Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-18

|
Newspaper Syndicate.)
Laura had never felt so blue in her
life Nellie, her sole companion and
side partner in the big busy city, had
been married the night before to Jim
Harlowe, and had gone to Nevada to
live. -. -. r.
1t was dreadful to lose Nellie, and
worse still to have her move to the an
tipodes to spend the rest of her life
cooking for sheep men and raising a
| family of little shepherdesses of her
own. But, to make matters much
| worse, the postman had just left two
| letters.
The one from home she laid aside
for more leisurely reading, but the
thick white paper of the other identi-
fed it with a wedding, and Laura open
ed it eagerly.
To her dismay, the names of Alex
| McCune and Harriet Turner stared at
| her from the paper. Below was the
! date Of the recent wedding. That was
enough! Laura dropped the invitation
and reached for her handkerchief.
Alex, her old-time sweetheart, had
| deserted her! He who had vowed ever
lasting faithfulness in spite of her
vague answers to his importunings!
She had meant to marry him some
time. She had always told herself that
even though his letters had been al.
lowed to lie unanswered for weeks
| together.
Il am getting old and lonely" she
cried into her Observation-Disclosures was
| twenty-two-"and there won't be a
| soul to care for me now! can just
90 on forever plugging away at this
old typewriter"-gi the machine
| on her desk a bang-"and cooking
| sausages over tho gas light, and doing
my laundry in the wash bowl. 1t was
| sort of fun when Nellie was here, but
| now It's dreadful"
Laura walled some more, then pick
ed up the letter from home and looked
it over. II guess l ought to 90 back,
but it's awful to iron and churn and
sew for dozen youngsters and never
get new dud from one years end to
the other!"
The office, save for Laura, was
| empty. Mr.. Jennings had put on his
| hat and overcoat and gone home.
| While Laura was in the middle of an.
other god cry, he recalled something
he had neglected and returned.
why, Miss Sheridan! What in the
! world is the matter?''
"No-nothing! I'm not crying
Then l beg your pardon. Since you
are perfectly happy, presume there is
no need Of sympathy. l have, an extra
| ticket tonight for Lyric club concert
and thought you might make use
fnr n = q
| the bit of pasteboard on the typewriter
keys and turned to go.
Laura sprang up. Thank you'll
she exclaimed, dabbing at her swollen
eyes. II guess l was crying-wasn't
II"
1T looked a bit like it. Won't you
tell me why?"
Mr.. Jennings sudden interest and
kindness startled her into answering:
"Nellie's gone and Alex is married and
I'm all alone and nobody cares for me
the least bit" The food of self pity
drowned speech just then.
$50 Alex is married.
She looked up surprised What do
you know about Alex?'
"Well, got to know about him some
way. Regular letters and all that, I
suppose Besides, couldn't be deaf
to an allusion you made over the tele'
phone one day. Did-did you-like
him so very much?"
Laura brindled. "Well, i guess I
won't die! If I'd really wanted him
I'd have taken him long ago.
Mr.. jennings nodded approvingly.
Laura went ont was comforting
to have some one so sympathetic: Il
don't know what to do now that
Nellie's gone. really ought to- go
home to the farm, guess. Mother
keeps writing
do you mean to say you came from
wholesome place in the country to
this sin-ridden city just for adven-
ture?" Two lines had drawn them.
selves sharply between his eyes.
"Yes!" wonderingly.
And father and mother and sisters
and brothers and cats and chickens
and cows and everything on earth
worth while
Eyes"
"Why did you do it?'
81 never got any clothes, and ]
wanted"
Then you were very silly little