Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-16
a)bof til e
World Said
By ALLAN P. AMES.
By ALLAN P. AMES
Copyright, 1905, bu T. O. Mcclure

"Of course. I presume one. of the
others is yours. Whose is the third?"
Easton gave long, sweeping stroke
that sent the canoe darting far through
the waters and laid the dripping pad
die across the gunwale. 'Dhe third,
he replied, sis what the world says"
"And who cares for that?" spoke the
girl lazily from her cushions near the
bow.
"Public opinion is something none Of
us can afford to ignore" said the youth
gravely.
"But this is not a public matter. The
extent Of my liking for you Is some
thing just between ourselves"
sour world tonight, Anne, is not the
the little colony at this end Of the lake,
In fact. That's the way we men feel,
at any rate, We come here to get away
from the world Of work, and we want
to keep wholly within this little pleas
ant sphere Of our own. Now, you can't
say that nobody about here has noticed
my devotion. If you should inquire
I'll bet you'd find that most Of your
friends Gun enumerate the times that
I've proposed in the past month. Oh,
they know all about us, and they're in
| tensely concerned. You can't have for
gotten what an active interest you and
took in your sisters affair.""
1--WE were only rude children then"
Summer days like these make chill
dren Of us all. I've been growing
younger ever since knew you. Now,
I have childlike faith in the worlds
good judgment. Can't you let it settle
| this question for us?'
| 'Do you value its opinion above
mine?' asked the girl, with smile he
might have seen had the moon been
larger
ooh, no; only, you see, your opinion
in measure is neutralized by mine.
Here's disinterested third party.
Why not submit the question to him?
I am convinced that you should marry
me. You say you shouldn't. The rest
of mankind are comparatively unim-
portant, but let's leave it to them.
Isn't that fair?"
"Would you have them vote 1t at
next election?"
mo, no. am in earnest, Anne. If
all our friends thought as I do,
wouldn't it make any difference to
your"
'sBut don't know what they. think
I've never asked them. Have you?'
Certainly not" answered Easton in
dignantly. 'But ] know a way OF
learning-to a certain extent"
whats that?"
Listening"
"At keyholes and open windows, !
suppose
mo- don't feel quite young enough
for that. Besides, it isn't necessary
See here"
a Easton left his perch on the stern
worked his way to the center of the
4 canoe and picked up a small mega.
phone. "Put the little end to your
ear" he said, handing it to his com
panion. "Here's another just like it fol
1 me-"
"Why, Joseph Easton! I'm ashamed
of you! Do you often do things like
this?"
i "Never did it before. This is very
exceptional case"
N you're sure to hear something about
4 yourself you won't like"
mo danger" he replied cheerfully
4 as he raised the funnel to- his ear
4 Don't they say all the world loves 6
4 fellow in my condition."
Then, while the girl sat watching
him, with her own megaphone un
/ touched in her lap, he listened first II
one quarter, then in another. Sound
travels surprisingly far at night on 6
calm body of water. To the unaidet
ear nothing was audible but the chirp
ing Of insects upon the shore and the
tapping Of ripples along the keel. Nev
ertheless at the fourth trial Easton's
attitude betokened that his megaphone
, had intercepted some sounds more in
telligible.
"Pity you're missing this" he chuc
killed. presently Better follow me-"
l. "Can you really hear somebody talk
ing about us?" asked Anne, interested
in spite Of herself.
"Seems to be couple Of girls dis
| cussing YOU" said Easton. "And very
nicely too. Excellent sense those peo
pie have. Hush
'Now they've switched off on me-" ht
added, after pause.
. Anne could restrain herself no lon
ger. ut isn't so wrong for me to lister
when they are speaking of you," she
said finally. The next moment two
megaphones were leveled into the dark
: ness.
This is what came through them:
Rowing fancy, did you say? Indeet
/ he had. never saw man change al
he has since last summer. He showed
preference for Anne then, but he wa
willing to glance at the rest Of us occa
sionally. But now-well, it's case, al
: right"
Easton turned triumphantly to SCI
what effect this had upon his compan
ion. To all appearances she was listen
: ing shamelessly, intent to catch ever.
word. When he returned to his mega
phone another feminine voice wa
: speaking:
Least doubt about it, But I shal