Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-10

Dick WAS Inspector OF the ways, III
No. i pit, re had 3 come in a man
ner underground engineers assistant.
1 Vic needed to con5,it him quite FIRE.
quently, and young fellow like Vic
| could net expect an old man to be
running after him all ove- the Place,
when he had Just got home from a
hard days work. So Vic Morris call
ed. on him, which as anyone can see,
simplified things very much. Now,
kindness to the old Is, according 10
Confucius the pearl of all youthful
virtues. Vic Morris found it SO. He
did not in the least regret being kind
to old Dick Finnan, and any fairly
careful detective could have found
his deeply indented footsteps all the
year round in the neighborhood of
Glebe End Cottage.
AS for Vida, she could not tell
whether she liked him or not. He
was different from the others-.hat
was ALL
Sometimes" she con6ded to her
cliiefest friend, Rose Nunsby, II
think l like him. And then again |
an quite certain that don't"
In truth the two quarrelled abomin-
ably. And that, according to all the
authorities, was a good sign-for the
hopes Of Mr.. Vic Norris. For is it
not written that:
| Nippin' an scartin'
Are Ccots folks wooin'!
| But Vic Morris himself Grew no
conclusions. His strong, ccmbative.
| even tramping nature. his genius i'll
the conduct Of men, the daunloss
courage which led him always to hunt
| for Tie most difficult way of ascend
| ing d mountain, prevented him from
feeling tie least embarrassment Ill
| Vida's presence, or the least doubt
! about the iesue-so SION, thi;E IS. as
| he had made up his mind to speak.
Now, with girl like Vida Bryan
as proud and self-opinionated as Vic
| Morris himself; with feminine sensi-
| tiveness altogether unguessed at by
| the man, this was most unsafe
course to pursue. With girls accus.
| toned to obey, it might have proved
more successful. But. as general
rule, a man, even when he knows
himself to be the stronger, and GER
tain that the victory lies with him,
ought to pass the honours over 70
| the woman Men do not now kneel
tremendously and offer their all 1T
| the beloveds feet; But the well ad-
vised find that this is still the riglr
moral attitude 1t pays the man be-
cause it elevates woman in her own
estimation And, if you do that suffi-
GENTLY and continuously, there are
but few things she will deny you.
Which are the precepts' of the grand
father of Sirach, the man of great
diligence in gathering together all
grave sentiments. Give, therefore, as
much heed young man, as If you had
| in the eight and thirtieth year Of that
never-to-be-forgotten n1onarch's reign.
So each night, in sweet, grey, spring
tween the black branches Of trees IN
which the green buds were doubtfully
forming, in wintry "forenichts,' blithe
with the coming and going of lovers
betwixt hamlet and hamlet, the snow
crisp underfoot, and the stars cor
ruscating overhead, prompt to the
moment Vic Morris appeared at Dick
Finnan's gate, swung it. back, tramp.
ed up the short gravel path, and
! knocked.
Generally it was Dick himself who
came to the door. Every two or three
months according to the leave grant,
ed by the commissioners of northern
lights) it was certain Mr.. William
| Bryan, senior keeper Of the Wolf
Skerry Lighthouse-and, as it were
a member of Vic Morris own profes'
sion.
But it was never Vida who opened
And the young man searched In his
mind for the reason annexed to this
fact. He ascertained that she opened
to other people. Why not. then, to
him? His assurance found the soln
tion-one agreeable to his vanity
Yet Ludovic Morris was not vain. He
cared neither for his appearance, nor
for the effect it might produce. But
on the other hand his self-assurance
was monumental, and the fear of man
was not in him. Which is a goo6
thing, doubtless. But, then neither
was the fear of woman-which is q
thing infinitely i'll.
Vic Morris was a strong man. His
influence over the pit workers was
remarkable. He had no trouble WITT
them. No tools or pieces of coal fell
from a height on his head. Already
he had averted more than one strike
But-he was an advanced politician
The "Conffdential' Kahn, and the
general managers, Hector McKill ant
Walter Grinding, never felt quite a
home with him. Somehow they knew
that he belonged by sympathy to tht
toilers. His sympathies were entire
! ly with the forecastle The safeguart
according to him, could always tax.
care of itself.
Too brilliant at his work of estimat
ing distances, directing new dips ant
shafts, to be thrown overheard tn,
higher personel of the Incubus work
ings eyed him with distrust. Yet, Il
spite Of the respect and even devc
ticn, the men had for him, Vic MOI
ris awakened no great or enthusiast
love among them. He was just man
He was on their side. What leade
he would make If, with all that h
knew and all that he could do, h
were fully to cast in his lot wiz
them.
But he neither attracted nor permit
ted any display of affection or admir-
tfOn on the mart Of those under hin