Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-21
Epening Story
THE COWARD.

THE COWARD.
F., Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure
| Newspaper Syndicate.)
BY Earl Reed silvers.
! It was the kind of day young
! lovers dream about. The late after
noon sun cast streamers OF gold on
the shimmering river: from the porch
of the massive hotel drifted the sound
Of soft music. Myrtle Thorpe, her chin
cupped in her hands. looked with IN
seeing eyes across the water.
Il can never marry you now she
said listlessly.
The rather good looking man sitting
beside her opened his eyes with I'M
affected surprise. The scar on his
left cheek grew livid.
! WHY" ne asked.
Because you're a coward"
The girl spoke evenly. as If she
were commenting on the weather, but
+; there was a fnality to her words
which brooked no argument There
was something about the set of her
mouth and the smooth curve Of her
chin which told Ned Randolph that
further words would be useless. Never
theless, he refused to accept dismissal
without an attempt to justify himself
why am 7 coward?' he persisted.
There was hint of scorn In the
glance Myrtle gave him.
"You know the answer as well as
do" she said shortly.
But I can't swim"
THAT doesn't make any difference
You might have tried to do some
thing"
But there wasn't anything could
d."
The girl dropped her hands in her
lap and turned searching eyes toward
the man beside her.
do you think that If had been a
man and someone was drowning not
TWENTY-FIVE yards away. would have
run to the dock and would have tried
to get in boat? No, would have
jumped into the water and swan out
to him"
Myrtle, you're unreasonable. I
couldn't have done any good In the
water"
1T was the most humiliating exper-
fence I've ever known" the girl con-
tinued. There you stood on the beach
with half the hotel looking on, yelling
+; for help as II you were child. Why
didn't you do something
II did\ the only thing possible. call
ed for help and then went to the res
cue in boat
Eyes, and before you got half the
way, Jim Turner ran down from the
porch and swan out to the man who
was drowning. Now everybody says
he's heroe and you're a coward"
and do you think 80, too?"
| "Yes." There was HOPELESS final
ity to her answer with Just the barest
suggestion OF a sob at the end of the
word. She turned her face away. and
for a long two minutes, neither spoke.
Ned broke the silence.
Bravery doesn't always consist In
doing something that is rash and fool
ish,' he said. TT I had plunged into
the water, there would have been two
people to save instead OF one. did
the only thing possible under the cir
cumstances-and I'm sorry that you
should be Inundated"
The girl smiled just trifle bitterly.
"You don't know how much 1t would
have meant to me if you had proved
yourself a hero" she said. "My family
have always counted heroism as the
one best thing In life. Five Of my an.
cestors were in the revolutionary war;
my grandfather was a colonel in the
Confederate army. and my two broth
ers are down at Fort Meyer"
| "And you think that ought to en-.
llist?"
1T wouldn't do any good"
"Why?"
Because I'm physically unfit"
She shot him a glance in which
doubt was mingled with amusement.
You're surely big enough She
rose suddenly to her feet. 1T won't
do any good to talk about IT," she con-
tinued. IL couldn't help wondering
why you haven't done something
about the war. and now know. You're
afraid"
The man WINGED ever so slightly at
her words.
I'm sorry you should think that
he answered. Maybe sometime you'll
find that you are wrong"
I'm glad that found out about you
before it is too late" the girl went on,
ignoring his words. II was foolish to
consent to marry you, anyway. We've
lonly known each other O few weeks,
and you haven't told me single thing
about yourself except that you've been
to Europe for two years and have
come back to rest from business. You
didn't even tell me what kind OF bust
mess II was"
Does that really matter? I asked
you to marry me and offered you all
that | have 1t isn't much, but it's
enough to keep us both in comfort. All
ask is the right to be happy-with
you"
I'VE never could be happy together.
would think of my brothers over in
France, facing the German guns and
risking their lives; and then | would
think OF you here asking for the hap,
piness which they made possible.
could never do it, Ned
"Is it all over them"
Yes, 1t is all over"
For moment Ned Randolph stood
undecided. as If debating further ex'
PLANTATION. Then, without word. he
turned and made his way to the porch
of the hotel After he had gone Myrtle