Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-08

h'sd received IN nearly two years. It.
ca Gle With nacothcr address than the
general postof!ice. She called there for
letters occasionally during the first two
weeks because there We're Il few friends
whom she had informed OF her istcn
ton before leaving her aunt's homo III
0ilie and whom size knew not where
she would !intl q roof to shelter her in
the great city,
Il learned by telegraph from your
aunt that you We're i'll Nav York. =
wrote Mr.. Fiske, and send this in the
hope that it may find you. shall be III
that city from the 21st to the 25th Of
this mouth. and must see you. On the
latter date sail for Europe"
Then followed & timid reference to
the old jest, from which the writer has
tened on to tell Of recent successes. He
had been very fortunate in some min
ing property and had become associated
with men Of such importance that he
spoke Of them by their last names only,
as if they had been Shakespeare and
everybody was bound to have heard of
them.
The really essential fact about the
letter was that Carol received it on the
Oath Of the month about o'clock in the
afternoon, and Stephen Fiske would sail
next day. Having read the letter III the
postutiice. Carol returned TO Harburg &
Wren's III a state of high excitement.
MI. Fiske. had mentioned the hotel
where he would stay, and Carol called
it up by telephone. 1t appeared that
the gentleman was q guest there. but
was not in. Carol gave her name and
address. with some very earnest admo.
nitions ana every time that the office
telephone rang during the afternoon
she had great difficulty in restraining
herself from rushing to the little booth
where it was kept
She read Mr.. Eiske's letter several
times, to the Getrimcnt of her work and
once Mr.. Harburg caught her staring,
entranced. at the envelope, which bore
the name of Il mining company printed
in bold rcd. She whipped the letter out
of sight. but not i'll time to escape the
hSSi Ss Y VI lIS lttWSCi. anu Sul. lett ueE
face burn when he locked at her II
was a peculiar look that he gave her
The man seemed to be startled He held
an open letter in his hand at the time,
and she had supposed that lie came TO
dictate reply to it. but he returned to
his private room without having said
a word.
The days work closed at ) o'clock.
but Carol waited iii the hope that Fiske
might come, By a quarter past > she
was alone in the Offices The day was
fading in a dull sky without. The room
where she: sat was already quite dark.
She, leaned back in a swinging chair
aud rested her head against the wall,
falling. into. q waking dream.
1t must have been near to when she
heard Mr.. Harburg enter the outer Of
flee hurriedly and accompanied by sew
eral men. Their voices came to her quite
plainly when they had entered Mr..
Harburg's room, which was upon the
other side OF the partition against which
she leaned. The voices droned on for
ten or fifteen minutes. and then sud
denly Mi. Harb,ng came out into the
room where Carol sat
You here?" he cried roughly. What
arr, you loing::"
Then, With 4 complete change Of tone:
~ beg your pardon. ! was startled.
I'm y very nervous man. You Won't
mind my r,,deness. There's no telling
what I'll do when anything scares
me"
II was waiting for some one said
Carol. but it's too late now. I'll go
home
Don't go till you're ready. respond
ed Harburg cheerfully. Always glad
to have you in the shop. Wrenn and l
agreed the first day You were with us
that you were not only the handsomest
girl we'd ever seen. but the clcverest
TOO. Yet we never did you justice We
will. though"
You are very kind" replied Carol in
a tone Of frozen rage
She put on her wraps hastily and left
the office, going at once to the hotel
where Eiske lodged. He had mo-. re-