Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-08
car will arrive. / will be myself -

car will arrive. will be myself ~
then" &N
"Are you sure?" asked. for y had
not seen her look at a watch.
Mechanically put my hand IN my
pocket to find 1t empty. For second
was thunderstruck. then l stepped
over to the place where had fallen
and poked about in the grass. MY
pocketbook, I. gound Immediately, ana
after moment came upon my Keys
and change In q scarcely scattered
pile. Miss Tabor was watching me.
Nothing missing" said. How about
you?" !.
"Oh, all my things are in my bag"
And she pointed to where 1t lay near
mine. in tangle Of blackberry vines.
But when I turned from rescuing
them found her standing with her
hand at her neck. searching distract
eddy among her laces. II.
What! you have lost something?"
I cried
eyes," she said, and 1t seemed to
me that her eyes were afraid, there
was little gold chain that wore.
Oh, 1t can't be lost, it can't bel"
Her manner surprised me. To all my
knowledge she had been so unruhled,
had borne herself with such a certain
serenity, that to see her now, with
frightened eyes staring and full OF
tears, pain written clear between the
lovely brows, and with hands that
trembIed at her breast, startled me out
of my own composure.
ip1xy 3f'a MT lost Raid
harshly, for was puzzled. After ALL
there was nothing so tragic In the loss
of a little chain. Then I knew better
knew that If she valued 1t 50 would
find it II it took me my vacation
Come" said more gently, I'VE Will
look"
She had gained control over herself
and now began to search the ground
where we had fallen, carefully and on
her knees. thought that she was cry
ing softly and glanced to see IL the
other woman noticed.
Her back was turned to US and her
face seemed buried in her hands. AS
I looked at her she spoke.
"If you seek small chain" she said
listlessly, "you will find 1t close beside
the fallen car"
And there as walked directly to It
saw the glimmer of strand Of gold
struggling from beneath the upturned
roof
Here 1t is," cried wonderingly and
drew it forth. Then stood dumbly, the
thing in my hands, my mind reel1ng
For from the mangled clasp hung
a woman's wedding ring.
CHAPTER III.
There was nothing that could ask,
nothing that I could say, and aside
from her thanks she was silent. So
without a word I turned and helped
the other woman to her feet, and still
in science the three of us walkel along
until we came to an easy rise where
I helped them both to the track. We
were Just in time, for as we gained
the track our trolley rounded the curve
and took us aboard.
So for mile or SO Miss Tabor and
sat in intimate aloofness, while the
car bore us through the beauty Of the
fading summer day. Everywhere birds
were chanting the evening, and ever
and again with growing insistence the
vivid breath OF the nearing sea blew
past us. ALI my life this first
buIlliueT lduS VI onII Ola AAS'oA
failed to stir me. It had meant
vacation and the vague trumpet
call of the unknown. But now sat
unheeding, burning with an unreason-
ing and sullen resentment. knew
that l was a fool. What possible diff
ference could 1t make to me If the &C
quaintance Of merry week and few
more intimate hours chose to hide a
wedding-ring in her breast 1t GER
tainly could not be her own and yet
whose was 1t, anyway? Certainly not
her mothers, for her mother knew
was alive. But then, whose could 1t
be? And why did it matter 50 much?
Why should such patent terror fill
her at the thought Of It's loss? Why
was it again so finally and so quickly
hidden away? It was even strange, |
thought, that she should let the emo
ton that she must know had seen.
pass with no effort Of explanation.
glanced at her. She was sitting,
looking YEARLY ahead, distress was In
her eyes. and every little line OF her
body spoke fatigue without hope; only
her hands, tightly clasped In her lap,
showed the determination of some hid
den thought. The blue of little bruise
had begun to show near her temple.
A wave of tenderness swept over me,
the pity Of man for woman tired
and in unvoiced distress. Who was l
that should question her? What pos
sible claim had I upon even the least
of her thoughts? She was pathetically
weary and disturbed, and was sui
len brute.
spoke to her as II conversation had
been unbroken "Of course am going
to take you home"
She shook her head.
That's perfectly absurd" said.
There must be some inn or other near
you. I can put up there for the night
and go on in the morning. In fact,
am pretty tired, myself; the nearest
place that can get supper and bed
is the best place for me-"
She considered for long moment.
Very WELL" she said at last. ~ am
tired and still little dizzy; 1t would
be nice to be taken all the way home.
I don't generally mind the dark, but !
suppose that we were good deal
shaken up. There 10 an Inn, too, but
it would be very Silly Of you to 60