Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-10-28

mtring the girl as she came into the
room.
Several hundred have been asked.
I believe" she answered indifferently,
dropping into q chair. II have decid-
ed not to CO."
MAY ask why?"
Certainly you may ask" Alice as
sured him with small show of grace,
"but must decline to answer, for
believe that after minutes medita-
ton your own memory will save me
the trouble and answer you more in
tellgently and less dispassionately
than / possibly could under the cir
cumstances."
"All this is Greek to me. Alice"
said Charley, a surprised. hurt note in
his voice. Suppose you tell me all
about it,"
81 can't do 1t without emotion and
I will not cry and let you laugh at
me-" Alice slowly pulled the gleam-
ing circle of diamonds from her finger
and laid it on the table between them.
II give you back your freedom"
see here" Alice" said the man,
What's the matter?
ndNo uOuc any IAAS IAaI ulSPiSoScu
your"
NO You have your freedom. Now
enjoy ~"
There was finality in her voice and
without even glancing at the ring on
the table, Charley Lanier said good
night and left her.
He was stunned, he was Inundated
as he stepped into his car and ordered
his chauffeur to run out on the river
road.
Ten miles from town, the stiffness
of the country and Of the eternal hills
smote his inner consciousness with
peace and the anger In his heart for
the girl he loved died and left only
a sense OF loneliness. Life could be
made too great thing to waste any
hours over q tickle woman. He told
his chauffeur to drive back to the
Havemeyers' garden party. II Alice
could give him up for some foolish,
abstract reason, he determined that he
would forget his hurt by mingling with
people,
well, I'm glad to see you here,
Charley" said pleasant voice, as he
turned away from his hostess. "I've
been looking for you. want you to
take Thankful Morris around with you
and have her sing. She has wonder
full talent"
He turned quickly and saw one of his
mothers best friends and beside her
the beautiful girl whom he had taken
motoring in the afternoon. He had
asked her to go only to please his
mother, but now he was glad of an OPP
portunity to be with her and introduce
her to his friends.
It was when q party OF guests had
gone into the, house, into the. hand
some music room, to hear Thankful
Morris sing, that Charley first saw
Alice standing with group Of men
and covertly watching him. The full
mellow voice OF the singer had the
silvery trills Of nightingales in 1t and
the sweetness of her own fower-scent-
ed south. Under the sound Of the
music the mans heart began to ache
DULY, desparingly. He turned to fell
low clubman and asked him to provide
an escort for the visitor, then moved
quietly through French window out
on the vine-covered veranda where
the moonlight through the leaves
showed In patches on the floor.
He was alone there and he leaned
his head back on chair and closed
his eyes, listening to the pleading love
song that seemed to mock his own
pain. He had been so happy with
Alice, she was his complement and all
that he needed to complete his life.
and for some idle notion she had given
him up without even granting him the
satisfaction Of knowing why. He knew
that his pride ought to keep him from
grieving, but she had been SO dear, so
beautiful and so very much his own
the week before when she had let him
slip the glowing circle on her finger.
He had never known Alice to be
much given to moods, and again he
wondered what had caused the change
In her He was so deeply interested
in his own thoughts, so absorbed in
planning possible solutions for pos
sible problems that he did not hear the
merry guests leave the music room to
go out into the garden, nor did he hear
the soft footsteps of the girl. She
spoke to him before he knew that she
was there.
"My sense Of justice made me fol-
low you here to offer an explanation
which denied you two hours ago.
Will you bear me?"
He had risen at the sound Of her
voice and stood looking at her young
and slender in her soft white gown.
"Of course, Alice he said. tensely
and quietly. II will hear anything
you have to say" He pushed chair
forward beside his own. Will you
sit down."
II have never been guilty Of yield
ing to caprice, although my attitude
tonight has doubtless looked very much
like It, / did not know what to do
and circumstances seemed against you,
80 determined to find out things for
myself II I could"
The man watched her. pale and fra
grant as some moon-fower there be-
fore him. She was SO young. so
sweetly troubled that he wanted to
take her in his arms in spite Of every
thing and tell her that her sorrow
was his own and that she must let him
share it with her.
To-day, quite by chance, I overheard
your mother talking to Mrs. TYLER at