Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-04-22
CHAPTER VII Continued

CHAPTER VII Continued
Same thing" he murmured," and
it's rather hard to explain, but if I've
got TOP He looked at her. On her
face was the look of proud unyielding
insistence. "Of course, I've got to
ten you the truth" Bob and his tone
now was dead and dull" I'm the first
place, dads busted, clean down and
out. and-well, l thought wouldn't
See you any more"
II fail to see the connection" Her
tones were as metallic as voice like
hers could make them.
"It's like this!" said Bob, ruffling his
hair. Here was fine romantic way
to make an avowal. "You see | was
In love with YOU he observed, look
Ing the other way and addressing one
of the furthermost stars of the heav-
en-. "And-and-when a fellows in
love-and he an't-ah!-well, you
know-ask the girl-you UNDERESTIMATE
Very vaguely said Miss Gerald
Bob's explanation, so far, was one OF
those explanations that didn't explain
II he had so feroically made up his
mind not to see her, he could have
stayed away, of course, from the Raj
ston house. He couldn't explain how
he was bound to accept the invitation
to come, on account of being in honor
bound" to that COMPOUNDED commo-
dore, ct al, to do so. There We're
bound to be loose ends to his explana-
ton. Besides, those other awful un-
pleasant things that had happened?
He had to tell the truth, but he
couldn't tell why he was telling the
truth. That had been the understands
Ing,
Miss Gerald, at this point, began to
display some of those alert and ana
lytical qualities of mind that had
made her father one Of tho great rail-
road men Of his day. For an instant
she had turned her head slightly at
Bob's avowal-who shall say why?
It may be she had felt the blood rush
swiftly to her face, but if SO moment
later she looked at him with that same
icy calm. One hand frightened on the
cold balustrade, but Bob hadn't MOTTO
ed that. She piled him now with
number of questions. She kept him
on the gridiron and while he wriggled
and twisted she stirred up the Goals,
displaying all the ability OF an expert
stoker. He was supersensitive about
seeing her and yet as free agent
(she thought him thaO he had seen
her. From her point of view, his men-
tai processes were hopelessly illogical
worse than that. Yet she knew he
was possessed of tolerant mentality
and good-enough judgment for one
who had in his composition slight
touch Of recklessness.
: nv IL. oh coi1 OF
YEARLY.
"Do you? Oh, thank you." exclaim-
ed Bob gratefully. "And If your aunt
orders me from the place
"But why can't you just go, if you
want to? I'm sure no one will detaln
you" Haughtily.
"Can't explain, only it's impossible.
Like Prometheus bound to the rock
for vultures to peck at, unless
"How intelligible! And what hap.
by simile-under the circumstances!
with far-reaching scorn. What II |
should tell my aunt that her guest
compared himself to-"
"That's the ideal" returned Bob,
enthusiastically. "Tell her that! Then,
by jove, she would Promise me!
Please!"
"Of course said the girl slowly,
'my diagnosis must be wrong or
perhaps she meant that she had lost
faith in that glitter theory.
III you only could understand!
burst from Bob explosively. 1t was
nature calling out, protesting against
such a weight of anguish.
But Miss Gerald did not respond. A
statue could not have appeared more
unaffected and unsympathetic. She
had half turned as If to go on; then
she changed her mind and fingered.
It annoyed her to feel she had been
baffled, for she was young woman
who liked to drive right to the heart
Of things. Her father had been called
GEAR in his world, and she had
inherited, with other of his traits, GER
tain imperious qualities. So for mo-
ment or two she stood thinking.
An automobile from the village
went by them and proceeded to the
house. 1t contained Mrs. Dan and
Mrs. Clarence returning from the tele-
graph office, but Bob hardly saw 1t,
or was he aware who were it's occu-
pants Miss Gerald absorbed him to
the exclusion of all else now. He had
no mind for other storms that might
be gathering. Suddenly the girl turn
ed on him with abrupt sWiftness.