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

knew IL was all TlSHl.
A dull gray sky arched above snow.
patched landscape, furries Of snow
were in the harsh air. Stanton sat
with unseeing eyes directed out the
window, chin in hand, much as he had
found Floyd sitting in the west-bound
train the night they started for Indian.
apolis. September sunlight. October
crimson and gold, all gone.
! A delicate fragrance drifted around
him, there was the frou-frou of soft
garments as some one took the seat
facing his. Stanton looked up, and
saw Valerie Carlisle opposite, her blond
fairness framed in dark velvets and
furs, her amber eyes regarding him
from beneath the shadow of her wide
plumed hat.
There is nothing at all singular in
my being here, Mr.. Stanton" she stat.
ed, in her cool. INDECENT voice. Be
cause ascertained by telephone when
you intended to leave the hospital, and
so arranged to meet you on the train.
Tomorrow / start for Europe, to re-
main for long time, and it was neces-
sary for me to speak with you first.
am sorry to see that you have been
| frightfully i'll"
you are too good" he answered, the
old antagonism stirring him strongly.
"As you observe, | was not fortunate
enough to finish myself completely in
! the late wreck"
zone sometimes feels like that" she
coin cided, passing one small gloved
hand across the soft fur of her muff.
II have wished for the finish. here
lately, for my part. You probably did
not know that was engaged to marry
Archer Ross of the ATLANTA Automo-
bile Company
Stanton sat erect All Floyds sus-
picions OF this girl rushed back to his
mind.
Eyes" she confirmed the thought in
This expression What you are imagin-
ing is quite correct. | tried very hard
to induce you to drive for the Atalanta
Company instead of for the Mercury.
The ATLANTA absolutely required a
good racing record. But failed You
were more than firm in your decision. y
So that had been what she wanted
of him. That had lain behind her
/ poll he'd surface of gracious admira-
ton and had been the core of h r in
sincerity.
Gard when would not drive for your
! company, you tried to prevent me from
driving for my own: He wondered
iincredulously.
She looked at him, and looked away
again.
81 fancy you would scarcely credit
me-. Mr.. Stanton, if denied the fact,
now. have been very clumsy; a
society woman is not trained to
practical melodrama. You are I'M
believably difficult to Lead
Her fawless self-possession gave an
effect of unreality to the whole affair.
Stanton felt vertigo of the mind.
"You had that purpose in view when
YOU first spoke to me at the Beach
twenty-four hour racer" he questioned.
you hoped to induce me to wreck my
car by fast driving, in order to leave
the ATLANTA a better chance Of win
ning?"
ooh, mol" she deprecated. Il never
tried to cause your Wreck-what can
you t.lii-k me? 80. that was merely
an impulsive experiment; l wanted to
see if you would do as wished. Some
men have done so"
Are you going to tell me that you
drugged me at Lowell, on the eve OF
the road racer"
Dragged you? That is a harsher de-
scription than ever gave the incident
in my own mind. But l poured into
your coffee what Archer Ross had
given me for that purpose. He said 1t
would not harm you. only prevent you
from driving next morning; he had
been betting heavily on his car. But
you raced, after all, i'll as you must
have been. l never imagined you
would take such rick, or should
have refused the responsibility. l dis
liked the task, anyhow. To be frank
was horrobly frightened when | saw
you on the course, and when the report
of your accident came in, felt guilty
of assassination"
He looked at her at her ivory-and-
gold beauty, her composed ease, his
own face coldly emotionless. 1t did
not matter, nothing mattered, now
But yet he read that behind that ap-
parent ease of hers heaved a sea OF
stormy thoughts; as always, her speech
was no guide to her mind.
Il suppose, then, that you would not
have been distressed if had broken
my arm when cranked your car after
driving you home from New York" he
commented.
Her color changed for the first time,
her eyes flashed to his.
"You angered me-" she retorted.
"You brutally told me that you had
not raced, at the Beach, to please me,
nor would you do so. You were super
cilious, no man had ever treated me
that way before. For one instant !
did hate and long to hurt you; pushed
up the spark as you cranked. The next
moment would have undone it II
could"
There was pause, as the ualn
halted at station. and the usual furry
of egress and ingress ensued. hen
the start was made:
why are you telling me this"
Stanton asked. Il am not considered
especially amiable and forgiving, as a
rule; why chance unnecessary con-
fession ?"
No" her lip bent in faint smile
that was not mirthful. But you are