Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-11

have a fit. I'm liable to do any
thing"
CHAPTER XVIII.
John Valiant Makes a Discovery.
His eyes swept up and down the
slope. There probably isn't a finer
site for house in the whole south"
he told himself. "The livingrooms
front south and west. Well get
scrumptious sunsets from that back
porch. And on the other side there's
the view clear to the Blue Ridge. And
as for this garden, no landscape artist
need apply. The outlines are all here;
1t needs only to be put back. Wen
first rake out the rubbish, chop down
that underbrush and trim the box. The
shrubs only want pruning. Then we'll
mend the pool and set the fountain 60
ing and put in some goldfish. Flower
seeds and bulbs are cheap enough, |
fancy. Just think of a bed of black
and gold pansies running down to the
lake! And on the other side a wild
erness garden. I've seen pictures of
them in the illustrated weeklies.
Those rotten posts, under that snarl
of vines, were a pergola. Any old car
penter can rebuild that can draw
the plans myself"
He skirted the lake. "Only to grub
out some Of the lilies-there's too
many Of them and straighten the
rim-and weed the pebble margin to
give those green rocks a show. I'll
build little wharf below them to
drive FROM and-yes, I'll stock 1t with
spotted trout. Not just to yank out
with barbed hook, but to make 1t
inhabited. How well couple OF
white swans would look preening in the
shade out there The roofs gone from
that oval summer-house, but it's no
trick to put another on"
He penetrated farther into the
tangle and came out into partially
cleared space shaded with great trees,
where the grass was matted with
clover into a thick rug, sprinkled with
designs worked in blue-bells and field
daisies, with here and there flaunt-
ing poppy. like scarlet medallion.
He was but few hundred yards from
the house, yet the silence was so deep
that there might have been no habita-
ton within fifty miles. All at once he
stopped short; there was sudden
movement in the thicket beyond-the
sound Of light fast footballs, as of some
one running away.
He made lunge for the dog. but
with growl Chum tore himself from
the restraining grasp and dashed into
the bushes. "a child, no doubt" he
thought as he plunged in pursuit, land
that lubberly brute will scare it half
to DEATH"
He pulled up with an exclamation.
In narrow wood-path a little way
stood a girl her skirt transfiXed with
a wickedly jagged sapling. He saw
instantly how it had happened; the
windfall had blocked the way, and she
had sprung clean over it not noting
the screened spear, which now held
her as effectually as any railroad
spike. She was struggling with silent
helpless fury to release herself,
wrenching viciously at the offending
stuff, which seemed ridiculously stout,
and disregarding utterly the bulldog,
frisking madly about her feet with
sharp joyous barks.
In another moment Valiant had
reached her and met her face, flushed,
half, defiant, her eyes blue CLEAN OF
smoldering anger as she desperately
ALMOST savagely, thrust wild tendrils
of fame-colored hair beneath the
broad curved brim of her straw hat.
At her feet lay great armful OF cape
|jessamines.
A little thrill. light and warm and
joyous. ran through him. Until that
instant he had not recognized her.
I'm so sorry" was what he said, as
he kneeled to release her, and she
was grateful that his tone was I'M
mixed with amusement. She bit her
lips, as by sheer strength Of elbow
and knee he snapped the offending
bole short off-one Of those quick eX-
,hibitions of reserved strength that
every woman likes. Meanwhile he
was uttering banal fragments of sen,
fences: 81 hope you're not hurt. 1t
was that unmannerly dog, I suppose
What a swordedge that silver has! A
bad tear, I'm afraid! There! -
now It's all right"
'T don't know how I could have
been so silly-thank you so much,
said Shirley, painting slightly from
her emotions I'm not the least bit
hurt-only my dress-and you know
very we'll that I wasn't afraid Of that
ridiculous dog" A richer glow stole
to her cheeks as she spoke, burning
recollection Of a rose, which from her
horse that morning at Damory Court
she had glimpsed in it's glass on the
porch.
Both laughed little. He imagined
hat he could smell that wonderful
hair a subtle fragrance like that OF
sun-dried seaweed or the elusive scent
that clings to tuft Of long-plucked
Spanish moss. "Chum stands absOlv-
ed, them he said, bending to sweep
together the scattered iessamine. ''Do
|you-do you run like that when you're
not frightened?"
when I'm caught red-handed.
Don't your"
He looked puzzled.
She pointed to the flowers. 81 had
stolen them, and I was trying to
Escape off wild 'em' as the negroes
say. Shocking, isn't it? But you see,
nobody has lived here since long be-
fore I was born, and 7 suppose the
flower thieving habit has become in
grown"