Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-08-12

mind rapidly when he meets tho 0tofn
and forbidding glance Of the head
waiter.
the whole rickety, gilded pile Of
boards had burst into flames. II had
fascinated her-watching the xrest,
licking. yellow tongues leap out over
that sway1ng dark mob Of people that
had 1 moment ago been cheering lei.
And then suddenly q back draft had
swept the wave toward her. she had
gasped for breath and stumbled
blindly. And out Of the black and
yellow horror Of the place he had come
to her rescue.
She didn't know him then. Later.
during those long days OF lonely
agony when she lay in tho little white
70 tn the sisters hospital watching
the big wasp fight and crawl over tho !,
screen she heard them talk OF him
when they thought she WA asleep.
He was q Californisn-Stanton STRAIT.
ford.
Eight miles from Tampico was his
ranch. He rarely rode in. It had
only been chance or fate that had led
him that night to the theater. And
yet, out OF all the crowd, he had been
the only n to think Of the girl back
up on the flaming stage@the only one
to go after her and get her out.
One day she opened her eyes and
asked II he had been to see her. Tho
sister shook her head.
Tho senior could not enter, but he
sends to you the flowers, the fruit,
the d~elicacies from the ranchero. His
mother has called"
His mother!" Zoe had gaspsd
family. How nice Of her"
When you are able, you are to 70
there to rest and grow strong"
And the queer part was, It had I'll
come true. She had gone up to the
wonderful ranchero to be thei9 guest
for two weeks. And two things had
happened there that had both con-
spired to send her back to playing
split weeks on the old circuits.
"Of course, it's all the way you
look at things" dear, placid old Mrs.
Stratford had told her. Stanton says
you dance like an angel, but angels
don't dance that way, my child. and3I
hope this may be a sort Of lesson to
you from q guiding Providence"
II am sure It Will be, Mrs. strat.
ford" Zoe had said, with . little haIf
smile. 1
'Of course, once you're IN the life.
you never get rid OF its glamor: but,
you very nearly lost your life this time,
remember, and 1t may be the finger
Of guidance"
You mean for me to leave the
stage!" Zoe wondered II she could
k~NuS ~ $hnfe tall ~ ve~Ak A~AAAa
out In the roseperfumed garden un.
der the sky Of southern stars. when
"Stant" Stratford had thrown eau.
ton to the winds and demanded tbs
life he had saved. do you think Il
would be right for me to do that II
II L loved somebody"
mo, I don't child" the old lady had
answered, gently. THE lure. OF II al
is In. your blood, and It wouldn't be
fair to him."
That had been a year back. and she
had returned to the forty weeks. Once
he had written to tell her OF hts
mothers death. He was alone. and
starved for her. Would she come
back to him, to the rose garden and
the old stars that looked gold in the
long hot nights of the southland? She
had never even answered the letter.
She dared not. It was not fair to the
man, his mother had told her.
And now, there was his letter In
her hand, and she was afraid to open
1t. When she came of the stage, after
the last curtain call, Joe, the manager,
grinned at her proudly.
you pulled eight on 'em, that tins,
Miss valenza, and they went crazy
on that last call"
ri wish 1t were my last, Joe.' she
said, bitterly. 1T doesn't seem to
taste good to me any more someway.p'
She heard him call to her againsas
she turned up the stairs to her dreas.
ing room. but she did not answer, and
once there she opened the letter from
Stratford. It was brief. It merely
stated that he was there. In the same
town, that night, and would be at the
theater waiting for her. She looked
at the postmark. It was stamped
right there in that little, lazy, manu-
featuring Jersey town. and he, Stan
tan Stratford, was waiting for her
downstairs. She closed her eye1 for .
minute, trying to think clearly, but
out of the food OF memory there was
only q frantic thankfulpess that
somehow fate had dealt her the ACC Of
hearts. Joe tapped at her door, and
she opened 1t a crack.
Gentleman below waiting to 80
you, MISC Varenza-"
Thank you, Joe. Tell him I'll b
right down, and-and, listen. joe
She slipped a bill into his hand
laughing softly. Tell them I've been
taken fearfu1ly LII, very, very sud
denly, Joe. Wire the ONCE I'm down
and out for good. I'm going West to-
night, and I won't be back. Ill never,
never be back, Joe, understands"
Geo. he said, regretfnIly, Il wish
you'd taken that last call on en-"
"I'm taking it now, joe" said Zoe.