Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-01

course did. made inquiries for her;
that's why / went back-to find out
what had become of her. I'd been gone
only three years, yes, only three years
but, good heavens, how | had SUI
fered! I was so changed that nobody
knew me-" He paused, appalled, at the
recollection. II have always had ter
rible capacity for suffering. tell you,
1t was my duty to 60 back to find her,
and | went back would have
acknowledged her as my wife. would
have lived with her I'd have done
right by her, though it had killed me.
Can I say more than that?"
II am glad you went back said
Fran softly. She never knew 1t. | am
so glad that you did-even that"
Yes, I did 90 back" he said. more
firmly. But she was gone. tell you
this because you say she was your
best friend"
"A while ago you asked me who ]
am--and what" ,...
TT doesn't matter" he interjected.
You were her friend: that is all care
to know. went back to Springfield,
after three years--but she was gone.
was told that her uncle had cast her
off. and she had disappeared. 1t seems
that she'd made friends with class or
people who were not--who were not
respectable"
Fran's eyes shone brightly. "Oh.
they were not" she agreed, they
were not at all what you would call
resnectable They we're not religious.
so | was told" he resumed, little
uncertainty. There was no way for
me TO find her." F..
Herr" cried Fran. "you keep say
ing her Do you mean-?'
He hesitated. :" She had chosen ner
part--to live with those people, left
her to lead the life that pleased her.
That's why never went back to
Springfield again. I've, taken up my
life in my own way, and left her
your friend"
'Yes, call her that" cried Fran.
holding up her head. 81 am proud OF
that title. glory in it. And In this
house." ..
Il have made my offer" he inter-
rupted decidedly. "I'll provide for you
anywhere but in this house."
Fran regarded him with somber in
YOU on the grounds that your wife
was my best friend in all the world,
and because am homeless. You re-
fuse. suppose that's natural. | have
to guess at your feelings because
haven't been raised among respect
able people. I'm sorry you don't like
it. but you're going to provide for me
right here. For girl. I'm pretty indie
pendent; folks that don't like me are
welcome to all the enjoyment they get
out Of their dislike. I'm here to stay.
Suppose you look on me as sort of
summer crop. I enjoyed hearing you
sing. tonight ..'.+
we reap what we SOW,
I'VE reap what we SOW 49,"
| see you remember
He shuddered at her hooking holy
things. "Hush! What are you saying?
The past is cut off from my life.
have been >pardoned and l will not
have anybody forcing that past upon
me-
!, Her words came bitingly: you.
can't help it. You sowed. You cant
pardon seed from growing"
81 can help 1t, and will. The past
Is no more mine than hers our mar
rage was legal. but it bound me no
more than 1t bound her. She chose her
own companions. have been building
up respectable life, here in Little.
burg. You shall not overturn the labor
Of the last ten years. You can 60. my
will is unalterable Go-and do what
you can .....
Instead of anger, Fran showed sor-
row: How long have you been mar
ried to the second Mrs. Gregory-the
present one?"
He turned his back upon her as If
to go to the door, but he wheeled
about: "Ten years. You understand?
Ten years of the best work of my life
that you want to destroy
Poor LADY, murmured Fran. "The
first Mrs. Gregory-my 'friend'-has
been dead only three years. You and
she were never divorced. The lady
that you call Mrs. Gregory now she
isn't your wife, Is she?" .ts
'I thought -" he was suddenly
ashen pale--"but thought that she
I believed her dead long ago-1 was
sure of it-positive. What you say Is
impossible. ......
"But no one can SOW without reap
ing," Fran said, still pityingly. When
you sang those words, 1t was only a
song to you, but music is just bit OF
life's embroidery, while you think it
life itself. You don't SOW, or reap, In
choir loft. You can't SOW deeds and
reap words"
81 understand you, now,' he
faltered. "You have come to disgrace
me. What good will that do you, or
or my first wife? You are no abstrac-
ton, to represent sowing or reaping,
but a flesh-and-blood girl who can go
away if she chooses
''She chooses to stay" Fran as
sured him. ....- -.E.
Then you have resolved to ruin
me and break my wife's hearth The
sweet, accompanying face Of the Sec
ond Mrs. Gregory rose before him.
And Grace Noir-what would she
think?
NO I'm just here to have nome"
"Will you enjoy home that you
seize by force?"
uro1,% tbox, COW that tho Kin pdOm