Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-05

J -Hllu, suppose tnlngS SnOulu al -
| wrong?"
"They wont. dear" he treasured
her. Trust me-
But John Hancock hasn't been ovel
| for week. and tell you, Joe, he IL
Jealous"
Dear" said Algernon, "he will be
I, back again. jealousy or no jealousy
He couldn't help himself But he
will come sooner. Molly, If you will
discourage that Patterson fellow"
Molly blushed and for moment
said nothing. II don't encourage him
joe said she slowly at last. "He is
lonely in the village and comes out to
read the books in the library. That
Is all he does. He is in there nearly
all the time We hardly say word
to each other"
"He has his nerve" muttered Al.
gernon.
81 know, 1t does seem cheeky. but
1t isn't, Joe. really. said for him to
come. He has nothing to read. at the
days are SO dreadly dull for him at
that awful hotel. He is going any
day, too. am sorry for him. can't
turn him away"
You are an angel declared AL
gernon.
Molly was in way comforted. She
dried her eyes and unused for mo-
ment On what had been said. II
should think John would see how
silly and childish he is said she.
"He ought to be man of the world
enough to understand how 7 must meet
other men in the capacity Of Mrs.
Todd. think he is childish, silly"
He's desperately in love- returned
Algernon. Love is mild form of
insanity. Nelly"
Not mild. in some people, said the
girl. thinking Of her foolish yielding
to its call when success was in her
grasp.
Forget him. pleaded Algernon
I'm fighting for your soul, Molly.
Help me save it from the money
market"
"I am fighting for it," she flashed
with a quick return Of her old uncon-
querable determination with money,
my soul will be above temptation.
w ililOul IL. HOu. JcS, yOu VIII
derstand what poverty means to
girl. alone. unprotected and fairly
pretty! The soul hunger that is worse
than the bodily. The terrible long
ings and the awful temptations! And
beneath you, Joe, waiting to catch you
when you totter and seem likely to
fall. the everlasting arms-of some
man. reaching to drag you lower in the
mire." She laughed bitterly and her
grew sullen and hard.
Algernon flushed and felt painfully
his Inability to comfort her. He had
all of rich persons utter disbelief
in the grinding misery of poverty. II
know it's hard he muttered.
Sherman was wrong the girl went
on. compared to poverty, war is
paradise In war you are either shot
outright and your troubles are over
with. or you are wounded and there is
some one to take care Of you and pull
you through, some one responsible for
you the government If you are,
poverty-stricken you stand alone.
every one is agaihst you. There is no
one to turn to. no one to help you, UNI
less you want to suffer the terrible
stigma of charity" She threw out her
hands, with a gesture of the hopeless
ness of life as she had known it.
Molly, trust me, dear begged Al
gernon. Il can and always will take
care of you. Trust me, trust me, that
is all ask"
She shook her head, but made no
reply, and Algernon. somehow en-
couraged by her silence, which was
not, after all, he told himself, refusal,
fell silent, too.
The next morning. he waited and
waited en- the tiny beach, but no Molly
met him in the fragrant woods at the
parting of the ways, or awaited him In
girlish eagerness on the pebble
strewn sands of the little beach. He
took a lonely dismal swim and Won
dered what was the matter with het,
her more than he believed
possible. To make certain that she
had not oversight, he waited on the
beach until the stable clock struck
eight and still she had not come, and
he trailed back in lonely misery
misery through the woods.
No. Molly said in answer to his
question over the telephone, she did
not care to go out in the car that
morning. She was going in the motor
boat Bates would go with her. He.
had before and she trusted him fully.
He was very good at that kind of thing.
Good-by
In the afternoon. for the first time
since Algernon's engagement as chauf-
feur, she ordered the stately If uncer-
tain Elizabeth to be brought to the
door, and in solitary majesty, in the
high dog.cart, she went to drive by
herself. Thoroughly wretched, Won
dering what he had done to displease
her, Algernon got out the roadster and
went for ride.
1t was a glorious afternoon, clear
and cool. with tinge Of sharpness in
the air that made thepulses leap and
throb. The fall comes early In Maine
and already, here and there, the leaves
were turning, transforming branch
into flaming sword among the green.
Algernon did three miles in as many
and then slowed up just before
the descent to the village which Eliza
beth had taken so CALAMITY the day OF
his arrival for he had noticed the
tOn.heayv dop.cart at tho bottom OF