Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-11-07

what? You gardenerIl find a new
specimen in the morning and get
fits. Mind he don't prune me, though.
l can't afford to lose much at my
time of life. You go to bed, Anna,
and dream of little Willy. He's go
ing to make your fortune on Thurs.
day-good old Lodestar, some of
emil feel the draught. you bet. Don't
spoil your complexion or my &C
count, Anna. You go to bed and keep
young"
He rambled on. half good-humorel-
ly, wholly determined in his resolu-
ton to stay. Anna had never found
him obstinate or In opposition to her
will before, and blazing cheeks and
flashing eyes expressed her resent
ment at an attitude so changed.
"Alban," she said quietly, Captain
Forrest will not stay. Will you please
see that he does not
She withdrew upon the words and
left the two men alone. They listen
ed and heard her mounting the stairs
with slow steps. While Forrest WIS
still disposed to treat the matter as
a joke, Alban had enough discretion
to avoid a scene if it could be avoid
ed. He was quite calm and willing to
forget the insult that had been Of
fered to him.
why not make an end Of it. For
rest?" he said presently. "Ill go 10
the hotel with you--you know perfect.
ly we'll that you can get a bed there,
What's the good Of playing the fool?'
Il was never more serious in my
life, old man. Here I am and here l
stay. There's no place like home
Ell, what? Why should you do stunts
about it? What's 1t to do with You
after all? Suppose you think you're
master here, Then give us a whisky
and-soda for luck, my boy"
II shall not give you a whisky-and-
soda and l do not consider myself the
master here. That has nothing to do
with it.. You know Anna wishes you
to go, and 60 you shall. What's to
be gained by being obstinate?"
Forrest looked at him cunningly.
Appears that | intrude," he ex
claimed with a sudden flash which de
clared his real purpose, little Anna
Gessner and the boy out of White
chapel making a match Of it together
-eh, what? Don't let's have any
rotten nonsense, old man. You're
gone on the girl and you don't wan,
me here. Say 80 and be a man
You've played a low card on me ane
you want to see the hand out. ISM
it that? Say so and be honest II yo'
can
tits a lie" retorted Alban, quickly
; and then unable to restrain him
self he added quickly, "a groom's lie
and you know it."
Forrest, sobered in a moment by the
accusation, sprang up from his chair
as though stung by tne lash of a whip
Whats that" he cried. what d.
you say?'
THAT you are not the sen of ST.
joan Forrest at all. Your real name
is Weston-you father was a jocke.
and you were born at Royston neal
Cambridge. That's what | say, An
swer 1t when you like-but not In THU
house for you won't have the opportun
ity. There's the door and that's you
road. Now step out before l make
YOU"
He pointed to the open door anc
drew a little nearer to his slim an
tagonist. Forrest, a smile still upo1
his face, stood for an instant irreso
lute-then recovering himself, hi
threw the glass he held as though |
had been a ball, and the missile, strik
ing Alban upon the forehead, cut hin
as a knife would nave done.
you puppy, you gutter-snipe-Il
show you who l am. Wipe that off l
you caa;" and then almost shouting
he cried, Here. Anna, come down ant
see what I've done to your little eve
lamb, come down. and comfort him
Anna. do you hear?"
He said no more, for Alban had hin
by the throat, leaping him with thu
ferocity of a wild beast and carryin.
him headlong to the lawn before tn,
windows. Never in his life had sucl
a paroxysm of anger overtaken tnt
boy or one which mastered him 81
utterly. Blindly he struck; his blow
rained upon the covering face a.
though he would beat 1t out Of al
recognition. He knew not wholly VIII,
he thus acted If not upon some i'm
pulse which would avenge the wrong
good women had suffered at the hands
of such an imposter as this. When h
desisted. the man lay almost insen
sible upon the grass at his feet-ant
he, drawing apart. felt the hot tear
running down his face and could no
restrain them.
For in a measure he felt that hi
very chivalry had been faithless to on
who aad loved him well-and in tn
: degradation of that violent scene h
recalled the spirit of the melanchol.
years. the atmosphere of the meal
. streets, the figure Of little Lois Boris
, kof asking. both his pity and mis- love
CHAPTER XVII
| Father and Daughter.
Richard Gessner returned to HamI
stead on the Friday in Ascot week an
|, upon the followinf morning Anna an
Alban came back from Henley. The
said little OF their adventures there
save to tell of quiet days upon sum
waters; nor did the shrewdest que:
tioning add one iota to the tale. Ii
i deed. Gessner's habituAl curiosity al
. peared, for the time being, to have d,
. serted him. and they found him affabl
t and good-humored almost to the poir
) of wonder.
1t had been a very long time, a
Anna declared, since anything Of tni
q kind had shed light upon the common