Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-20

fects my interests. went part Of the
way with Mr. Clinton, but after think
ing over what had been told me, I
decided to leave the train at the next
I have been driven back In a
carriage. l may as we'll tell you, Mr..
Gregory, that am urged to accept a
responsible position in Chicago"
He understood that she referred to
marriage with Robert Clinton. 'But
- he began, very pale.
She repeated, "a responsible posi-
ton in Chicago. And was told, this
morning, that while l was away, Fran
meant to apply for the secretaryship,
thus taking advantage Of my absence"
Fran's face looked odly white and
old. in its oval Of black hair. "Who
told you this TRUTH" she demanded,
with a menacing CLEAN Of teeth.
"Who knew OF your intentions?" the
other gracefully said. But that Is no
matter. The point is that have this
Chicago opportunity. So If Mr. Greg
ory wants to employ you, must know
it at once, to make my arrangements
accordingly"
Can you imagine" Hamilton cried
that without any warn
ing, would make change? Ger
tainly not. have no intention of en-
ploying Fran. The idea is impossi-
BILE. More than that, 1t is-er-it Is
absolutely preposterous. Would l
calmly tear down what you and I have
been building up so carefully"
Then you had already refused Fran
before I Gamer"
II had-hadn't I, Franz"
Fran gave her father look such as
had never before come into her dark
eyes-a look of reproach, a look that
said, II can not fight back because Of
the agony in my heart She went
away silent and with downcast head.
In sure.Enough Country.
One morning, more than month
after the closing days of school, Abb
bolt Ashton CHANGED to look from his
bedroom window as Hamilton Greg
ory's buggy, with Fran in it, passed.
There were no more examination
papers for Abbott to struggle with;
but, like bees who spend the pleasant
est weather in hardest work he was
laying up mathematical sweetness and
psychological succulence against the
sor at Yale or Harvard.
Unthrifty Fran, on the contrary
was bent upon no mission OF self-lm-
provement. Long fishing-poles project
ing from the back of the buggy, pro-
tested against the commercialism OF
the age; their yellow hue streaked
the somber background of a money
getting world, while the very joints OF
the poles Knocked at continuity OF pur-
pose.
By Fran's side Abbott discovered a
man. True, it was "only" Simon Jeffer-
son; still. for all his fifty years and
his weak heart, 1t was not as II 1t were
some pleasant respectable woman y
say Simon's mother. However, old
ladies do not sit upon creek banks.
The thought of sitting upon the
bank of stream suggested to Abbott
that it would be agreeable to pursue
his studies in the open air. The June
morning had not yet had It's dewy
sweetness burned away by droughty
old sun. Abbott snatched up some
books and went below. In almost
every front yard there were roses. up
and down the street, they doomed IN
all colors, with delicate, penetrating,
Intoxicating fragrance. They were not
hidden away in miserly back-gardens,
these roses; they smiled for the mean
est beggar, for the most self-sufficient
tramp. for the knowledge-burdene
scholar, for the whistling driver OF
the grocer's wagon. They had often
smiled in vain for Abbott Ashton, but
that was before he had made the he
wildering discovery that they we're
like Fran.
On the green veranda he paused to
inhale their fragrance. ;.
"Pm glad you've left your room :
said Miss Sapphire, all innocence, all
kindness. you'll study yourself to
death. It won't make any more OF lie
to take 1t hard-theres just so much
for every man."
Abbott smiled abstractedly. He
heard nothing but the voices OF the
roses
Huge and serious, Miss Sapphire sat
in the shadow by the bay-Window.
Against the wall were arranged sturdy
round-backed wooden chairs, each OF
which could have received the land,
lady's person without culver OF
spindle. Everything about Abbott
seemed too carefully ordered he
pined for the wholesome messy
bank sloping to purling stream.
Suddenly Miss Sapphire grew pom.
derously significant. Her massive head
trembled from a weight of meaning
not to he lifted lightly in mere words,
her double chins consolidated, and her
mouth became as the granite door OF
a cave sealed against the too-curious.
Abbott paused uneasily before MS
meditated flight-"Have you heard
any news?"
She answered almost tragically,
Board meeting, tonight"
Ordinarily. teachers for the next
year were selected before the close OF
the spring term; only those ION the
inside" knew that the Hateful board
meeting had been delayed week after
week because of disagreement over
the superintendency. There was 50
much dissatisfaction over Abbott Ash
ton-because of 80 much talk" =:
that even Robert Clinton had thought
II best to wait, that the young man