Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-08

Miss Tabor pointed It out to me. It
was large and low, set well back upon
a great lawn that tall, dark hedge
divided from the outer world.
. AS we neared the pillared gate a
high-shouldered man stepped out
nervously from the shadow. Miss
Tabor put her hand on my arm. Just
wait here moment, please" she said
and ran forward to him.
1t had grown almost dark, but l,
could see that she leaned toward him.
The soft sibilance of her whispered
words and the startling rumble of his
bass came to me indistinctly, merely
wordless tones. grew red In the dark.
ness and turned my back, sfor had
caught myself trying to listen.
Presently Miss Tabor came to me.
II didn't mean to keep you so long,
she apologized, but you see
1T wasn't long" said shortly, sur.
prised to find myself angry. So as we
climbed the steps the shadow hao
dropped between us again.
For moment stood blinking when
the door had shut behind us. The large,
low room in which we stood was not
brilliantly lighted, but the sudden
change from the soft outdoor gloom
had dazzled me. The room was very
large indeed, floored with dull red tile,
paneled In dark oak; a great Dutch,
fireplace, filled with flowers, breathed
fragrance. Opening from the rooms
far end, and raised three steps above
It's level, was dining-room. On our
entrance two chairs had been pushed
back from the table, and now slim,
pretty little owoman came running
down the steps and across the big
room.
Lady, dear" she cried, what on
earth has made you SO late?" She
flung herself into Miss Tabor's arms,
hugging her as child would.
Miss Tabor kissed her gaily. We
will tell you all about it, mother, dear.
she laughed. Let me introduce Mr..
Crosby, without whose help should
probably have been much later. And,
Mr.. Crosby, this is my mother"
She greeted me graciously, turning
to introduce me to her husband, who
had followed her more slowly. He was
q florid man and rather tall, his gray
Il
When places had been made for us
at the table, and we were gathered IN
the close radius of the table lights,
found myself surprised that the daugh-
ter looked so little like either. Her
mother was much smaller than she,
one of those women who never grow
thin or fat, but whose age comes upon
them only as sort of dimming OF
color and outline And indeed, In the
more intimate light I found her look
ing more her years, pretty and soft and
doll-like, but too delicate vessel for
any great strength of spirit, sweet
little woman, affectionate and incon-
sequent. Her words came quickly and
with certain merry insistance, but
with little nervous pauses that were
almost sad in their intensity; and
once when a bycicle sounded family
from the street she stopped altogether.
her hand at her heart, her head turned
and listening, until her husbands
quick laugh brought her blue eyes
ouestioningly to him. Then we all
plunged into conversation at once as
ii ashamed of the sudden pause 1t had
given US.
Z Miss Tabor and I we're made to give
an account of our accident, or rather
she gave 1t, and a very nicely tenn
-pered account 1t was, too. was kept
busy devising plausible confirmation
of surprising advertisements. She
seemed for some reason very anxious
to hide possible seriousness in the
matter, and her first brief, pleading
glance bound me to her, freely accept
~
for my own Under these circum-
stances expected to mention the loss
and finding of the ring and there was
none.
Both mother and father called Miss
Tabor Lady" so, remembered, had
all her intimates at the Christmas
house party. Yet, her bag had been
initiated IN. B. T." thought the
nickname gracious one and well
suited to all the manner of her bearing
wondered idly as they talked what
the M. stood for, sure in my heart
that it, too, was graceful and fitting.
And as Lady told OF the beauty OF
the meadow where we had been de-
layed almost two hours by an old
fiat wheel. or something like that
isn't that the term, Mr.. Crosby?"I de.
cided that IL the rest of my three
months were spent in the most hum
drum of ways, my vacation as a whole
would not have been barren one.
There was little conversation after
we had left the table. Miss Tabor said
that she was too sleepy to sit up-and,
indeed, the strain that she had been
under was already beginning to show
through even the vivacity Of her act
ing. For my part, had no inclination
to sit in the family circle that she left
1, too, was tired, and / had many
things to think and little to say. So
that as she got up I, TOO, pleaded
fatigue, and my need Of finding my
room at the inn.
1.-THE inn!! Indeed you will do moth
ing of the sort, said Mrs. Tabor. There
is q bed just waiting for tired young
men here" She glanced for confrma-
ton at her daughter.
Miss Tabor said nothing but looked
across to her father. He paused an un-
comfortable second, then turned to
me with smile.
"of course you are to stay here" he
said.