Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-18

with 1t. I've cut 1t down and worked
1t over, and I've viewed it always in
the new light that has come to me.
Bless the dear girl! Let's talk of her
for awhile and let criticism rest. AS
for your opinion, pity and forgive
you. Let that suffice"
So we talked about the dear girl and,
as before, wound up with game of
billiards. And, by the way, Blake
made Roman holiday of me. His bill
lizards had improved hundred per cent
within the week.
1t was agreed that should drop in
upon him at his lodgings after dinner.
Miss Woodruff was not to be at home,
and an evening in his bachelor quar-
tiers was the best that Blake could
hope for.
1t may have been 8 O'clock when I
arrived. Blake came to the door of his
little parlor in response to my rap. He
had on an old red sweater" with a
faded II on the front of it. An old pair
Of trousers and straw hat with no
crown in it completed his visible attire.
had seen Blake wear this hat be-
fore, when he had to work late at
night. The brim shaded his eyes, and
the absence Of the crown, in his opn-
ion. prevented an injurious effect upon
the hair such as is said to come from
wearing ones hat in the house.
Blake has plenty of hair. and in mo-
ments of excitement it stands out from
his head Mt all sorts of angles. On the
occasion in question 1t streamed up
through that broken hat as If the cir
clet of straw had been funnel sup.
piled with mighty draft of air.
Everything has gone to the devil!'
was his greeting to me.
What do you mean?" cried. "Has
Miss Woodruff"
"Oh, no: she's all right. but that in.
fernal villain Hatfield. to whom I've
owed a couple of hundred dollars for a
year or two. is going to make trouble"
"What trouble can he make?" l de-
| manded.
"Why. he'll tell Mr.. Woodruff, and
then my cake is dough-" said Blake.
You see. neglected to mention the
Hatfield matter in my talk with Wood
ruff, and he'll remember that. tell
you 1t would ruin my life"
"But there's nothing disgraceful
about this debt
mo. except that didn't tell Wood
ruff about it. There's the pinch. I've
| got to raise the money for Hatfield to-
morrow"
GLOW in blue blazes are you going
to do it?" demanded. 81 haven't it,
and
''I've seen Harper" said Blake. 'If
I'll finish that Porto Rican romance
for him, he'll pay spot cash. There's
about 5000 words to write, and / can't
do it-except that I've got to. Why,
old man, fancy my trying to write to-
! night. I'm so worried, SO totally up
set. that my brains are mush. / can't
think Of my own name. Yet must do
It. But, OH" he groaned, ''it will be
awful rot!'
He rather staggered than walked to
his chair beside the big table in the
center of the room.
"Sit down and keep STILL" he said,
"but don't leave me. Just stay by
IAAouSu tAlS tulSut, dllu maybe can
turn the trick. If Pm left alone, shall
either go crazy or go to sleep, and ones
as bad as the other tonight"
Three seconds later his pen was dig
ging holes in the paper. At first 1t
went heavily onward, and frequently
he stopped and paced the floor, assur-
ing me that no man so miserable as he
was could possibly write.
Presently, however. he began to go
more steadily. His eyes took on a
glare. He no longer addressed any re-
marks to me, but he said things about
Porto Rico and the character Of his
story to the air.
Meanwhile he smoked long black ci-
/ gars. the ends of which he chewed saw
agely.
This continued for hours. About 1
| o'clock he slowed up. and several times