Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-12

angry. while she had remained cool
and sweet, with all her wits about her
except at the end She had left
him in tears, and Algernon argued
from past experiences that when a
woman Is about to change her mind
she will Immediately burst into tears.
If he had only held her a moment
longer!
He stood up and stretched his arms
above his head, stepping to the edge
of the deck with a chuckle. Jove,
Hancock wasn't in 1t! He swan to
shore and went home Though the
woodland path, whistling shrilly
through his teeth.
1t was still early when he had An
ished dressing. He decided to go
boldly to the house, locate the windows
of Molly's room, arouse her and take
her for walk before breakfNt. Half
way across the lawn he noticed the
fiutter of white skirt on the terrace
before the house. It was not one of
the maids, They would be too busy
to loiter on the terrace, for Molly pos
sessed the art of keeping house and
was as strict as mistress as she was
capable as a servant.
Algernon called and the slim figure
on the terrace turned. 1t was Molly,
and as she saw him, she drew back
instinctively, to retreat while there
was yet time. But on second thought
she stopped, approached the edge Of
the terrace and nodded a gay good
morning
THE early worm is bad example
to follow said she. "He got caught,
you know
Il am already caught. bound, help
less, Nelly, sweetheart"
ooh, don't, please" she begged.
He drew himself up beside her.
And why not, colleen?'
She threw back her head and laugh
ed, looking at him through the screen
of her lashes. can sure. If yer Oirish,
where's yer brogue?" she asked.
Molly, Molly, you have broken my
heart to bits. Don't take hammer
and smash the bits to powder"
"A heart often broken soonest
mended," she tainted him.
Algernon drew her down on the
coping beside himself. That's the
trouble" said he. Mine has never
been broken before, and it's hard
fitting the parts together again
Are you trying to-" ....
"Yes And when | finish ! am 60
ing to give it to you again. colleen"
you had better be careful. | might
take it next time and then what would
you do?"
"Take yours" said he.
II haven't any," said she.
take mine, then. 1t will do for
both. One heart that beats for two"
ut would have to be broken first,
and then YOU could never mend it
again. for would have half of it,"
Half? You have the whole"
who else had 1t before me?"
"No one"
Joe" she reproved.
Molly he mimicked.
She leaned back among the vines
and nasturtiums, her back against a
pillar, her hands clasped behind her
head Her feet. in white yachting
shoes, swung slowly back and forth.
His eyes rested moment on her
shoes and then he 'aced up at her
face
Have you ever been yachting, Mol
ly?' he asked.
Joe, sometimes you make me won
der who you really are. You say
things and do things as If you were a
sort of J. Pierpont or John D. You
talk about yachting and this and that
as If they we're an everyday occur
renee to you. have been poor all my
life, dear boy, not just In little
snatches for the mere pleasure and
novelty of it. No, have never been
yachting, either on my own or my
masters yacht-that is, not yet" she
added, glancing mischievously at him,
would you like to go?"
"Of course. That Is one of the
things am selling my immortal soul
for, as you look at it,
Would you like to go with me.
mean? You and can slip out the
back way, down to the sloop in the
cove below there, pull up anchor and
sail away to the rim Of the world and
over What do you say? We could
go south and sail around the Indies
during the winter, in the tropics,
where the nights are one long fra
grant twilight, with hardly q. breath
of wind to stir the sails and with only
a soft little murmur of water at the
bows. The stars are so bright that
they look like diamonds on the vel
vet in a show-window. You know
how You've seen them in Tiffany's.
And it Is all so quiet that when you
drift up the bay to the mouth of some
lagoon you can hear the alligators
slipping off the banks into the mud
and slime, and from the palms and
magnolias along the shore you can
hear the chatter of parrots and some
times the cry of a heron"
! Where should we get anything to
eat? Neither of us would have cent.
We should have to run up black flag
and turn pirates"
! "Would you do it? Think OF the
long idle days, with just ourselves
! and the wind and the waves"
! "And hunger. We should set so
hungry and there would be nothing to
eat"