Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-24

lHe dCliuS-ududSSr OF the INCUBUS
Works understood very well that he
had played and lost. He would never
(now be able to present to his master,
Jacob Romer, long-lost daughter, nor
! receive from him. the Bless you, my
children" which sealed to himself the
possession of Inc Romer millions.
That hope was past James Kahn
avowed it to himself. But one door
| shut in his face. he SET himself with
Just as much energy, and as deliberate
a sangfroid, to open the other
James Kahn carried within him all
the curious contradictions of newly
arrived race-which, among drainage
systems arranged at Lambeth, ana IN
stallations of electric light fresh from
Paris, keeps it's ancient savagery Of
vendetta. and has no more objections
to butchering It's king and queen than
to killing so many rats in trap.
Yet, for all that, it is possible-in-
deed, likely--that if Vida had married
James Kahn he would nave made her,
his own liberty being safeguarded, a
tolerable, perhaps even to the sight Of
most, an admirable husband. But,
since she refused him and stood in his
way she became no better than a
mouse, which. gnawing at the vain
scot, disturbed his rest
Accordingly he set trap for her.
and baited 1t with his own good deeds
and better intentions towards Dick
Finnan. Against Dick he had certain
ly showed no malice. Indeed, in the
pit and at the making of reports, he
had shown himself kinder than ever
He had complimented him on the
discipline of No. pit, which before
ne had not liked. 1t contained too
many "psalm-singers" for him, he
said-Scottish Kirkmen and true
blues Presbyterians, with a sprinkling
tested yet more, being wholly unable
to understand them But among these
men Dick mad taken his place with all
the prestige of his ruling-eldership at
the Kirk Of the hill. Dick believed in
James Kahn, and the miners believed
In Dick. So matters went easier. till
at last No. was in most respects the
most contented and loyal pit in all
the Incubus workings. At least, there
We're no complaints.
Consequently, nothing whatever was
done for No. 2-the philosophy of the
management of the Incubus mines be.
ing that which guided the unjust Judge
in his treatment of the importunate
widow-which is to say. make your
self enough of a nuisance, and We will
give you something to get rid of you!'
Since the night Of mis- defeat at the
cottage in the Glebe End Wood James
Kahn had never slept and hardly eat,
en-. To his excited imagination 1t
seemed that his secret was ready to
slip from him
vida Bryan is Jacob Romer's
daughter" the words beat in his
brain. And to him 1t seemed certain
that the girl must have been carried
away enough memories Of the Good
Intent to furnish the man she might
marry with the means of acting ex.
actly as James Kahn himself would
| hare done
He knew his master. and he knew,
too, that the spectre of remorse and
fear of lonely old age was eating
into Jacob Romer's heart. Willingly
he would forgive. Gladly he would
believe Then there would be moth
| ing left for James Kahn but to sell off
his motor car get rid of the Caravan
seria," and-take the train back to
| Belgrade, where, after the fashion OF
! the country, several unsatisfied blood
feuds awaited him.
Moreover. with a man of the true
Serb temper nothing counted but sue
| cess. What did it matter if, in order
to attain his end, he should engulf
hundred workers? The securely in.
vested Romer millions did not depend
| upon these. And so, having argued
out the case completely. he condemn
ed Vida to daath without more feeling,
at least apparent. than he would have
kicked q dog out Of his way.
But James Kahn scarcely reasoned
with himself. One plan having failed
: Why. the other rust be tried. lie
did not dispute, weigh right and
wrong. But he acted. With the same
sanguinary readiness as did the slay
ers of Alexander and Draga in the
old Palace of Belgrade. he acted
A day particularly dreamy, soft, sill.
ent was that which Dick, on the sug.
gestion Of his master and idol, had
chosen for Vida to descend the mine
and show her all that was to be seen
there The new electric fans were
to be installed These had long been
promised, They had been the origin,
al proposal of Vic Norris, who had fur
nished the plans and specifications
j But in spite of all the old bad sys-
/ TENS ruled, And the second exit
was still blocked by the steampipes
which drove the engine at the shaft
bottom. Even the new electric appar-
atus derived its power from that en-
CINE, SO that the apparent good was
only the old evil at another remove.
Upon hearing of Dicks plans. the
pitmen had put their heads together
and being quite conscious of the hon
or done them, they had arranged a
suit of overalls for Vida, which per
mitted her to descend in safety and
comfort. There were smiling faces
about her as she went into the engine
house James Kahn came forth from
a conference with Johnemann. the en-.
gineer. who las he gave out) had &C
companied him from Vienna Mr.
Kahn was enchanted to see Miss Vida
/ who blushed somewhat at her rough
boyish array. So ohliging was Mr.
Kahn that he insisted on descending
the dock with Dick Finnan and his