Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-16


and had been crying.
Nancy" whispered, Nancy
She sprang to her feet and stood
looking about her, one slim hand
raised fearfully to her heart. did
somebody calf" she asked.
Don't be frightened" said. 1T Is
/, Mason. Here at the window"
Shs crossed the room uncertainty,
as If she had heard many voices OF
late or had waited SO anxiously to hear
that now she could not believe.
''You, Mason. You!" she whispered.
eyes, I climbed up the Ivy. am
here at the window. have come to
take you home again"
She knelt on the floor beside the
window, and I raised the shade lit
tie, so that now we looked into each
others eyes.
"My dear, my dear" said, "are you
we'll? Is everything all right here?"
Nancy drew a long, shuddering
breath. ooh, Mason, am so glad, glad
YOU have come. have been so worried
about you. was afraid-afratd they
might have killed you"
II don't fancy they would 60 quite
so far as that" laughed.
Il don't know, Mason Nancy said
VERY seriously. They brighten me.
They are capable Of almost anything
wicked, desperate, or wrong, and am
afraid for you even now. 1t Is mad OF
YOU to be clinging there with your
face to the bright light. am going to
pull down the shade"
DON'T I said. "The Waterman
won't be around again for ten minutes
at least, and want to see YOU"
mo" said Nancy, ut is too danger
GUS. I am going to pull it down. We
can talk just as we'll from different
sides Of the curtain"
But" / protested.
mo" said Nancy firmly, 1T has to
be-" Then with little flush and 50
softly that I could scarcely hear the
whisper, kiss me, dear"
She bent forward 80 that her face
pressed close against the cruel, rust
ing bars of iron. the wondrous mys.
terry of her beauty tenderly enfoldfng
her. The dear, brave eyes looked Into
mine for an eternal instant, then fell
as I bent and kissed her lips. The
agon!es OF hell could not have fright
ened me then.
! "You are coming with me now,
now" said, and stretched one hand
| to a bar of the iron grating, which
bent in, my hand. 81
Nancy caught my wrist with quick,
restraining little gesture. mo. Mason,
not that way" she said. " 1t is too
dangerous for you. Yes. too dangerous
for both Of us. am going to pull down
the shade, and you must talk to me
quietly; for of course you can take
me away, tomorrow, perhaps. and
there is no Immediate danger"
"No danger, I repeated; why
Nancy, the place is horrible"
Then you had better not look at it
any more said Nancy and pulled
down the shade. Really, dear" she
continued, 1T is best for both Of us.
Even suppose that you could break
these bars, and l almost think you
could, Mason, you would have to carry
me down the way you came, and it
would be very hard for you to do, even
II the Ivy were strong enough to hold
us. Can you hear me?"
Eyes," I answered "and I suppose
you are right" For the possibility Of
the Ivy breaking under our combined
weight, and Of the fall for Nancy,
cooled my flare of anger like dash
of cold water. II will come around to-
morrow morning, then, and get in on
some pretext or other. Let them stop
me If they can"
For moment Nancy did not
answer.
Listen, DEAR" she said at length.
II do not know how 1t is going to be
done. You must think of that. But, If
possible, I want you to take me away
from here quietly, to depend on your
wit and not your strength. For these
men here have everything at stake.
This sanatorium has been running for
a good many years now, so that
thinl, that none Of them would stop
at murder itself to prevent open ex-
posture. 1t is very hazardous bust
ness, and 1t means prison for them If
they are caught. They must have
counted on that, Mason. think they
are protected by the town authorities
here in some way, but l am very sure
that, rather than fall into the hands
Of the state law, they would not hesi-
tate to xii you. Dear heart, you must
not risk all I have in the world be-
cause you are impatient for me.
She was speaking almost in a
whisper; but through the soft, low
tones of the voice loved, sounded a
new and vibrant quality, new-found
something as old as humanity itself,
the gentle, omniscient wisdom of a
woman to the man she loves. What
man Is there that must not bow to 1t,
yet feel himself the more man?
''You are right" said. II suppose
it is the savage in me that makes me
want to fight, Nancy. But, after all, as
long as get you, the way does not 50
very much matter. You remember Mrs
Lathrop, do you not-where you spent
the first night after-after they took
you?"
very WE'LL" said Nancy. did she
give you my note?"
Eyes, DEAR" / said; "she gave me
the note, and yesterday she came to
the Hotel Gloria and insisted on COM
ing to help to find you. She thinks me
a rather helnless individual. am