Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-13
CHAPTER Xxx
On the Edge of the World.

There was a pause not to be
reckoned by minutes but suffocatingly
long. She had grown as pale as ne.
THAT was ungenerous Of you she
said then with icy slOwness. Though
no doubt you-found it entertaining.
1t must have still further amused you
ITO be taken for an architect?"4 .....
81 am fattered,' he replied, with a
trace of bitterness, Ito have suggested
even for a moment, so worthy a
calling
Though he spoke calmly enough,
his thoughts were in ragged confusion.
AS her gaze dived into his. he was
conscious of outre fanctes. She
seemed to him like some snow-cloud in
woman's shape, edged with anger and
swept by wrathful wind into this
summary afternoon. For her part she
was telling herself with passionate
resentment that he had no right so
to misrepresent himself-to lead her
on to such a denouement At his an
swer she put out her hand with sud
den gesture. as If bluntly thrusting
the matter from her corcern. and turn
ing, went back along the tree-shad-
owed path.
He followed glumly. gnaWing his
lip, wanting to say he knew not what,
but wretchedly tongue-tied, noting
that the great white moth was still
waving its creamy wings on the dead
stump and wondering if she would
take the cape jessamines. He felt an
embarrassed relief when, passing the
roots where they lay, she stopped to
raise them.
Then all at once the blood seemed
to shrink from his heart. With a
hoarse cry he leaped toward her,
seized her wrist and roughly dragged
her back. feeling as he did so, a sharp
fiery sting on his instep. The next
moment, with clenched teeth. he was
viciously stamping his heel again and
again. driving into the soft earth a
twisting root-like something that slap
ped the brown wintered leaves into a
kissing turmoil
He had flung her from him with
such violence that she had fallen side
wise. Now she raised herself, kneel-
ing in the featherIy light, both hands
clasped close to her breast, trembling
excessively with 1oathing and feeling
the dun earth-foor billow like a can
vas sea in theater. Little puffs Of
dust from the protesting ground were
wreathing about her set face, and she
pressed one hand against her shoulder
to repress her shivers.
"The horrible-horrible thing!"
she said whisperingly. at would have
have bitten me-"
He came toward her, painting and
grasping her hand, lifted her feet. He
staggered slightly as he did So and
she saw his lips twist together oddly.
"Ah," she gasped, at bit you! 1t bit
you"
mo" he said, 81 think not"
Look. There on your ankle-that
spot"
81 did feel something, just that first
moment He laughed uncertainty.
ITS queer. My foot's gone fast
asleep"
Every remnant Of color left her
face. She had known a negro child
who had died of water-moccasin' 3
bite some years before-the child Of
a house-servant It had been wading
in the creek in the gorge. The doctor
had said then that if one Of the other
She grasped his arm. ''Sit down"
she commanded, here on this log, and
see"
Her pale fright caught him. He
obeyed, dragged off the low shoe and
barred the tingling spot The firm
white flesh was putting up around two
tiny blue-rimmed punctures. He
reached into his pocket, then remem-