Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-27

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never known, she had all the dainty
lovliness Of some incarnate Tanagra-
/ proposed that she should rest after
breakfast but she would have none
of it. .
1--WE have gone such a little way"
she said, land truly, l am not at all
tired, and I want, oh, 80 very much
want to get home"
Mrs. Lathrop herself seemed impa-
tient to be on the way. What Eph-
rain Bond felt did not In the least
matter. When we were once on the
road again turned to Nancy.
do you feel like telling me about
it," asked rather uncertainty. II
want to know, but of course can
wait
Nancy put her hand on my arm. Il
want to tell you,' she said. 1T doesn't
trouble me: nothing can now, Mason;
and know that you must be very per
picked about 1t all.
after you left me, went about that
DEAR sweet old house with the good
woman you had left with me, straight
ening little things and arranging them,
putting our purchases on the kitchen
shelves, and making my little bow to
the place that was to be home. won
der if you know, Mason, how sweet it
all was, how wonderful and new and
old, as if had been dropped suddenly
into a place much better than heaven,
which somehow did not surprise me at
ALL am afraid l felt most of the
work to Mrs Blake; for ran In and
out of doors and up and down stairs,
fairly reveling in it all; and tried
not to think you were taking long, and
then not to be afraid because the time
was so short, and after had looked
again to see if you were coming,
went up to my room, and getting some
sewing, played that was very domes-
tic indeed. I don't know how he ever
came in SO quietly, Mason. did hear
a little noise just before he came into
the room, so that laid aside my en-
broidery and jumped up.
"And then it was awful. He stood
in the door and laughed at me, an inso-
lent, terrible laugh, Mason that fright
ened me so | could not move until he
touched me; and then 1t was too late,
for he got both my wrists in one of
those great hands of his, and though
I fought as hard as / was able, he
dragged me over to the window and
tied my hands together with the cur
tain cord. That Mrs. Olsen came into
the room then q thought she was Mrs.
Blake at first, and called out to herr
and each of them took an elbow and
half carried me out to the buggy they
had waiting in the road You know
the rest of It, Mason We stayed at
Mrs. Lathrop's that night, and wrote
a note to you there. Next morning
we went on to New York, and spent
that night at lodging-house in SYRIA
cuse; and the morning after that they
took me to Winford, and locked me up
in that sanatorium.
1T was cruelty easy to do 1t all.
From Philadelphia to New York, and
from New York to Syracuse we had a
private compartment on the train, but
once in the Pennsylvania station and
once in the lodging-house at Syracuse
managed to speak to people; but it
wasn't of the slightest use. The one
word insane made people shrink
away from me. Any determined man
and woman, posing as doctor and
nurse, could, think, abduct almost
anyone else People take the word Of
the majority SO much as q matter of
course. It Is not like being criminal.
where they have to prove you guilty.
For some reason people accept the pre-
mise that you are insane until you
have proved that you are not, and then
hurry away without giving you any
chance Of making such proof.
Neither Of them talked to me much
while we were travelling, but as soon
as was safely locked up, he came In
to my room and had long talk with
me. He told me, in the first place,
that was not really married to you.
and then he said that he could keep
me there until l consented to marry
him, even If he had to wait year or
SO. l told him that he had forgotten
one thing, that person had to be
judged insane by the court; but he
said as no one knew where was, and
as Doctor Mayhem agreed with him,
he thought we might dispense with
that formality."
While Nancy talked / let the car
drop to a more gentle rate of speed,
that might listen without danger to
us all
Nancy / said, do you know that
you have never told me who the man
is? HIS name was torn off the note you
gave me at Mrs. Lathrop's, and Doc
tor Mayhew came in before could
ask you, there at the window at the
l know what he looks
like and that he calls himself Doctor
Morrison. Who Is he, Nancy
Nancy looked over her shoulder
where he uncle and Mrs. Lathrop sat
in the tonneau.
"He is his son." she said, in a very
soft voice; my own cousin, Erskine
Bond"
"Your cousin 2" repeated aloud
"Hush," said Nancy, hell hear"
But think that Ephraim Bond had
already caught the name Of his son,
softly as she had whispered it, and in
spite of the faint drumming Of the
motor.
Eyes, my son. he said, leaning for
ward between US; "for my sins, my
own son.
Our road was winding through long