Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-21

land yet the New Yorker was per.
sistent. He searched day and night
| and with a growing yearning in his
heart.
A week later this yearning had be.
come SO strong that Meriden was
seriously considering the advisabilty
| Of packing up his traps and effects
and returning to the city.
One morning he stood in a reverie
by the banks of the very brook he had
begun to fish when the mysterious
singer had manifested her presence
in the vicinity.
Crack! Smash! Bang! Noisily, and
! out of the brush at the mountain 8
ledge just above him, sprang fright
ened Diana, capless, and with her
dark hair over her shoulders as she
sped silently toward Meriden
The keen eyes of the youth summed
up the rare beauty of this forest adj
ventures before the grizzly that he
instinctively knew was behind her
came numbering into the open.
There is little fear in the neart of a
hungry bear. The great brute came
on In it's .shambling, rapid pace, and
the girl, without word on her lips
but with eloquent appeal in her eyes
raced before the grotesque giant.
Meriden took steady aim and fired
The great brute wavered only for q
minute. Again a face full of shot told
a tale Of torture to the Spartan like
savage, and again the brute rallied
The girl, with gasp, dashed by and
the youth pumped another offering
into the face of the animal. Then
Meriden felt crushing blow on his
head, and he knew no more.
care you better?"
The young hermit came to his
senses to find himself in strange
bunk. The cabin seemed to be one
similar to his own. A cherry fire
burned in the fireplace just opposite
and a fussy iron teakettle, hunk on
irons gave the room a homelike ap
pearance. !.
"Are you better . reiterated the
soothing little voice, and cool
hand sought the feverish brow OF
What happened?" asked Meriden
,laconically.
1.-The bear-you blinded it-struck
yOu OOAO1 . IL IuA hCO " AOIASaS. Aes>a
to leave you while l went for father
and then we brought you here to
our cabin.
But where are we?' came from
Meriden. AS he spoke his investiga-
tive fingers tenderly touched his ach'
ing head. 1t was bandaged.
Not over mile from your place,
came from the smiling girl. eve are
concealed by large ledge" The maid
was all that the man who hadn't
seen q woman in months could de-
sire. She was clad in a neat hunts
woman's suit that served to accentuate
her athletic shoulders.
The maids eyes suddenly turned
serious. 81 don't know what should
have DONE" she said, simply, IF It
hadn't been for you. You saved my
life. Father has gone to dig some
herbs for liniment for your head
Oh, forgot the conventions. Father
is the Hon. Meri Harmon, of Denver.
He made his money in the hills-gold,
you know-and every year we two
come out here to. live close to nature.
l am Daphne Harmon.
"You are not seriously hurt" she
continued. "You will be all right in
a few days, but of course shall keep
you here and nurse youn until you
have recovered"
Meriden became willy pessimist.
Il recover slowly" he said. 81 al
ways recover slowly from sickness
and accident. Slowly" he repeated
with peculiar emphasis.
The girl blushed and suddenly
turned away her head.
In the heart of Meriden there was
no thought Of Dolly Condor.