Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-12
CHAPTER XXI.

AS time is reckoned, Guy had So
jourhed in Goodwill county for a
period of two weeks, and two days;
but in the broad flight of events, af-
fecting his life for better or for
worse, this fortnight and more lad
multiplied itself increasingly.
He had faced the citizens of Con-
cord very early Wednesday morning
and, with the timely aid of Samp-
son, had succeeded in clearing his
fair name of every suspicion. The
people began to see how they had
wronged the young man, and, as
their anger cooled toward him, it
mounted higher against the Colonel.
When public opinion had reached
the boiling point, the Coloneps castle
was stormed and sacked and Guys
last glimpse of the fallen idol was
caught from the procession that
wendell its way down the main street
and out of the town. Before these
irate citizens returned, the train
from the west had arrived and de-
parted, and Guy had gone with it.
His airy dream of fortune had
been snuffed out like candle in full!
glare. His Inheritance, all that had
been saved from the wreck of his fa-
theirs estate had sunk from a value
of many thousands to a few paltry
hundreds. The dream was past The
stern awakening was at hand, and
there was nothing for him but work.
AS he toiled over some ones set OF
books, he could reflect philosophical
ly on the "rigor of the game" that
had wrecked him.
Miss Betty was the one bright spot
in all that chaos of maneuver, plot,
counterpart and checkmate. He was
in love with her-hopelessly, he
feared, in more than one sense of the
word. Had Concord won the county
seat and had he, in the "boom" that
followed, realized a small fortune
out of his lots, he might have prose
cuted his suit, wooed and won. Let
sentimentalists pirate as they may,
success in business very often goes
hand-in-hand with success in love.
Besides, Guy had reserve of pride.
How could he face Miss Betty and
tell her that the son of Montfort
Herbert had hardly dollar that he
could call his own? No; he would
"buckle in" make his mark and then
go to her. Months would certainly
elapse, perhaps years, but if his love
could not withstand the wear of time
wherein was it worthy? If she cared
anything for him she would wait. On
the other hand, if she did not care
for him she would marry some one
else and he would face the future in
manly way and do his utmost to
forget. 1t was wise counsel that his
heart took from his head and he set
about his plans with courage and de-
termination.
He made jamestown his Mecca and
there he found a loan and invest
ment concern in need of an assistant
bookkeeper He passed an examina-
ton, was found competent and en-.
tered at once upon his duties. His
weekly stipend was $2O-not half the
pocket money his indulgent father
had at one time allowed him.
1t is very easy to work toward a
goal as bright as the one Guy bad
set for himself and it was astonish-
ing how he made shift to economic
Week by week more than half his
salary was laid by and, when a
month had passed, he was so hungry
for news of Concord and Miss Betty
that he wrote line to Pettibone
In the letter he asked how many
Concord people had moved to Har-
mony; asked if the Colonel had ever
been heard from; inquired about
Waffle, Glimmer, Bilkins and others
and requested the sheriff to send him
bills for the lumber and hardware
used in the Inflated courthouse. Guy
said that he intended to pay these
bills and would do SO in time. He
wrote no word about Miss Betty
eager though he was to hear from
her. But Pettibone knew. His reply
would be filled with information
concerning the owner of the blue
eyes, Guy was certain.
Ito Be Continued.)