Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-01-01
CHAPTER XXXV Continued.

mOOnllghted garden at Rosewood, she
had lain in his arm for one brief in
slant; then she had seemed like some
trapped wood-thing resisting. Now,
her slender body swaying to his every
motion, she was another creature.
Under the dropping tawny hair her
face was almost as pale as the white
satin of her gown; her lips were parted
and as they moved, he could feel her
heart rise and fall to her dangerous
breath.
There was no speech between them;
for those few golden minutes all else
vanished utterly, and he guided by in
stinct, as oblivious to the foor-full as
if he were drifting through some en-
chanted ether. holding to his breast
the incarnation of all loneliness, a
thing Of as frai enchantment as the
glow of stars upon snow. yet for him
always the one divine vision!
CHAPTER XXXVI
BY the Sun.DiaI.
Eyes arched with fan-shielded whis-
pers, and fair faces. foreshortened as
they turned back over powder-white
shoulders, followed their swallow-like
movement. From an overwhelming
circle of masculine deYotees Kathar-
inue Forge watched them with smile
that cloaked an increasing and un-
welcome question.
Katharine had never looked more
handsome; a critical survey of her
mirror at GLADDEN. Hall had assured
her of that Never had her poise been
more superb. her toilet more enrap-
turing. She was exquisitely gowned
in rose-colored mousseline-de-soie, en-
broidered in tiny brilliants laid on in
Greek patterns. From her neck, in a
single splendid loop Of iridescence
against the rosy mist, depended those
fabulous pearls "the kind you simply
can't believe" as Betty Page confided
to her partner-on whose newspaper
reproduction (actual diameter) metro
politan shop-girls had been wont to
gaze with glistenin. eyes; and within
their milky circlet, ION her rounded
breast, trembled three pale gold-veined
orchids. -" 80
Watching that quadrille through her
dropping emeraldtinted eyes, she had
received a sudden enlightening impress
sion of Shirley's flawless beauty. At
the tournament her fleeting glimpse
had adjudged the other merely sweetly
pretty. The Chalmers surrey had
stopped enroute for Shirley, but in her
wraps and veil she had then been all
but invisible. This had been Kathar-
ines first adequate view, and the
sight of her radiant charm had the eff
feet almost of blow.
For Katharine, be it said, had wholly
surrendered to the old, yet new, at
traction that had swept her on the
tourney field. This feeling was no
less cerebral and intellectual than it
had been; she was no Galatea waiting
her Pygmalion. But 1t was strong for
all that And what had lain always in
the back Of her mind as half-formed
intention, had become self-admitted
purpose during the motor ride. So as
she watched them in the waltz, sea-
soned artificialist as she was, Kathar-
inc for g. breath had had need of all
her address to keep the ball of con-
versation sparklingly a-roll Her
natural assurance, however, came
quickly to her aid. She had been an
acknowledged beauty too many sea-
sons-had known John Valiant, or be-
lieved she had, too long and too well
to allow the swift keen edge of
trepidation that had touched her to
cool into prescience..
In another moment the waltz tainted
out, to be succeeded by deux-temps,
and presently the host, in his crimson
cloak. was doffing his plumed hat be-
fore her. Circling the polished floor
in the maze, there was something
gratefully like former days in the as
sured touch, the true and ready guild
ance. The intrusive question faded
He was the John Valiant she had al
ways known, of flashing repartee and
graceful compliment, yet with touch
of dignity, too--as befitted the lord Of
manor-which sat we'll upon him.
took his arm and allowed her perfect
figure to be conducted through the
various rooms of the ground floor,
chatting in quite the old-time way,
till new gallant claimed her.
The mellow strings made on their
merry tune, and at length the Wash
ington Post marched all in flushed
unity of purpose to the great muslin
walled porch with its array of tables
groaning under viands concocted by
Aunt Daphne for the delectation of the
palate-weary: layer-cakes, furry-brown
with chocolate, or saffron with orange
icing; fruit-cake richer than an Indian
begun: angel-cake as white (as the
major was to remark) as innocence
and almost as sweet as the lady upon
whom he pressed it at the moment;
yellow jumbles, kisses that crumbled
at touch, and all nameless tooth
some inventions for which new-laid
eggs are beaten and golden c!tron
sliced.
And then once more the waltz-strain
supervened and in the yellow parlor
joy was again unconfined. Among the
masculine contingent, perhaps, the
same catholicity of age no longer pre-
vailed, certain of the elders showing
an inclination toward one end of the
front porch, now hazing with the fra
GRANGE of Havanas. But the doWagers'
fans piled on. the rose-corners echoed
their light laughter and the couples
footed it as though midnight was yet
unreached and dawn as far afeld as
Judgement Dial.
Again Valiant claimed Katharine
" TN -