Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-08


Ously.
She gave hers freely. He looked
into her marvellous eyes for moment.
Then he turned the palm upward and
kissed it, lightly and loverly; and she
drew it across his face, over his eyes,
till it left in departing carsss upon
his forehead. He stood up, breathing
quickly, but not more so than she. A
little tableau. Then he damned his
battered fedora upon his head and
strobe up the Corso. He dared not
turn. Had he done so, he must have
gone back and taken her In his arms.
She followed him with brave eyes;
she saw him suddenly veer across the
street and pause at the parapet. 1t
was then that she became conscious
of the keenness Of the night-wind.
She went in. Somehow. all earth's
puzzles had that night been solved.
George lighted cigar, doubtless the
most costly weed to be found in all
Naples that night. The intermittent
glowing of the end family outlined his
face. Far away across the simmer
ing bay rose Capri in kind OF magic,
amethystine transparency. A light or
two twinkled where Sorrento lay. His
gaze roved in half-circle, and finally
rested upon the grim dark ash-heap,
Vesuvius. Beauty, beauty, everywhere;
beauty in the sky, beauty upon earth,
in his heart and mind. He was
twenty-eight, and all these wonderful
things hal happened in little more
than so many days!
Goods in His heaven,
A11'c rioht with tho wOrldt'
He flung the half-fnished cigar into
the air, careless as to where it fell, or
that in falling it might set Naples on
fire. 1t struck a roof somewhere be-
low: sputter of sparks, and all was
dark again.
81 shall come All through his
dreams that night he heard it. Il shall
come"
Next morning he notified the cap
tain to retain their cabins. After that
they proceeded to storm the shops.
They were like March hares; ire
sponsible children, both OF them.
What meaning had circumspection?
They two were all alone; the rest OF
the world didn't count. 1t never had
counted to either of them. Certainly
they should have gone to parsonage;
Mrs. Grundy would prudently have sug-
gested it. The trivialities OF con-
vention, however, had no place at that
moment in their little Eden. They
were a law unto themselves. ...r. d.
= Into twenty shops they went;
modiste after modiste was interview
ed; and Fortune at length found two
models. These were pretty, and, be-
ing models, quite inexpensive. Once.
George was forced to remain outside
in the carriage It was in front OF the
lingerie shop. He put away each re-
ceipt just like husband upon his
honeymoon. Later, receipts would
mean as much, but from different
angle of vision. He bought so many
violets that the carriage looked as
though it were ready for the flower
carnival. He laughingly disregarded
her protests. It was the song OF songs.
"My shopping is DONE" she said at
last, dropping the bundles upon the
carriage floor. Nov, it is your turn
you have forgotten a warm
steamer-cloak," he reminded her.
so I have!"
This oversight was easily remedied;
and then George sought the tailor
shops for ready-made clothes. He had
more difficulty than Fortune; ready
made suits were not the easiest things
to find in Naples. BY noon, however,
he had acquired Scotch WOODEN for
day wear and fairly decent dinner
suit, along with other necessities.
"Well, I say." he murmured, struck
by a revealing thought.
Have you forgotten anything?'
mo. On the contrary, I've just re-
membered something. I've got all l
need or want in my steamer-trunk
and till this minute I never once
thought Of it"
How they laughed! Indeed, so high
we're their spirits that they would
have laughed at any inconseduent
thing. They launched at the Gam
brinus, and George mysteriousy
bought up all the pennies from the
hunchback tobacco vendor. Later. as
they bowled along the sea-front,
George created a small riot by fling
ing pennies to small boys and whin-
ing beggars. At fve\they went aboard
the ship, which was to leave at sun
down, some hours ahead Of scheduled
time. The captain himself welcomed
them as they climbed the swaying
ladder There were a hundred first
class passengers for the final voyage.
The two, however, still sat at the right
and left Of the captain; but the table
was filled, and they maintained a
guarded prattle. Every one at once
assumed that they were bridal cou-
pie, and watched them with tolerant
amusement. The captain had con-
siderately left their names of the pas
senger-list as published for the benefit
of the passengers and the saloon-sit-
ting. So they moved in sort Of mys.
terry which rough weather prevented
being solved.
One night, when the sea lay calm
and the air was caressingly mild.
George and Fortune had gone forward
and were leaning over the starboard-
rail where it meets and joins the for.
ward beam-rail. They were watching
for the occasional flicker Of phosphorus
sence. Their shoulders touched, and
Georges hand lay protectingly over
horS ..-. .|.,..