Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-23

Y ........ ... OTTUMWA COT
long words same as do your high
strung notions. Thomas Allen has
no more real right to this place than
you haye-it is just his luck in hav-
ing saving mother, while you had a
|spendthrift father"
Leave him out-please," Margaret
said, her voice hard but tremulous.
\, Aunt Elizabeth ran on: "Your
great-uncle who made the money
certainly wanted 1t to keep UP the
dignity Of the family"
s"I know It," Margaret interrupted.
"That Is partly why-O! Aunt Lisa
beth, can't you see, don't you I'M
derstand, I can't marry Thomas,
knowing am not his free choice?'
"You mean he asked you because
he thought he ought TOT" Aunt Elisa
beth cried, sitting straighter. "Of
all foolishness! The will never said
a word of such thing! And Thomas
isn't the man to be tied up by any
IL.
he wants you. Patience knows why
don't"
Margaret began to dimple. When
she provoked Aunt Elizabeth to the
point Of sarcasm she knew the end
was near. Tears always followed.
After the shower Aunt Elizabeth
made a practice of forgiving her
niece all the unkind things she had
said to her. Now she was on the
verge of weeping, yet struggled to
add:
II certainly-don't see why! Jenny
Ware is much prettier, and lot
more amiable-then, then she'll have
money of her own-one Of there
days"
"Please say that to Thomas-he's
coming this evening"" Margaret en-
treated, her eyes beginning to twin
kle.
Aunt Elizabeth had her handker-
chief out-she put it back in her
pocket, cycling Margaret sharply.
How do you know" she de-
manded.
Margaret dimpled more than ever.
T asked him-and he said: yes
with pleasure" she returned airily,
then her face suddenly grave: II
had to do it, Aunty- it was the only
way to make him understand"
"You are the most provoking crea-
ture! Will you please tell me what
you mean?" Aunt Eligabeth buster
ed, the handkerchief again in play.
Margaret answered steadily: why
THAT is we-can't go on living on
his money. Not through ingratitude
II love him for wanting to take
care of us, in spite of anything. 1t
is because-because-I want to marry
marry somebody else-and live as
BELTS the Allen name. He can't do
it so long as he insists upon giving
me half his income
ri hate to say it of my sisters
only child-but you are an idiot!
Yes, an IDIOT" Aunt Elizabeth said
over her shoulder, marching toward
the door.
Margaret sighed with relief as it
shut behind her elder got up, walked
to the window, and looked through
dimming eyes at the gay autumn
world without. A good glad world,
the only one she knew-yet she must
quit it, go among strangers and make
her place. She had no fear-nothing
is SO truly invincible as ignorance.
Moreover she had read, and credited
fully, popular fairy tales of young
women who had found independence,
even competence and trips abroad,
by exercise Of such talents as cake
making, embroidery, even fine sew
ing, and the knack Of raising squads
or broilers. She had made up her
mind, after explaining fully to
Thomas, to ask the loan of a thou
sand dollars-enough to start chick
en- farm. She knew she would get
it for the asking-she thought she
knew further he would be glad to
give 1t outright. He had a con-
science-had Thomas. She wished
it were not quite SO lively. Then
maby, she might have let herself
believe that it was love not the com
pellings of family pride, which had
made him propose.
Aunt Elisabeth was the stumbling
block. All her life she had lived
in easy comfort, with her sister,
pampered and, deferred to-, by the
father she had just characterized as
a spendthrift, yet fully persuaded all
the while, that she was eager to
make herself independent-that 1t
was only the imperative need of her
in the household--which withheld
her from career. Her presence
had seemed almost providential
when Margaret was suddenly left
alone. within one little week. Then
had come the crash-the revelation
that naught remained Of Great-Un-
Gle Aliens legacy-it had not been
wilfully wasted, but had vanished
partly through bad investments,
partly through the heritor's gener-
GUS inclinations.
And then his nephew had come to
the rescue-now for two years he had
divided royalty with Margaret. Marga'
ret did not dream it, but, except for
the dividing, he would have courted
her within month of her uncle's
death. They had not been brought up
to know each other we'll rather with
the distinct intimacy Of kinfolk known
through letters. Margaret had written
to Thomas upon his birthdays and
otter Christmases He had always sent