Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-31

Romer had arrived. He marChed down
the avenue. erect in carriage as ever,
rugged in outline of face, albeit clean
shaven and ruddy, with thick, quick
moving irascible eyebrows. He had a
habit of pouting the lips rs If to
whistle, and then drawing them in
again as If he thought better of it.
He raped at the door under the
ivy sheltered porch, with his knuck-
les. Little Miss Nunsby opened It,.
81 have come" he said, ito see the
the young lady who had the mis-
fortune to be down in the pit on the
| day Of the accident"
"Ah! come in said Rose Nunsby,
briskly to the lord of the CORN es-
tates Miss Bryan is in the kitchen"
Mr.. Romer stood musing little on
the doorstep, little cane tapping his
pouting lips.
Miss Bryan" he murmured $50
that is the the young lady's name.
Any relative of yours?"
| None" snapped little Miss Nuns
by; "my music pupil only - also "a
little) my friend"
Music pupil?' queried the great
man, as if speaking to himself, and
| you are"
Rose Nunsby," said the girl, my
father works in your of1ce!"
"Ah, of course said Mr. Romer.
The information conveyed nothing IN
particular to him In Kirktown the
words described nine out of every ten
male Inhabitants.
Now the light of biscuit-dray no
vember day Is different from every
other in the year There is something
of unpublished silver about it, full of
vague usefulness and the regret of
the lost years. At least Jacob Romer
found it so. For when he entered the
little parlor with the late-coming
flowers arranged on table and mantel-
piece, he sighed involuntarily.
Perhaps some love for the old home
ly cottage life opposite Thorsby sur
vived or revived in the stubborn old
heart of the master of millions. At
CORN Castle Jacob Romer seldom saw
anyone but Gregson, the formal, the
meritorious. Everything was large.
and still and chi unpropitious for
the kindling of old blood about
. CORN Caste The fires did not heat
the rooms When lighted, they seemed
ed sorry for themselves and dropped
,, like flowers after first frost such
. one as was beginning to fall over
9 the woodlands this very afternoon.
!, But here. in the little cottage, warm
! freight in early November was
: thing to remember and to be thankful
for even supposing that the sun still
!. shone through the gable window or
+ the barred arms Of Vida. who was bak
a ing, with sleeves rolled up, and or
\ the flushed cheeks Of little Miss
n Nunsby, who presently would be run
ming to and fro about the fireplace
= ranging and testing the griddls
" cakes. A long woodland gap permit
=. ted a CLINT Of autumnal gold to res
=. on Vida's cheek Jacob Romer though
- that he had seen something like tina
- before. and the warm smell lof tn
y baking, the COED dust Of the farina Il
II the air. the girls round, quick-movin
=. arms and rapid changes of position
the "thump-thump" of the rolling pi
=, on the wooden blackboard, all spok
70 to him Of ancient things - older tina
-. his wife. perhaps, speaking OF nj
=. youth, of his mother or grandmother
20 Fer a moment comfort banfshed fror
- his mind the desire to grow richie
~ and ever richer, and the thought {
Of calling in Miss Georgiana Bunny t
: sit at the head of his table at Corr
pf tCdSIlS NdlilhACu Inv q Siouu SiAetso
al off hill.
~, ~, He found little to say, and when h
-. -, had gone Rose Nunsby said to he
az az friend with a smile. 81 know somebod
!, who may be mistress at CORN Cast
is some day.
"a ~, Vida looked at her friend for or
~ long moment horrible suspicic
crossing her mind that prehaps. aft
ne all, Rose spoke the truth. Then, gri
It'll ping her friend by the wrist 81
en- said f1ercely, 81 am going myself
ca CORN Castle tomorrow will "
Ell come with me? have something
hs say to - to my father,'
nm Gracious" said Rose with her no
,ul in the air. isn't it usual to let m;
De make UP his own mind?'
81 am his daughter!" said VII
re- tragically.
ne Rose, nothing astonished stepp
JUS back and regarded the girl.
ed, He will make the third she So
calmly. "Billy Bryan. old Dick a,
now Mr. Jacob Romer. wonder viii
m third of you he will take. Certainly
he will come and see. don't think fat
Ike err will actually kill Leeby Callum
If another day yet
=, But VIDA. deep III Jus letlOl VI
g. other thought, did not even listt
he She was imperiling her own home a
vas Dicks yet it must be. She had
right to let things drift. She must
yht to CORN Castle tomorrow.
ors The next afternoon at three o'clo
vas precisely, the two girls locked
uld outer door behind them. Vida took
ned exceedingly cunning and never-befo
the thought-of plan of hiding the key
any der the mat. so that Dick Finnan,
he should return before they got ba
! rr would not be shut out from
mo- warmth of bis own fireside Dick
the lighted greatly in the originality
ack this device. He saw the hump On
Md mat from afar off.
no It was a sharp, clean, MINDLESS
to with the ash trees cricking merl
me- overhead letting go all sail and
tim big. broad leaves balancing noiselt
ly down till they formed sort