Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-06-27


time, Mason dear, but I do not think
that we need be afraid"
The wagon ratified up and was past
in cloud Of dust. was drunkenly
dizzy, and Nancy and and the bright
country around us seemed hazy I'M
realities; then, slowly, things straight
ened themselves about me- and with a
great effort regained some self-com-
mand.
Very WELL" said you shall tell
me when you have had time to think.
but do not forget what you are and
what am"
II have never forgotten that" she
answered.
Then come" said 1--WE have more
errands to do than we shall possibly
have time for
So we walked along the road until
we saw the town Graded in little val
ley at our feet.
II think that heaven must be in a
valley" said Nancy.
looked at her, and smiled. "Heav.
en-" said "is not in any fixed place at
all, but moves encirclingly about the
wandering feet Of love-" And that was
the last time on all our walk that love
was mentioned between us.
We did great many errands. and
1t was very pleasant to purchase the
little homely things that go to make
up living. We bargained and bought,
as If we had been buying pans and
vegetables all our lives. and we re-
turned laden with the lightest and
most necessary of our spoils.
Once we were we'll home again, and
Nancy was busy exploring closets,
setting things to rights, and planning
the disposition of the wagon load OF
things that we expected the next day
from the villige, I thought It a good
opportunity to get the brown derby
hat from it's place behind the bush.
, ran down the lane, fearful that she
Would miss me, and that her thoughts
would be again directed to whatever
unpleanast channel they had turned
at the hats discovery.
I reached the bush almost out of
breath, deciding, as ran. that would
put away the hat with the collar and
necktie, to examine scme day more
closely But once behind the bush,
stopped, thinking that I had made
some mistake.
But there could be no mistake about
it. This was the only clump of hydran-
geas in our long lane.
The hat had disappeared.
CHAPTER VII.
Some two hundred yards behind the
house was an orchard OF old and con-
torted apple-trees, and through the
orchard ran trmbling, gossipy, little
brook. We found 1t as we were ex-
ploring the place after breakfast, the
next day, and such was Nancy's de-
light with it, that she would go no far
Their, but must needs sit down under
the largest tree by the water side, to
contemplate at leisure the fairyland
spring had left in passing. There was
pleasant and remote detachment
about the place which charmed us
both. 1t seemed as far away from the
clamorous hustle of the city as II 1t
were on another planet. and even the
quiet, little, nearby town was unsug-
gested and forgotten. The place en-
comprised life of it's own and SEEM
ed small and isolated paradise with
no dependence on the outer world.
The stream at our feet gurgled and
laughed and ran between the lush
growth Of it's gently sloping banks.
From time to time ghostlike,' fleeing
minnow would scurry past an uncer-
tain shadow in the broken water.
From overhanging bush to overhang-
ing bush an unseen spider had cast
filmy suspension bridge. bridge which
was splashed and jeweled by the roll.
licking water beneath 1t. Here and
there, the stream was tripped and
tangled with soft, submerged thickets
of cr,ss, which topped the water IN
lovely patches of dark emerald. Near
us luxuriant clump Of cawslips re-
vealed at the water-side, lifting upon
thick stems wonderful, half-opened
crowns of green-sold.
N..ncy had brought with her dim
inutive and dangling bag OF pink
Powered silk. Now as with a little
sigh she sat down under the apple
tree, she opened it and took out
square OF embroidery, and deity
threading an impossible small needle
with length Of coarse silk, set about
the abs mt completion of some flower
unknown to botany I have often won
dered If fancy work was not more
adornment than employment, an uncon-
scious and decorative stage property,
as foreign to its possessor as earrings,
and without actual intent, serving
much the same purpose. Certainly
as she sat there, slim fingers busy with
the work, thought nothing on heaven
or earth could be more charming It
seemed to me that nature itself held
it's breath watching her, that all the
tender newborn beauty about us was
only frame and background for her
loneliness. The apple-trees, gnarled
with the whimsical growth OF years,
twisted and roughened by sleet and sun
and frost, seemed to have laid aside Tor
her their sturdy work-a-day utility,
yelling themselves in blossoms. every
triumphant struggling line OF them
softened and disguised In a fresh. ex-
|qutsite pinkness Of bloom, as delicate
ly nebulous and as dewy sweet as the
cheeks of still-dreaming, half-aWaken-
ed dawn. The whole orchard breath
ed OF them-a faint, pervading sweet
that stirred the senses like feeting
memory Of lost Eden.
The day was warm, and Nancy nad
~ ~ With q droSs ~ some light