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

back the one which led from the little
back lobby. which opened out upon
the woods the nearer strawberries, and
Dick Finnan's woodpile.s Vida enter
ed quietly, without either of the men
hearing her, and in moment the fat
was in the fire.
She was dressed in plain gown of
blue serge which moulded. her figure
like some natural leaf-sheathing of the
spring. 1t was, however, merely her
second best" dress-that which she
put on in the weekday evenings. She
mottoned Vic Morris to seat. For
a moment he did not obey-caugnt, as
it were, In a loud, empty echo of his
own words. He realished for the first
time that he mad been speaking in that
quiet kitchen as he would have done
in the galleries of the mine
He sat down. Vida waited little,
still in the twilight, standing near the
door by which she had entered, her
foot tapping impatiently and angrily.
The freight, having caught nest of
pineknots, blazed up, and while the
flame lasted neither of the men could
take his eyes off her.
At last she spoke.
Mr.. Norris" she said, you permit
yourself to storm in this house as you
might at the horses in some stable
yard. Is Dick Finnan under any obli-s
cations to you, that you assume such
! rlght?"
Certainly mott" said honest Vic,
hanging mis- head
Or am II"
Still less" faltered Vic Morris;
"the truth is that l ought to ask your
pardon. And l do. Mr.. Calmont and.
we're having little discussion
politics, you know, Miss Bryan-and
We may have got rather warm"
II only know Mr. Morris, that you
have no right to shout in this house
SO that you can be heard in the public
road. And now, Phil, what have you
to say"
She turned upon Philip Calmont,
who mad acquired the conviction that
she had heard every word-which
conviction, nevertheless, he kept
severely to himself.
ut is true BILL he said ligntly,
continuing to stand up because Vida
had not sat down. "Mr. Morris and
were discussing problems of political
economy with personal applications. !"
"How dare you tell me such story,
Philip Calmont!" cried Vida, taking a
step nearer to him. 81 heard every
word He grossly insulted your father
and your family. If 1t had been me
and mine, II should nave had his
blood!"
| The words. reproduced instinctively
from some sixpenny romance, sobered
the unliterary engineer. But Phil
Calmont only laughed 1t seemed to
him an echo of the daily speech Of the
twins. Willie and Wilnelmina. They
were always on the warpath. thirsting
for somebody's blood.
"Phi Calmont," said Vida sternly
frowning upon his laughter, 81 thought
you had more sense And you, Mr.
Morris, be good enough to take your
politics and your political economy
outside. and do not either Of your
come back here till you have learned
how to behave yourselves"
II beg your pardon" said Vic Mo-
ris, stiff as poker.
81 beg your pardon!" said Phil, bow
ing with his accustomed grace, the
straw lat in his hand bowling also
and so low that Vida could see the
light of the pineknots on his boyist
curls. As he passed the woodbox nc
threw nthe fire double handful
of firecones, as is he had been fulfill
ing automatically a ong-accustomec
duty.
Then the two men went out to
gether.
CHAPTED XIV
The Making of Man.
Old Dick was late at No. 2 tina