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


upon an earlier visitor making himself
very much at home. He was a tallish,
thin man, with reddish hair, plentiful
on top. At sigh of Vic he took a pair
of smoked glasses, as If by instinct,
out of his pocket Then, instantly
Intruder with deep-set, black, humor-
ously twinkling eyes.
AS Vic's hugs shoulders and clean
cut granite features filled up the door
way, the man in possession turned his
eyes upon him with a request to be
informed "Who in kingdom come he
might be-" Vic returned the compli-
ment In kind and his query was an
swered by the ruddygray man without
a shadow of a smile on his face. He
would tell his name certainly. He
would even give particulars.
Maybe We have heard O'Mahoney,
the celebrated robber and murderer?
He fairly wallows in gore and land
agents, does Mahony = I'm him. Well.
I've just polishe doff the lot here and
now I'm washing up, as it were. And
I would be obliged to you sorr, for the
information why you come showing
your ugly nose into any mans bust
ness. Dye want to See my license to
commit homicide at any moment?
What. We doubt me worrud? Well,
then, come in with We and sit down
I'll see what is the best can do for
you in the cold tea and bread and but
ter line. For We look as if We needed it,
young mani"
II called to see my friends" said
the engineer with dignity.
"And what might your friends be
calm themselves when the police
wasn't afther thim?"
"Mr. Richard Finnan and"
Good morning" cried the piebald
Irishman, "owld Dick wud nivver
know himself by that name. Too
yard-wide for him, my son! And your
other friends-all now dead and gone.
and their first term paid to the
Cimit'ry company! Excuse me while
dhrop tear!"
He searcned, but in vain, for a
handkerchief, and finally went into a
corner and dropped the tear noisly on
the floor.
When he returned, he said in con-
fidential whisper, "If We have anything
rale comfortin about We, sir, I'll take
drop afore l hear the name of amy
more of your friends"
& But the engineer had had quite
enough of this form of humor. which
might be called the piebald Irishmen's
specially.
This is the house of my friend. Mr..
Ffnnan, and his daughter, Miss Vida
Bryan" said Vic, squaring his should
ers whit the evident intention of com.
bat, and shall be glad to know what
your business is here?"
The Irishman also squared his
shoulders with an outrageous carica-
ture of the underground manager
grand manner.
My name is Billy Bryan" he said,
ireland is my nation, as maybe yell
have had the penetration to take note
of already-more by token that |
never acquired the poor, mean, snip
scissors English brogue. And no not
ask you what you are doing in this
house. l know! Sorr, that, phat are
your honorable intintions with regard
to me da-aughter?"
And, with his arms folded and a
portentously beetling frown on his
jovial countenance, the lighthouseman
paused for an answer"
1t was evident that Mr.. Vic Morris
was taken very much aback. He had
heard, vaguely, that Vida had been a
castaway from some ship, and had a
romatic story attached to her. But
he was not the sort of young man to
lay much stress upon romatic stories.
1t was all the same to nim whether
Vida was called Finnan or Bryan OF
Smith. or Brown or Jones or Robinson
All that he asked was that she would
consent to take as permanency the
name of Vida Morris. He expected
no dowry. His two strong hands, the
professional knowledge which lay
packed away in his energetic and we'll
squared mead, were dowry enough for
two. He had a rough-shod will, and an
overriding belief In the skill of his
own combination, to which he would
expect a wife to conform. Otherwise
he was completely Indifferent to the
claims of long decent. Lady Clara
We're de We're and Susan Sugg had
SO far as he was concerned, no start
in the race of life-except that, as he
would have stated the case to him
self, the proba abilities were that the
Lady Clara had her stuffed with all
sorts of noesenSe. He did not pause
to consider that in all likelihood Miss
Sugg took in The Farthing Novelette,
and that, consequently, the two were
much on the same intellectual level.
The Salt-and-Cayenne-pepper Irish
man had indeed paused for reply
and that reply was hard to fnd.
"My intentions with regard to YOU
daugnter?' repeated the underground
engineer duly
AYE, just that" said the Irishman
what We are up to is clear-comins
here night after night!-Coortin'
That's it. What We are going to bt
up to. and you an English Saxon Il
what Gas half a parent I shall make
it my business to find out"
But when Vic Morris argued HI
liked to be sure of his premises. Ant
he remembered that he knew no NOR
of this intruder than that he asserte,
mis- name to be Bryan, and that Vid'
was his daughter--which might hav
no more secure basis than the prev
Gus legend that he had finished
wholesale massacre, and with cleanin