Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-05

mo, l haven't, Toto"
But you sold your patent"

He was looking steadily away from
her. Yes; but had to do something
with that money"
She was too distressed to stop
But you hadn't debts-Alex. you
haven't been wild and silly
He smiled at that, laying her hanC
against his lips. "Often, dear-but
didn't happen to get into debt. No;
this was something ! wanted to dc
more than anything in life, so I took
the money for it,
More than marry me-" she asked
after a hurt silence.
ITS part of marrying you. Then
he Strengthened up to look into hel
face. Il don't want to tell you yet
Chloe. Will you trust me?" This was
being masterful, even as her heart
! had demanded. She might rule him in
. little ways, but he was master of his
own life, and she made glad acknowl-
edsement of it.
'Of course l trust you
And you will wait for me-a year
at least?"
Twenty years."
And it's all right"
It's all right she repeated, adding
shyly. half under her breath, my dear
love!' The little phrase meant sub
mission. but it made him very humble.
i"Ah, Toto. I'm not good enough" he
lid, like every true lover since Adam.
$50 Chloe went back to work and the
Ear started on its quick round. She
Laid her own way now: there were no
borrowings, no humiliations, no wine.
Two
too happy, she lifted eyes of tender
apology to her father and mother, who
were never very far from her.
tits right for me, beloved she ex-
planned 81 am not Judging am only
doing what is right for me- Work
and self denial were fun and every
month she put a little money in the
bank. Sabra, too, was prospecting,
and began to blossom out in hand.
some clothes.
"Mother did not care enough about
appearances, she once said TRANQUILITY
in Chloe's hearing. The presence of
others kept the little sister quiet, but
she was rigid with anger.
81 could kill Sabra!" she burst out
when she was alone. The utter self
abnegation that had clothed and fed
her mothers children and given them
every advantage ought to have made
the battered old garments sacred.
How she had done it all was more than
ever a mystery since her poor affairs
had been turned out for the laws ac-
ton Uncle Harry's dry phrase, She's
wonder that woman" often came
back to Chloe, now that her mother
was no longer spoken of in that tone.
Yes: she had been wonder.
The happy summer came, and
Chloe would take no vacation be-
cause in October she would stop. She
had half believed that she wanted to
go on with the Office after marriage.
but was secretly glad that the sugges-
ton made Alex very cross. Already
they had taken an apartment in
newer and cleaner district. Chloe was
eager to leave the little old corner OF
town where so much that was sad
had happened, and where only the
name, Serene Gage, in fading italics
on an old door plate, was left to mark
her family history They were buying
their furniture in lunch hours and
sending it up to the empty apartment,
and sometimes Chloe wondered that
Alex. who seemed now to have mon
ey. should be so content to wait till
October. When she was tired and
alone. she could make herself unhappy
about it, and brooded over the myster-
ious use that had swallowed up his
five thousand dollars; but, face to
face. she knew that he wanted her.
and that she trusted him, and that all
was we'll. In August Helena and Raj
ston decided to go abroad for few
weeks and Chloe was urged to come,
but she only laughed.
(To be continued.)