Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-09
Literary Press.)

Winds Of destiny there are-the.
may be hurricane strong-they ma!
be no more than the idlest rufflinl
zephyrs. Yet strong or gentle, the!
| do their allotted task.
Milicent was as wilful as any Wint
could be. She was elected to writ.
! letters up In the tree house, though
knowing we'll it was meant only fol
the children. There were five O
them-four boys, and girl more
tom boyish than her brothers or any
of her three cousins. Milicent's name
sake, and, after q sort. copy. she
presumed bit upon her position
Milicent, the elder, felt really noble II
! not hating her replica. Until the
little girl came she had been the only
young woman in the family. by con
sequence the special delight Of hel
two tall handsome brothers.
Family love was very strong with
all the Ashtons. Roger and Rex
twins, 1t appeared, simply could not
live apart The mansion house was
Roger's-eldest by half an hour-but
there was room and to spare IN II
for Rex and his household, no less
Milicent. Mrs. Roger and Mrs. Rex
indeed had We'd with their husbands
in spelling her. 1t spoke volumes
all round that though she had come
to twenty-five, single, and more than
ever a. creature of caprice. her women.
kind so adored her they Inspected
possible suitors with the incest care.
Notwithstanding they played ia
vcrites. Witness the letter under
Milicent's left hand. It was to EN-
sayre. who came near being her con-
science keeper. After. an incense,
quent beginning she had come to the
nub Of things thus: please, MN
can't you. won't you, find me sweet
heart with a real name-say Smith, OF
Jones, or even Murphy? Otherwise
but hear the fatal truth. Susan has
pitched upon Warner Bugg. esquire,
for my future husband. Anne Is as
hot for one John Stubs. say
plague on both names-because the
names are all l can find fault with.
Warner is a paladin, plus a million
or so. John a mantle sort dogs and
children take to without knowing a
reason. Incidentally! also, he has
money, and brains. And l can reach
out my hand and take him II Will.
But think of going through life Mill
cent Stubs! Think also alterna'
lively, OF being a mother OF Buggs!
"You will be saying: There are
others! Only too true, honey-one
other in particular. No his name
is neither Montmorency, nor Talbot
Peyton-I loathe that sort Of appel
lation even more than Bugg or stubbs.
But really family names of that sort
deserve to be extinguished. That
would leave room for-well! say the
Registers. There's name for you
good fellowship in every letter.
Here the sheet was full-Milicent
reached for fresh one. AS her hand
lifted from the paper a tricky gust
whipped It away, out and up over the
treetops, whirling 1t beyond view SO
swiftly she could not guess the d.
rection. But that did not disturb her
it would most likely fall in the mill
pond or the deeps of the big woods
ANY way, since it had neither date nor
signature. nothing could be made OF
it, In the event OF it being read. Smil'
ing, yet half signing, she began an
other sheet, yet after sentence, shut
her desk. and climbed nimbly down
the rope ladder. From her perch
she had espied visitors-Karner Bugs
and John stubbs, to be exact. Since
she did not want to see either just
then, it was evident she must run
away, and go fishing.
Half an hour later her canoe was
drifting on the mill ponds silver face
what time she made believe to be alb.
sorbed in her floats, Rex junior. Rog'
er's eldest, lad Of twelve, sat facing
her. They were sworn comrades.
"Shucks! I won't never tell. Not
nobody-even mother" he was say
ing stoutly, then little wistfully, "but
Milly-old Jack Stubs Is to give me
a real horse, when he's my uncle-and
you know how l hate ponies"
IT know" Milicent interrupted, hold.
ing up a silencing hand.
Her float had gone under with a
rush-some fish of degree must have
swallowed hook, line and sinker. She
braced herself for long pull, game
flght-suddenly the line slackened-
there came swimming to the surface
the ugliest big swapping turtle she
had ever seen. Rex, all ageg, struck
at it with his paddle-Milicent cried
warning, but too late. Before she
knew 1t the canoe was upset-she and
the lad floundering in water, sun
warmed and slow-moving. but twenty
feet deep. She did not fear the water
since she swan well,
THE swapping turtle was her ter
ror-it was still on the surface-swim,
ming hither and yon, though It had
bitten itself free Of the tackle. 1t
was huge and evidently fighting mad
she had heard weird tales from the
black people of such creatures. fully
angered, dragging one to the depths,