The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1897-01-22


anxiety he had been suffering set him
off in a roar of laughter.
81 do not see that it is at all laugh.
ing matter, Mr.. Latham" exploded
Addie Indignantly, springing to her
feet as if about to leave the room.
81 beg your pardon, Addie," he re-
piled, restraining himself, "but 1
couldn't help it, and you would laugh,
too, if you understood. Sit down and
I'll tell you all about it. 4"
Lottie's story to Chester Sewall was
the exact truth and Of course the same
that John told now, so it need not be
repeated here. Instead Of justifying sus-
picion Of his fealty, the incident reflect
ed credit upon his kind heart and
thoughtful head, fact that his hearers
were not slow to fully appreciate. HIS
words carried conviction with them, and
when the parratic:-c, vas concluded Mrs.
Hall got right up from her chair, cross
ed the room to him and formally shak-
ing hands, man fashion, said heartily:
John Latham, you are real good
fellow. I knew you would turn out all
right
Addie, penitent and happy, red as a
cherry, laughing while yet the tears
quivered on her eyelashes, stood up to
meet her lover as he approached her and
stammered deprecatingly:
CT couldn't help it, John. Will
you forgive me for being such fool?'
And Of course as he took her in his
arms and kissed her he repudiated the
idea Of her being fool at all and said
he was glad to learn that she loved him
sufficiently to be little jealous, and
protested he loved her SO well it would
be impossible to give even little Of his
heart to anybody else, and so on, and so
on, until the lovers looked around them
after little while and found they were
alone.
Mrs. Hall had, unobserved, glided out
to the kitchen and was busying herself
starting fire to make coffee for an early
breakfast, in which John Of course had
to participate, and very happy little
family group they made when gathered
about the table.
Notwithstanding the delay thus &C.
casioned-and it was long one, for
John had much to tell, and the ladies
had much to say, and in the meal itself
there was much to enjoy-Mr. Latham
reached his lodging at about the hour
when he usually awol1e and commenced
to take q languid interest in the days
weather.
While throwing off his overcoat in
his room he crossed to Chester's door,
knocked, and receiving no answer flung
it open. The apartment was in disorder
and empty.
"Ah," he murmured to himself, turn
ing back, II might have thought Of it.
He probably spent last evening with
Irma, consoling her, and remained as
one Of the watchers with her fathers
body all night He will most likely
come in soon. Hello! What's this?''
The shutters Of his windows were
closed and the heavy curtains down, so
that although the daylight was bright
outside, little Of it entered the room,
and it was not strange that in the pre-
vailing gloom he should have failed to
observe at first an imposing erection in
the center of the floor, which, once seen,
seemed to dominate and dwarf every
thing else in the big apartment. When
he had let in the light, he saw that two
great easy chairs made the foundation
of the pile; q light stand constituted its
second tier; the two valises he had sent
home were upon the stand, and together
with a green footbath supported upright
an umbrella. A light cane had been tied
firmly to the straight handle of the UNI
brella at right angles with it, and from
the head of the cane, depended by
broad red ribbon, letter addressed to
"Mr. Latham. The attention compel
ling construction had amply served the
purpose Of its architect, Miss Lottie
Belden, in bringing to his notice the
note which she deemed it important he
should have Immediately upon his re-
turn. He opened the missive and read:
DEAR Mr.. LATHAM-Your friend. Mr. Sew
oil, is in a hole He is locked up, and two po-
licemen have been going through his room.
The big bottle nosed ono told me that Mr.. Sew
all had been ''givng his finger to hash butch
er who wouldn't have it," the general drift
of which think catch, though don't right
ly know exactly what it means. thought you
might like to know about it. Yours respect
fully, LoTTIE BELDEN.
P. Sits the headquarters jug they've got
him in.
John could not but feel just little
shade of annoyance. He was cold, very
tired, and had hoped to get couple of
hours Of sleep before going down town.
But ne was altogether too good fellow
to let considerations of his personal
comfort stand in the way of service to
friend in need. So, with a patient sigh,
he donned his overcoat again and start
ed out, saying to himself that Of course
1t could only be some trivial scrape
Chef had got into, one that might
doubtless be Squared with the COM
plainant" easily after he had taken the
lad out en bail and given him break
fast. Had John Latham been more
than half awake itwould probably have
occurred to him that prisoners on trivial
charges are not customarily confined at
headquarters, nor are officers sent to
search their rooms. But in his condition
those significant facts were naturally