Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-31

was upon the point of waking Alban
and putting the question to him. Or
again, he tried to creep back to the
landing, determined. in his own room,
to suffer as best he could the hours
of uncertainty Distressed by irresolu-
ton ne crossed to the window at last
and breathed the cool sweet air of
morning as one being stranger to
such scene at such an hour. The sun
ha drisen by this time and all the
landscape stood revealed in its morn
ing beams. Net yet had London stir
red to the murmur of the coming day
no smoke rose from ner forest of
chimneys. no haze drifted above the
labyrinth. Far below she lay, maze
of empty streets, of shattered shops,
of vast silent buildings-a city of
silence. hiding her cares from the
glory of the dawn. yelling her sorrow
and her suffering, hushing her chill
dren to rest,dead to the morning voices
rich and poor alike turning from the
eyes Of the day to Mother Sleep upon
whose heart Is eternal rest. Such
city Gessner beheld while he looked
from the window, and the golden
beams lighted his pallid face and the
sweet air of day called him to deed
and resolution. What victories he had
won upon that grimy field; what
triumphs he mad known; what hours
of pomp and vanity-what bitter
anguish And now he might rule
there no longer. Detection had stalk
ed out of the unknown and touched
him upon the shoulder. Somewhere
in that labyrinth his enemies were
sleeping. But one human being could
shield MIN from them, and he lad
without home or friends, penniless
and wanderer..
He drew back from the window,
saying that the hours of suspense
must be brief and that his will should
prevail with this lad, at whatever
sacrifice. Believing that his old
shrewdness would help him, and that
in Alban not only the instrument of
mis- salvation but of his vengeance
should be found, he would have quit
ted tho room Immediately, had not
his eye lighted at hazard upon rough
paper. lying upon the floor by the bed,
aud Il pencil, which had tumbled from
Adams tired hand. Perceiving that
the lad had been drawing, and curious
beyond ordinary to know the subject
of his picture, he picked the paper up
to discover thereon a rude portrait
which he recognized instantly for that
| If his daughter. Anna. Such a dis
covery, thrusting into mis- schemes as
it did an idea which hitherto had es-
capped him, held him for an instant
spellbound with wonder. A clever
man accustomed to arrive at conclu-
sions swiftly, the completely of his
thoughts, the strife of arguments now
unnerved him utterly For he per-
ceived both a great possibility and a
great danger.
He is "to marry Lois Boriskoff" was
the silent refiection-'sto marry the
daughter. And this-this-good God,
the man would never forgive me this!'
The paper tumbled from his hands.
Alban, turning upon his pillow. sighed
In his sleep. A neighboring church
j clock struck six; there were workmen
going down to the city which must
now awake to the ilabors of the day.
CHAPTER XII.
Whirlwind.
Captain Willy Forrest admitted that
he had few virtues, but he never
charged himself with the vice of idle.
ness. In town or out Of it, his trim
man-servant, Abel would wake him at
seven o'clock and see that he had
a cup of tea and the morning papers
: by quarter-past Fine physical
condition was one of the ambitions
of this 1.-THE shapely person whose
father had been a jockey and whose
mother had not forgotten to the day
of her death the manner in which
measurements are taken upon g
counter
Willy Forrest, by dint Of perserver
ance, had really come to believe that
these worthy parents never existed
but in his Imagination To the world
he was the second son of the late Sill
John Forrest, Bart, who're frst-born
supposed to be in Africa, had remain
ed beyond the pale for many years
Society, which rarely questions pleas
ant people, took him at his word an!
opened many doors to hon. In short
he was a type Of adventurer by NJ
means uncommon, and rarely unsuc
cessful when there are brains to bach
the pretensions
He was not particularly evil rasca
and women found him charming. Pos
sessed of merry face, a horsey man
: have delighted a maker of SLANG
dictionaries, he pushed his way every
where, not hoping for something t;
turn up, but determined that his owl
cleverness should contrive that de
, sirable arrival Wnen he met Ann,
Gessner at Ascot a year ago, the
propitious moment seemed at hand
''The girl is a gambler to her yer.
boots" he told himself, while he re
fected that seat upon the box Q
such a family coach would certainl.
make his fortune. Willy Forrest re
solved to secure such seat withol,
: moments loss of time.
This determination taken, the ardo
with which he pursued it was SUI
prising. A cunning foxlike instinc
r led him to read Anna Gessner'
character as few others who ha
known her. Believing greatly in tn
, gospel of heredity, he perceived tina
Anna owed much to her father an
l more to her nationality. "she !.
selfish aud passionate. a little dew