Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-26

ed! Ihere were these VINO KNOW .pet-
ter-like Vic Morris. who came hur-
rying down with the two ministers.
Benjamin Irongray end his own host,
John Fowley of the Valley Kirk.
Then the dead carts began to rumble
along the dusty ways. The forms Of
what had so lately been men were
laid upon them, and they took their
way home And then; with such
sound as men hardly hear twice from
human threats in this world. the null
titude Of women, till now restrained,
suddenly clambered on the wagons.
as a forlorn hope takes a besieged
city. crying aloud for their murdered
husbands.
Most unseemly," said Hector Nc
Kill complaining of Providence that
way!"
Lot O. good it'll do them!' mutter-
ed Walter Grinding, less p'oNsly.
But be it remarked, they did not
now move so easily about among the
crowd. Curses followed them-curses
Biblical said between clenched teeth:
curses which sounded like the pious
Anglers of Israel against the oppres-
sor.
But for once Hector McKill had
said true word 1t was unseemy,
and Mr.. Ironeray, the Cameronian
minister and Mr., Fowler of the Val
ley Kirk ran alongside and disposses-
sed the women with the power of
their persons and authority Rever-
emily they laid aside the face-cloths-
no better mostly than a rough sack.
They identified the poor. n1ishandled
clay. and so, taking reins in hand.
drove the husband home to the fire
side he had left that morning with
the Mondays nod of adieu.
Unseemlv of course it was-because
grief uncontrolled Is always unseem-
| ly! And only because such poor PEG.
pie had not learned how to dress their
emotion, to manage it daintily. to fix
bearing-reins upon it, to lead it out
and make it caracole only upon due
occasion--as when visit of condol-
ence is paid.
Unseemly-yes surely! In the pres
ence of that sleek, we'll groomed com
! pany gathered in the wainscotted,
leather armchair parlour of the Incu-
bus Offices Only the fierce stare of
Jacob Romer's insolent. indomitable
eyes. and the grizzled hackle which
stood more upright than ever on his
head, belied the well meaningless OF
those there Yet that fierce energy
! was perhaps the best asset of the
firm and it's advisers.
He listened to the explanations OF
the managers-to the suave sugges
tons of his very Junior partner
James Kahn-who, because Of his
share in the proceeds, small though j.
might be, had yet set the, trap and
baited it with thirty shillings week
But Kahn did not think it worth men
tioning, that there was a girl down
4 at the bottom-a certain Vida BRYAN
whom the old man with one flick o.
his befogged eye had seen as he drove
past her cottage as fast as two speedy
hays could pull him, or had looked
down upon his pew in the Cameron
ian kirk as he murkily surveyed the
audience, and auarrelied internally
with the insufficiently sulphuric quail
ity Of the Reverend Benjamin Iron
gray's sermons.
These four had before them TIT
plans Of the Incubus pits-especiall.
that of No. 2 pit. where were the i'm
prisoned men. The senior manager
Mr.. Hector McKill, was. as all knew
a pious man. and he had often praye.
for the spiritual state of those nov
penned below. Only he had blocked VI
the second exit with steam pipes Blu
his prayers must have been a grea
comfort to the prisoners at that me
ment They knew of them becaus
Hector McKill always said his prayer
in public, pumping them up from hi
large, well-fed system with wheez
ing noise apparently intended to rer
resent uncomfortable emotion.
The plans of No. pit, approve
and passed by the proper authorities
went slowly from hand to hand. The
were furnished with splendid extra e1
.. it's, fire escapes, traps. rests, ever,
.. thing was wide and clear. You coul
,, have driven a carriage and pair NJ
.. and-down without scraping tn
!, wheels--that is, as the second exit c
No. had been arranged on paper.
It is pity that men cannot be sal
;. ed on paper!
,, Now and then the manager of
!. neighboring pit, having heart Of tn
= accident, would tap timidly at tn
: door. He would have come boldly
but for the fear of Jacob Romer A
: it was, seeing before him the falco
; eyes and fierce beak of the master {
the Incubus workings, he meekly i
quired if he could be Of any use, an
:, discovered that he could not, and s
g went his way.
But it was the coming of Vic Morr
!, with the Valley Kirk minister tn;
first put hope into the men at tt
/. top of helping their comrades beloN
= If anyone could help, if anyone kne
:. the pit, it was Vic Morris.
. It was from Tohnemann the eng
:, neer on duty (once Of the Good I
tent that the Vic Morris learns
:, the CHASTITY news that Vida had go1
- down that morning to be shown ov
- the pit by her foster rather, old Die
Finnan.
He's been at her long time" sa
!. Johnemann. "and now he has got h
= down."
', He did not know how near he w
- to getting something from Vic Nc
= ris which he would not have forgotte
~ But at that moment he was safe. Y
- Morris had need of him.