Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-27

Chairman and fellow, citizens, andsin
returning he had: driven, boldly back
through the outskirts Of that pitifnl
excuse for a town called Concord.
Yes, Ssir,sand no one had dared to raise
"a hand against him. And what do you
think he. saw, Mr.. Chairman, what do
You think he saw with his own eyes?
/ Al this point Mr.. Pinkney gulped his
words, choked on them, and finally
managed to articulate hoarsely. Why,
on that rattle-trap Of. building which
the wretched Keever is erecting for
courthouse, heactuany saw weather.
vane, monstrous thing which an
swered to no wind of heaven but
pointed ever and always in the direc-
ton of.Harmony. And,what was, that
weather-vane, Mr.. Chairman and gem
tlemen, what was it,? It was mans
head, sir, a mans head and hand. and
the hand was doing this. looking
straight toward Harmony all the time,
and doing this, doing this at their hon
orable chairman, at Col. Dingle, Maj.
Harp. Capt. Blue and Mr.. Boomer!
Yes. gentlemen doing this at all of
you! -
(, Mr.. Pinkney made weather-vane Of
himself for purposes of illustration.
With his thumb to his nose and his
trembling fingers outspread he direct-
ed the opprobrious gesture at Wan
bingham, then in turn at each mem
Der of the committee of safety and
then at the entire meeting.
| -. >
Guy was consumed with desire to
laugh, but suppressed it strenuously.
1t was not laughing matter for the
citizens in the hall, and mot one de-
tected a trace of humor in the situa-
ton. A murniur of rage swept through
the assemblage and Col. Dingle sprang
to his feet with fierce cry.
"They are all hoodlums and rowdies
on the other side of the county," he
shouted, tossing his arms, "and the
arch fend who leads the rabble is that
schemer, that political trickster, that
preeminent rascal, Archibald Keeyer!"
In a twinkling the meeting was in
an uproar. Every citizen was talking
wildly and shaking his clenched fists.
Vlandingham pounded. for order.
When measure Of quiet, finally OBJ
tanned he spoke a few words himself.
eve must be quiet, we must be calm,
we must not allow Our passions to run
away with us. Let us remember that
it is the cool head and the daring hand
that wins the day. They have flung
the gage at us and, we will bear with
this insoience now and return it a hun
dredfold. Col. Dingle, we will hear
from you" -
Mr.. Pinkney sat down, and Col.
Dingle, calming himself with painful
effort, declared that this gratuitous
insult, could have been the work of
none other than Keever: that he came
from Kentucky, as did the aforesaid
Keever, and that he wanted the meet
ing to appoint him committee OF one
to ride directly into town and slap the
aforesaid Keever's face. He would do
1t, and he would abide by the conss-
quences.
Barely had this duty been laid upon
Col. Dingle's shoulders when an up
roar was heard below, at the street
entrance. The noise increased and
swept mp the stairs, and the cause Of
| it all presently burst open the door
and dashed into the room. A Wild
eyed, strapping big fellow with his
trousers tucked into his boot tops was
among them. He was covered with
dust and his face was ominous and
eager.
"a raitor!" he shouted, waving a
scrap Of paper over his head; there's
traitor in this room!"
During the foreboding silence that
followed Guys heart beat like . trip
| hammer.
"a traitor, Barney?' queried Wan
bingham, getting up and sweeping his
| gaze over the people before him. His
voice was soft, but there was metal
lie glitter in his eyes as he advanced
to the edge of the platform. Come
here, Barney" he added, indicating q
cleared space in front Of him, come
here and tell us about it. Boomer, you
and the captain will please guard the
exit"
The Captain stumped away to the
door, followed by Boomer, both frown-
ing heavily. Mr.. Boomer grimly devel-
oped a revolver.
II got the information from the
broom man." said Barney, approach-
ing as he had been directed to do and
presenting the folded paper. "Iwould
have got here sooner but that broncho
Of mine--consarn him!-got scared
and threw me, SO i had to walk half
the way"
vlandingham unfolded the note and
read it silently. Guy, who was watch
ing. him narrowly, saw his face slightly
redden and observed twitching of
his heavy iron gray mustache. The
deep stiffness was at last broken by
the chairman.
"Is there hunchback man in this
room?" he demanded, sternly.
There was not, and Guy was partici-
pating in the general feeling of relief
when Barney cried out:
"Hunchback, squirrel That doesn't
say anything about a hunchback!"
81 thought you couldn't read, Bar
ney?" returned Vlandingham, accom-
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