Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-14

| J
| "but as to your suggestion that she
wouldn't have me because of my per-
sonal appearance, scorn 1t! Never
woman yit that asked to marry me
that ever refused me-"
any at all" said old Dick. picking up
his candle and shu ing off up stirs
Come to bed, Billy; young maids like
cept just to look after bit till the
proper man comes along. The nit's
Goodbye Dick!' Goodbye Billy and
she's gone from us forever That's
the sort of fathers we are"
CHAPTER XIX.
The Mysterious Fire.
The underground engineer went out
Of the Glebe End gate very thought
fully that night, He had accustomed
himself to believe that nothing he un-
dertook could possibly fail. But he
was not conscious of any particular
progress which his suit had made. He
had advanced no farther in the good
graces of Vida Bryan than at first
/ There was some obstaele He was sure
of that something or somebody he
er taking Phil Calmont into his once
to be under his eye, he had not given
that rival another thought. He could
pretty well account for every hour of
Pills time. and besides he knew him
to be working hard at his new pro-
| fession,
At the end of the dark avenue Of
trees, but drawn aside from the public
highway. Vic Morris came upon the
red sidelight of little automobile. Its
I head lantern had been covered with
a mask of black velvet. like the cloth
which photographers use for their
stand cameras. 1t could only have been
there few minutes, for the whole
body was still a-tremble with the purr
and throb Of the prisoned forces. Yet
there was no one to be seen anywhere
about. But Vic Morris had no difficulty
in reassuring himself that the car was
one o fthose belonging to Mr.. Kahn
i No one else whereabouts had anything
of the kind
What was it doing there at this
time of night" he wondered. Had he
anything to do with the gift Of tbs
piano made to Vida by means of Billy
Bryan? Was it likely or possible tina,
a lighthouseman, even one Of long ser
vice, could have been able with al
the good will in the world. to spend
such sum on a present to daughter
who was not his daughter"
This appeared so suspicious to Vic
Morris that, though it certainly was
no business Of his. he considered thai
the circumstances justified tour Of
inspection round the cottage. In the
gable window light still burned il
Vida's window. But all else was dark
He discovered nothing till he fell ovel
the empty piano case, with which he
entangled himself. producing between
them such noise OF rolling thunder
as it tumbled down the steps that he
brought the angry face of Billy Bryan
to an upper window
Get away out of that. We sneakin
hound!' he cried, trying to steal ths
piano case that have to return car
riage paid or pay for myself = sure
We are that. I'll be afther putin ;
!. good navy bullet through ye, "
, sneakin' villain. have got the range
of that case, and the next man tina
touches 1t wild the toe Of his numbe
16 shoe goes bit farther than purga
thory door,"
The patience and circumspectiol
with which Vic retired were such a.
, he would have used in an old and dan
gerous working of which he did no
know the landmarks. But he reaches
, the outer gate in safety perhaps
little ashamed Of himself. 1t was. o
course, possible that the "Confiden
7 tial" might have gone up to visit hi
t master, Jacob Romer, secretly. an,
| that he had merely left his car there
drawn up out of reach Of the casua
passerby while he transacted his bus
; ness. Yes, of course, that was it. Wha
a jealous fool he was. after all
Would any have believed it Of him
/, Ludovic Morris, hitherto as sensibl
, as the average lamp post to the fro,
: frou of feminine skirts.
!. The car was still there, hedded 1
niche of shrubbery, and sending on
" upon the night an unfamiliar odor {
-, oil and hot iron which strove, ali to
|. successfully with the hale pine scent
, and the keen night breath of dew-we
\ laurels. Vic listened. From the cottag
: there came no sound Of pursuit One {
!, Jacob Romer's pheasants down
3 some dell not far away sent up GU
+ icus half-human cry mere signal
g its mate doubtless, but in the dan
n darkness expressive as the book {
Ecclesiastics of "the painful an
q transitory nature of all things" Pc
haps it foressw the day when Jacc
: Romer's clients and friends wou1
come forth arrayed for carnage an
when all the pheasant kind. hithert
l. mere domestic poultry. you'd sudde
g ly be slaughtered with arms of pr
= cision and counted by the hundre
e head like So many dead Beers {
o South African battlefield.
d A double glimmer on the steel le
/, ers, uncertain dull reflections of tt