourself,
Stanton"
There was no need. Mr.. Stanton.
had no idea of interfering with you
personally. But the thing was done,
and overdone. The man hired to play
detective was not honest; he exceeded
his mission of protection and went on
to Investigation for his own profit. II
I am telling you this, it is because you
would soon hear the story from him,
anyhow, and because l want you TO
silence him. He has offered me Els
silence for a price, but do not choose
to yield to a blackmail which. once
commenced, would never end. p-efer
to ask shelter of your chivalry.
Il will silence him." he gave cold as
surance.
'You are very good. 1t is not the
least OF my humiliations to know that
YOU could deal nothing more con-
temptuous than your forbearance." Sne
Ihesitated. There is one thing more !;
| would like to ask whether your recent
accident was in any way caused by the
late arrival Of the tires for your ma
chine"
"You did that?"
Yes l did that. had the express
car misdirected before it left my
fathers factory in Chicago. knew
your car could not race on bare rims.
Stanton turned to the window SO
she was responsible for the last harsh
ness he had shown Floyd; since their
misunderstanding could never nave
arisen IL the mechanician had not been
absent on the trip to Coney Island.
His sudden nausea of loathing for her
made calm reply difficult.
"The lost tires had nothing to 40
with the accident" he explained care
fully. '.If you have quite finished. MISS s
Carlisle. I will change to another seat.
at is I who am going | am slad
THAT the wreck and alteration IN you
are not my fault. It may interest you
to learn that Archer Ross broke MS
engagement to me last week, to marry
| a chorus girl,
He looked at her, then.
"Yes'' size agreed. Dramatic pun
;sbment is it not? You can regale
Miss Floyd with the tale. You are on
your way to her, OF course
miss Carlisle!"
She rose, drawing around ner the
heavy folds Of velvet. He saw no.
the faint lines about her delicate mouth
and the new hardness OF her ta"ny
leyes. She had suffered, was suffering
also. M.
Congratulate her from me, Mr.,
stanton. At least she has known d
man, whatever it has cost her.
| Yes, Floyd had played mans part.
Whatever the anguish uf losing h1m'
| II was matter Of congratnlatlon 70
have known him. 1t never occurred
to Stanton that Valerie Carllsle nllsh'
have meant him. himself
It was afternoon when STANTON ar
rived iii New York, among the snow.
lsprinkled, hilarious croWds tnat
I throneed the streets. And then ne
first realized that this was the day pc
fore Christmas. Christmas? Hoh-
lday? With vague impulse to es-
cane It all. he hailed taxicab. "A
Dir, with her arms full of molly
brushed past him as he reached The
curb, 2 man in uniform stopped iilI''
| with a hastily recited plea for aid 10
the hungry poor. At him stanton
looked, and put yellow bill in the out
stretched hand.
"sir," the man cried, pursuing MN
with ready book and pencil. Wnat
name? So generous
"Flovd." Stanton answered, ana
stepped into the vehicle.
The address he gave to the cnaun-
orr was that of the quiet uptown
apartm ent house.
The little old Irishwoman clad IN
black silk opened the door. he fancl-
ed she had aged, but OH seeing MIN
she broke into beaming smiles ana
ushered him in with eager welcome
The girl who was like Floyd was
standing in the firelit room. AS .5tall-
ton na,1sed on the threshold, she
retreated against the window opposite.
her fingers winding themselves hard
into the draperies. her marveious gray
eyes wide ana iSVeIeu. ~ .no1 S'F
at each other, dumb. =,
You can not bear to see me-" Stan
ton first found voice. Il nave no
right to blame you-God knows | I'M
derstand. Yet Floyd would tell you
that it was not my fault. did not
throw away his life by recklessness. :,
She gazed at him still, yet it seemed
TO him that during brief second con-
seriousness had left her and returned
that now she looked at him differently,
! almost wildly. ~,
q have been near death, also" ne
resumed. 81 have seen no newspapers,
I do not know what they have told
YOU. But the accident was pure ac-
cident: if he could have been here,
FLOYD would have borne me out IN that.
I have wantonly risked his life Win
mine at other times; then, no"
Her sensitive face had changed, she
too found speech.
81 never thought Of blame" she pro-
tested unsteadily. Never. You
drove straight and best. You look SO
I'LL"
u s-a-, noar her long past con-