Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-06-24
(copyrisht. by Tho cassell Publishing COZ

"And what has her ladyship to offer
to-day?"
"This'
The messenger placed a letter in
John Lamm's hand. The detective
broke the seal and read it eagerly.
"See," he said, passing it to Thomas,
'sit's from my little parlor. maid at
SSampscott.''
The reporter perused the missive In
his turn. With a little editing it would
have read as follows:
"She is getting worse and worse. If this
| goes on much longer can't stay here.
Since Stella ran away she's acted stranger
than ever. 1t wouldn't do to speak to
her for your life. Mr. Fetridge called last
night again. Their talk was short She
got letter from her husband last night
1 brought it from the post office, and know
| his SIS. She spent all the evening", think,
writing, for her room was full of tiny
scraps written on, this morning; but she
must have torn them all up, for mo letter
| has been posted from this house; that's
certain. I'm crazy to know If that poor
girl has been heard from Don't keep the
news from me. as soon as she is found.
think Stella's going has scared NJ. She
looks like ghost, and I'm afraid of her,
ana SO are all the rest
Its evident she tried to answer the
letter Stackhouse wrote her." said
Thomas. Something must have
thrown her into an unusual state of
indecision." John Lamm's comments
were entirely mental. He o,ly re-
marked that he had deal Of work
before him. Before setting out, how
ever, on his new quests, the detective
took decided notion that he wanted
to be introduced to Stella, with whom
he had never been given an opportun-
ity to talk. Thomas was delighted at
the chance of converting his friend
wholly to the cause of the unfortun-
ate girl, as he was sure visit to her
would do. So the two men were soon
in the horse cars, on their way to the
reporters home.
Thomas led Lamm to a little room
in the second story, where his mother
Ia delightful lady with sweet voice
and face a little faded and worn with
the cares of so years, but trimming
full of good will and sympathy of a
heart that the years had failed to
harden-is seated at her knitting. The
old lady takes off her spectacles, and
is delighted to meet any friend of her
son, whom it is easy to see she has
placed in a niche far above the Or
binary walks IF mankind She drops
a little courtesy, and when 1er son
whispers in her ear, becomes brimful
of importance and mystery. Going to
the door of the adjoining chamber
her own room-she says something in
a low voice. There is a rustic of a
woman's dress. and Stella North ap-
pears on the threshold Pale and
haunted by a cruel fear such as never
troubled her young life before, she is,
nevertheless, so much her old self that
her eyes seem ready to laugh again
and the dimples to indent themselves
In her pretty cheeks, if sufficient en-
couragement is given for her roguish
smile. Alas, poor child! Her accus-
toned mirth had been a stranger to
her for some time; and the laughing
face that nature had given her was
only cruel mockery. It was useless
for John Lamm to ask himself wheth.
er she were part and parcel of the
murderous conspiracy which he sus.
pected. The refutation of all doubt
was written in her clear blue eyes, her
timid shrinking from stranger, her
honest, roguish face.
Why, that girl was meant for the
open air and the sunshine, to sing, to
love, to be happy, he thought. 1t is
; an incongruous hardship that a trag-
edy like this should come into her
life. She is as out of place as a gay
soubrette in the family of Lady Mac.
beth!
But when she spoke, when, encour.
aged by the ready tact of Thomas, she
wae led to take part in the pleasant
conversation that ensued-Thomas hat
expressly stipulated that no reference
should be made to the tragedy-why
then John Lamm could not restrain
5 his honest admiration and his cordia
sympathy. A creature at once 81
frank, SO free, SO shy and so bold, Sc
modest and SO reckless, in a breath
was enough to disarm the most severe
of critics. And the detective pro
nounced her the beau ideal of an limo
cent, mischievous, light-hearted girl
not too shallow to love, but altogether
too sunny to hate.
But, more than all, he noted the
half-abashed, half-reverential air with
which she regarded her guardian
Thomas; and the peculiar solicitous
respectful and protecting manner
which he exhibited toward her.
well, WELL" sighed Lamm, as hi
walked away, there is one outcom,
to the North case which Il feel per
fectly safe in predicting at the presen
time. These two people are in love
A curious match! To think tina
e Thomas should meet his fate unde
t such circumstances! Well, well!
t wish l felt so sure of the rest as | d.
: of them!"
t And John Lamm fastened back t,
8 raSSma the droDpod tbraod of 49, ooe