Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-26

| AlSLcucA WAIuOuI 6UShOA ~
! that she was going north to Washing
some point either on the Ohio or Mis-.
sippi, and that her name was Betty.
| Then the door slammed and the stage
was in motion again.
Darlington felt sensibly enriched by
the meager facts now In his possess
sion. He was especially interested In
her name. He liked the sound OF It. It
suited her. He even tried Il under his
breath softly. Betty-Betty Malroy--
next he fell to wond ering IL those few
hurried words she had addressed to
him could possibly be construed a.
forming basis for a further ac-
quaintance. Or wasn't 1t far more
likely she would prefer to forget the
episode OF the previous day, which had
clearly been anything but agreeable?
| All through the morning they swung
| forward in the heat and dust and
glare, with now and then q brief pause
when they changed horses, and at mid
| day ratified into the shaded main
street ola sleepy village and drew up
before the tavern where dinner was
waiting them-a fact that was an-
nounced by a bare-legged colored boy
armed with club, who beat upon
suspended wagon tire.
Betty saw Darlington when she took
her seat, and gave a scarcely per.
| ceptible start of surprise. This was the
man who saw her with Captain Muir.
rell yesterday! What must het think OF
her! There was brief moment OF sir-
resolution and then she bowed coldly.
you just barely managed It. i
guess nobody could misunderstood
that. BY no means cordial but OF
course mott" Darlington reflected.
His own handsome face had been ex-
pressionless when he returned her
bow. and Betty could not have guessed
how consoled and comforted he was
by it. With great fortituGe and self
denial he forbore to look in her direc-
ton again, but he fingered at the
table until the last moment that he
might watch her when she returned to
the coach. Mr.. Darlington entertained
ideals where women were concerned,
and even though he had been the one
to profit by 1t he would not have had
Betty depart in the minutest particular
from those stringent rules he laid
down for her sex. Consequently that
distant air she bore toward him filled
him with satisfaction. It was quite
enough for the present-for the pres
ent--that three times each day his
perseverance, and determination were
rewarded by that curt little acknowl
edgement OF her Indebtedness to
him.
1t was four days to Richmond. -Four
days Of hot, dusty travel, four nights
of uncomfortable CrOss-road stations
where Betty suffered sleepless nights
and the unaccustomed pangs of early
rising. She occasionally found herself
wondering who Darlington was. She
approved of the manner In which he
conducted himself. She liked q man
! who could be unobtrusive. TRAVELLING
like that day after day 1t would have
| been SO easy for him to be officious.
fused to see any opportunity to assist
her in entering or quitting the stage
1 leaving that to some one else. Pres
emily she was sorry she had bowed tc
him that first day-so self-contained
land unpresuming person as he would
evidently have been quite satisfied to
overlook the omission. Then she began
to be haunted by doubts. Perhaps,
after all, he had not recognized her az
i the girl he had met in the road This
gave her very queer feeling indeed
for what must he think of her? And
the next time she bowed to this per.
feet stranger she threw a chilling aus.
terity into the salutation quite at q
variance with her appearance for the
windy drive had tangled her hair and
blown It in curling wfsps about her
face This served to trouble, Caring
ton excessively, and furnished him
with food for reflection through all his
waking moments for the succeeding
! eight and forty hours.
4 The next morning he found himself
4 seated opposite her at breakfast. He
received another curt little nod. cool
/ and distant, as he took his seat, but
he felt strongly that mere bowin1
acquaintance would no longer suffice:
SO he passed her number of things
she didn't want and presently ventured
the opinion that she must find trav-
cling as they were, day after day. very
fatiguing. Surprised at the sound of his
voice. before she knew what she was
doing, Betty said, Not at ALL closed
1 her red lips, and was Immediately
dumb.
Darlington at once relapsed into
4 silence and ventured no further
opinion on any topic Betty was left
wondering whether she had been rude.
and when they met again asked II the
stage would reach Washington at the
advertised hour. She had been consult
1 ing the copy of Badgers and Porter's
! Register which Ferris had thrust into
her satcllel the morning she left the
/ Barony, and which, among q multi
4 plicity Of detail as to hotels and
taverns, gave the trimmings Of all the
regular stage lines, packets, canal
= boats, and steamers, by which one
could travel over the length and
breadth Of the land.
"You stop in Washington? ?" said Car
rington.
Betty shook her head. mo, I'm 60
ing on to Wheeling"
you're fortunate in being SO nearly
/ home, he observed. I'm going on TO-
Memphis" He felt 1t was time she
knew this. or else she might think his
movements were dictated by her own.
Betty exclaimed: why, am going
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