Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-06-25

Please" she said, and I saw her
still standing in her doorway, please,
would you mind yeaving your door
ATARI"
CHAPTER v.
The room that had chosen was
bare, all it's furniture consisting OF
bed, washstand, and bureau, all OF
the plainest wood. On the floor, how
ever, was a rag carpet that was
thing Of beauty.
It was useless for me to pretend,
even to myself, that had any
thoughts OF going to bed. The day had
been too momentous for me to think
Of forgetting it in sleep, until l had
had at least time to review its events
IN my mind, to adjust myself to the
life that, Of sudden, found myself
committed to lead. I, who had that
morning been an irresponsible young
man, rejected applicant for work, a
lounger on park bench. found myself
tonight man OF some means, man
in love, with the woman I loved alone
in my care, a woman who might or
might not be my legal wife.
About my attitude toward had no
doubts whatsoever. She had con-
scented to this strange marriage be-
cause she had felt some trust In me,
or, at any rate, because she hoped that
life In my care would be endurable;
not because she loved me. Whether
our marriage had been legal or not, l
should consider that I alone was
= Oh
love me in some measure as l loved
her, would never allow myself to
think of her in any other way than
woman whose well-being and happ1-
ness fate had given into my care as
sacred trust, to be freely rendered her
should she find some protector more
worthy of their keeping, in her eyes,
than l. But prayed great prayer
that such an one might never come,
that Nancy herself might perhaps by
some miracle come to return my love.
I had not doubt that Ephraim Bond,
himself, was in some mysterious way.
the fountain head of all her fears; and
I made up my mind I would find out
the very last of them and that that
soft spoken old gentleman should
come to know what manner OF man
was. He may have Judged me of
timid nature, had travelled from or
flee to office so long. and had so long
shrunk from any searching scrutiny
by my fellows. But, as I have said, |
am not by nature timid, and he should
come to know this clearly II, indeed,
he had had any hand in the terrors
Of his niece MY infirmity should trou-
BILE me not at all where the affairs OF
my love were concerned, where any
sought to do evil to her happiness.
The moon had risen and was casting
the long shadows Of the trees in
dainty lacery. Our house was set at
some distance from the main road, at
the end of winding lane. It was
pleasant to be SO out Of the hum OF at
fairs, SO thrown by the nature OF our
very surroundings into one another's
society. If ever man was given
chance to show himself plainly to the
eyes Of his love babe fair to be that
man smiled as looked out upon the
silver, moonlit ribbon OF our lane.
Then every muscle in my body grew
tense, for the dark shadow of man
had moved from the shade of one
great tree to another.
I tiptoed quickly to Nancy's door
and listened. There was no sound, and
/ was glad that she was tired enough
to sleep in the face Of all that she had
gone through. Then stole as softly as
I could down the creaking stairs, and
let myself out at the front door, creep
ing from the porch In the fortunate
shelter Of the vines. Almost on hands
and knees I worked myself down the
winding lane taking little shortcuts
when I could with safety When I had
got some distance from the house
stopped and waited behind great
clump OF hydrangeas.
The man. considered with myself
in my hiding place, was In all prob
ability intruding jnnocently enough.
He might be tramp looking for some
hay-stack or outbuilding, where he
could rest for the night, or he might
be some native Of the place spying
curiously upon the new arrivals; for
our coming must have smacked some
what of mystery But his approach had
seemed to me unnecessarily stealthv.
I had too much to guard to be sloth-
full guardian. I would at least give this
intruder healthy shock Of surprise
VI i SUDDEN -luc man lIHScll SIOl0
into the shadow of my bush. bending
nearly double. as had bent. He meant
no honest thing certainly.
rose and softly took him by the
throat, and, with tightening fingers
choked the scream that struggled
there.
"what are you doing here?" asked
in whisper.
The shadow was so intense that I
could not see his face, but his arms
waved conyulsively in the darkness;
| had not used my strength in SO long
a time that I had forgotten it's power
and how to temper 1t. l loosenes my
fingers little and he drew a whistl-
ing breath, then, with his right fist he
struck me with all his strength be-
tween the eyes, SO that reeled back
from him, tearing his collar and tie
away In my slipping clutch.
BY the time that l was on my feet
gain he was already some distance
down the lane l started to run silent