Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-06

I time to go over there. You'd never find
the place anyhow. Hold Grew till I get
| back. shall be there before $780, as the
Chicago train leaves the Grand Central
| at OILS. C. r. s.
The lady referred to in this note was
the wife of John Storrow of Chicago.
Barton Paulding had met these people
in England, where he and Charles r.
Storrow had become close friends in
the course of two years when they
were students together at Oxford. He
was sorry to miss the chance of saying
goodby to Mrs. Jack and was inclined
to blame Grew for the loss of it.
| The appointment was for half past 8,
| but Mr.. Grew was somewhat in ad-
| vance of it. He had nervous ELUSIVE
( ness of manner, and he seemed quite
| overcome with joy at the sight of
| Paulding.
"My dear fellow" cried the visitor,
you'll pardon my rather strenuous eff
| forts to see you, but really l couldn't
bear to lose sight of you altogether,
and that's done so easily in this coun-
try"
"sit down." said Paulding "and have
pipe"
"Now, that shows the true instinct of
good fellowship" exclaimed Grew. "a
pipe was the very thing that was
thinking ola pipe filled with that ex-
quisite tobacco of yours. Do you re-
member how / sponged on you for it
during the voyage-how used to come
to your room and fill my little pouch
out of the big tin for a days smokingY
IF you hadn't praised it so highly"
said Paulding, you could have some
now. But you talked me into such an
admiration of it that I've sent the tin
to friend of mine in Chicago
Grew had selected pipe and was
trying the draft of it while his sharp
eyes roved about the room, to rest at
last in a piercing glance upon Paul
ding's face. AS the young man ceased
speaking Grew slowly removed the pipe
from his mouth.
"I'm afraid this stem is broken" said
he, and, in actf, the amber mouthpiece
was split and crushed as if dog had
bitten it.
Really" he continued, you're too
generous. You'll get no more of that
/ delicious brand in this country. May I
ask who will be the fortunate possessor
of it?"
"John Storrow," replied Paulding.
81 trust you wrapped it safely" said
Grew, with laugh. "Some of or
express companies are confoundedly
| careless. Which one did you send it
| byY
Mrs. storrow takes it." said Paul
ding. 'She's going west tonight
| Grew remarked that this was singu-
lar in view of the fact that he himself
had meditated starting for Chicago at
midnight over the Pennsylvania, so
that he might have been upon the same
! train.
] 81 think my instinct would have told
me that that tobacco was aboard" he
continued, even though it should be
locked up in the lady''s trunk in the
| baggage car"
| "She's going by the New York Cen
trial. said Paulding, "and the tobacco
is in a handbag, with lot of odds and
ends that Charley Storrow and are
sending to his brother"
"Storrow, Storrow,' repeated Grew.
Mrs. John Storrow of Chicago. Upon
| my word, believe I've had the pleas
ure of meeting the lady. May ask
what is her style of beauty?'
Tall and very fair, pale yellow
hair
"And blue eyes; beautiful blue eyesw
| exclaimed Grew, rising. Yes, indeed"
"Well, naturally her eyes are blue"
responded Paulding, filling his pipe.
"She's stunning, pretty woman"
''She is, and that's fact" said Grew
81 wish had known that she was in
| town. | would have ventured to call,
although my acquaintance with the
lady is really very slight. However, it's
| too late now. She is gone, and so is
your wonderful tobacco-or will be
within an hour"
| He drew out his watch and glanced
at it as if to verify his guess. Then he
selected pipe and filled it with a
| smoking mixture which he presently
pronounced remarkably good, though
not equal to the contents of the lament
| ed tin that was so soon to start west
ward
A conversation of no particular inter-
| est followed, and a quarter before 8
| o'clock Grew took his leave, despite
Paulding's attempts to "hold him." as
| Storrow had requested.
The man was no sooner gone than it
occurred to Paulding that he might
| have time to reach the Grand Central
station and say goodby to Mrs. Jack.
Accordingly, he started out afoot,
| knowing that the distance was not
| great; but, being stranger in the city,
l'he lost his way, and it was ten minutes
past 8 when he reached the station.
With more address than would have
| been expected of such slow going fell
low, he got admission to the train
shed, but he failed to find his friends.
Either they had come early or they had
missed connections altogether.
The train was upon the point of start
| ing when Paulding was amazed by the
sight Of L. Nestor Grew, who suddenly