Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-06-28
Evening Story.
DRAes OF REALITY,
BY KATHERINE HoPsoN.
Copyright, 1913. by Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.

would have been my wedding morn
ing!" Gertrude Triune, kneeling by
her open window, gazed with burn
ing. fearless eyes out into the lilac
scented dawn. "But. oh, the differ
ence, the awful difference between
the happiness that might have been
and the drabs of reality"
Five months ago when she became
engaged to Arthur Dorman, they had
set the 26th of April, her birthday,
as the date for their marriage. Short.
ly after this Arthur had been obliged
to 60 to Portland on business, and
while he was away, Gertrude's father,
q respected real estate man, had
failed In business. The shock Of this
together with an attack Of pneumo-
MIA had resulted In his death.
When Arthur returned a month
later, he seemed suddenly changed,
that the sensitive. overweight girl
had broken the engagement. This
meant that she, like many another
gently bred. delicately nurtured wom-
an, must face the inhospitable world
as bread winner.
"At any rate am making a sue.
cess of my work The principal az
sures me have broad field OF
usefulness before me- But at twenty
three who wants to be merely use.
full? We want to be happy!"
Tears relieved her burning eyes,
and she leaned her soft cheek
against the window-Sill and sobbed
heartbrokenly.
ooh, Arthur, Arthur, l wouldn't
have failed you when you were In
trouble. l would have been faith
full through anything If the case
had been reversed"
At last the torrent of tears was
past, and Gertrude, pale and spent,
leaned against the window She
wondered where Arthur was and II
he remembered what this day was
to have meant to their lives. After
the breaking Of their engagement
he had returned to Portland where
he had been offered position and
she had heard nothing from hin,
since. Now, as always, she had the
impression that there had. been
something behind his change ~
manner.
Many minutes passed until she was
|
stairs which warned her that the
family with whom she boarded was
up and that breakfast would soon be
ready.
The school day passed with busy
monotony, much as all the rest had
done since she had begun her work
Gertrude was unspeakably thankful
that few knew her troubles. She
felt. that she could not bear to be re-
garded with the curious pity thai
would have been accorded her In hel
home town.
Only one person was well known K
her before her coming to Cleverdon
This was Willard Brent, lawyer and
an old friend, who, after her fathers
death had helped her settle the, in
volved estate. On him she had relied
absolutely with perfect faith In his
business astuteness, yet from the mar
himself she had always recoiled.
A nameless repulsion had risen ur
like a mighty intuitive warning q
few days ago when Mr. Brent had
made an offer of marriage. Too sur
prised to give rational answer she
had begged for few days grace
Today, when the children had
1oyously filed out at the close ol
school, leaving Gertrude alone in hel
room, her tired thoughts reverted tc
this subject.
Surely a school ma'am may relax
after O'Clock and think Of her own
affairs" she sighed and stretched heI
tired arms, then dropped them
heavily on the desk before her and
glanced YEARLY around the deserted
schoolroom where the bright Apri
sun made long beams in the chalk
laden afr.
AFTER all. why do feel this way
about him? There Is absolutely mott,
ing against Willard Brent. He