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

again to Nancy.
"He was the man behind the curtain
that first day them" ! said. You
knew he was In the house then.
Nancy"
She nodded. eyes," she said. II
thought 1t was he, and it frightened
me, for he had no business there then"
mo, he had not" Dphraim Bond in
terrupted. II had forbidden him the
house, forbidden 1t for all time. II
had known he was there, II you had
had the sense to tell me, Nancy, !
should have called the police; but
never suspected It until saw him rum
ming after bus just as you drove
away"
sat silent, thinking. Furtively
Nancy's hand stole gently into mine
But, why" asked. didn't you tell
me about him in the first place? I
should think it would have been the
first thing you would have told me-"
Nancy looked up at me and actually
laughed. And lose you the next min
ute?" she said II knew you too we'll,
and not well enough" Her face grew
serious II really meant to tell you,
Mason. was going to tell you. 1t was
you yourself who stopped me. Do you
rem ember our walk into the village to-
gether, when I tried to tell you all
about my life, and what 1t had been?
would have told you then about
Erskine. although I didn't like even
to think Of him, but was afraid to.
l told you about Uncle Ephraim and
that was bad enough. Do you know
what you said you would like to do to
him?"
xiii him, I think" confessed.
Ephraim Bond moaned in the seat
behind us, so that suppose he was
listening.
"Well," Nancy said, 1T frightened
me terribly. For all knew, you might
have turned around and gone right
back to New York. II told you about
my cousin, was sure that you would
do so. You were all the happiness
l had in the world, Mason" She
smiled at me again. II loved you dis
tractedly even then, you see. Ny
father was dead and you were all I
had. | didn't want revenge, I wanted
happiness wanted to put them all
out Of my life, and only prayed that
they would never come into 1t again.
l meant to tell you some day, when
l could make you understand all that.
I couldn't afford to risk 1t then, and
couldn't tell you how much I cared.
Surely, you know that never loved
Erskine do not need to tell you that.
Moreover do not think that he ever
loved me. Uncle Ephralm knows why
he wanted to marry me-"
She was trying, I know, to deal mer-
cifully with the old man In the ton
neau; but, in spite Of herself, q little
tinge Of bitterness crept into her voice.
"He arranged the marriage" she
went on; "he and father between
them, he told me, although have
never believed that. ] have never
believed that l have never known
why 1t was, why everybody seemed to
want 1t 80 much, unless 1t had some
thing to do with money; for | have
never like Erskine, and they all
knew 1t. When he began to make love
to me detested him. Was 1t money,
Uncle Ephraim?" she asked.
Ephraim Bond sank back against
the leather cushions, white and silent.
Answer her" said.
He moaned and WINGED as II had
struck him. Mrs. Lathrop hoped to
her feet and fairly shook him.
Answer her! Answer her!" she
cried. Don't be a fool. Nobody's 60
ing to kill you.'''
She had some strange power that
Ephraim Bond seemed unable to resist.
He raised one hand to his trembling
lips, and looking away from us, began
to speak in colorless monotone.
ut was the wish OF my brother" he
said; "his living wish and his dying
wish, that our two families should be
held together yet closer. He even
Mr.. Bond paused.
"Yes," Mrs. Lathrop prompted. 'He
even said SO in his will. OF course 1t
was money. You might as well tell
about IT,
against my Judgment the old man
whispered, quite against my judg-
ment he did make such an arrange.
ment In his will. He had a little
money, not much, but little. This
was to 20 to Nancy If she married my
SON"
pressed Nancy's hand and smiled
at her reassuringly.
cit doesn't seem possible" she said.
"They told me father wished 1t, but
never believed them. He could not
have been himself to have written
such thing"
Perhaps it was written for him."
l said. "Well, Mr. Bond, and II Nancy
did not marry your SOM"
ut was all quite, quite against my
judgment" he quavered; you under
stand that: but my brother was so set
on the matter, could not Influence
him. did not approve Of such will.
but he was very headstrpng, very head
strong"
Il suppose" said Mrs. Lathrop,
that, II Nancy refused to do this, the
money reverted to YOU
Ephraim Bond looked up at her
quickly, his rabbit chin trembling and
his pale eyes wide with terror.
''It was quite against my WILL" he
repeated.
"Of course" Mrs. Lathrop comment
ed dryly.
"Then / suppose" said, you quar-
relied with your son for some reason
or other and decided that you could
get this money for yourself, and
brought me in to help you"
But his fear seemed to have at last