Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-19

It's members being the train commit
tee." who were evidently holding
special session on THIS mOmenIous &C.
casion. The busy Squealer, a tri1e
enlivened by some Of Mr.. Saunders
wet goods that had escaped the efforts
Of the volunteer salvage corps, hailed
the new arrivals as brother heroes.
"Web found out how the fire started
yit?" inquired the captain, with ap-
parent unconcern.
mo, he haint for sure There was
lot Of us thought old Baxter might
have set it, but they tell me it couldn't
have been him, cause he was took
down runnin' to the fire. Web, he's
sort of changed his tune and don't
seem to think anybody set it; thinks it
catched ITSELF"
Mr.. Saunders, his smooth self again,
with all traces of mental disturbance
gone from his face and all roughness
from his tongue, came briskly up,
smiling as if the burning of his place
of business was but a rifiing Incl.
dent, little annoying, Of course, but
not worth fretting about. He thanked
the captain and Hazeltine effusively
for their service of the previous night
and piled the weight Of his obligations
upon them until, as Captain Fri said
afterward," 1.-The sirup fairly dripped
off his chin" The captain broke in
upon the sugary flow as soon as he
could.
"How dyou think it started, Wcb?'
he asked.
WELL" replied Mr.. Saunders slow,
~, Il kind Of cal'late she started her
self. There was some of the boys in
here most of the evenin', and Jest likes
not q cigar butt or a match or some
thin dropped somewheres and got to
smolderin' and smoldered along till
bimeby-puffp' An expressive wave
Of u fat hand finished the sentence.
"Humph!" grunted the captain.
Changed your mind sence last night.
Seems to me heard you then swearin'
you knew twas set and who set it."
"Well, ye-es. I was considerable
shook up last night, and maybe said
things I hadn't ought to. You see,
there's been good deal Of hard feel
ln's toward me in town, and for n
spell I thought some Teller d tried to
burn me out. But guess not-1 guess
not. More | think Of 1t, more I think
1t catched itself. Seems to me l re-
member smellin' sort of a scorchin'
smell when was lockin' up. Oh, say!
l was mighty sorry to'hear bout Cap'n
Baxter bein' took sick. How's he git
tin along?"
Captain Fri brusquely replied that
his friend was "'bout the same" and
asked If Mr.. Saunders intended to re-
build. Web didn't know just yet. He
was poor man, didn't carry much
insurance, and so on. Thought likely
he should fix up again if it didn't cost
Captain Baxter would pull through or
not?
Captain Fri gave an evasive answer
and turned away. He was silent for
some little time, and when Ralph COM
rneuted on Webs overnight change
of manner his rejoinder was to the
effect that 'ile was bound to rise, but
that didn't mean there want dirty
water underneath" On the way home
he asked Hazeltine concerning the trou-
BILE at the cable station and how Mr..
Langley had treated the matter.
Ralph replied that Mr.. Langley had
said nothing to him about it. 1t was
his opinion that the old gentleman IN
derstood the affair pretty well and was
not disposed to blame him. AS for the
men, they had been as docile as lambs,
and he thought the feeling toward him
self was not as bitter as it had been,
all of which Ills companion said he
was glad to hear.
They separated at the gate, and the
captain entered the house to find Mrs.
Snow welding broom and surround
ed by cloud of dust. Perez was up
stairs with the patient, and Captain
Jerry, whose habits had been consid-
erably upset by the sweeping, was out
In the barn.
That evening the situation was eX-
planned to Mrs. Snow by Captain Fri
in accordance with the talk at the
breakfast table. The lady from Nan
tucket understood and respected Cap
tain Jerry's unwillingness to discuss
the marriage question while John Bax-
ter's condition continued critical, and
she agreed to act as nurse and house
keeper for awhile at least for the sum
Of Sc week. This price was fixed on
ly after considerable discussion by the
three mariners, for Captain Fri was
inclined to offer So and Captain Jerry
but 81.
When Ralph Hazeltine called late in
the afternoon of the following day the
dining room was SO transformed that
he scarcely knew it. The dust had dis
appeared, the chronometer was polish
ed till it shone, the table was covered
with cloth that was snow white,
and everything movable had the ap-
pearance Of being in it's place. Alto
getner tnere was an evlueuce OIL oruer
that was almost startling.