Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-27
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!
ticular had excited nightmare hor.
ror in him. Two nude figures, man
and woman, with livid skins and
eyes eaten out by corruption, stood
upon grass that was red, amongst
reptilian trees, environed by loath
some tentacles Of branches, while, in
the foreground. amorphous forms Of
rocks, scaled like dragons, sprawled
and crawled These two might sym
Boise the last man and woman dead
after having infected Nature with the
poison that had destroyed them.
For long time he sat thus, seeing
the past and the present, staring with
unblinking gaze into the future. When
he rose, there was no indecision upon
his face. Coming, he had walked
slowly, the pace habitual to the man
Of leisure with nothing to kill except
time; returning he swung along brisk
| ly, walking with clean, elastic tread.
So the mechanic had strobe along to
his work. And in Hugo's eyes, as
| in his, shone the same subtle flame
which Prometheus stole from Heaven.
He had made up his mind to-root!
He persuaded Tisdale to become his
accomplice, and Tisdale consented not
altogether from the highest motives
He knew that the death of Charters
might remove the greatest obstacle
| between himself and Joy Vennable.
This consideration festered during the
three days which succeeded the sink
ing of the Luna. Hugo remained at
his friends fiat, while Tisdale bought
clothes and made inquiries. Within a
week steamer that carried a few
passengers was sailing for the Argen-
tine from Easthampton. She was
sailing on the early tide, and Hugo
intended to slip aboard the night be.
fore, well muffled up.
Meantime, his death had been
chronicled In all thu papers, and he
actually dill have the curious expert.
ence Of reading his own obituary no.
tees. The sporting papers published
nearly column apiece. Hugo's ex.
petitions were mentioned and one or
two of his most thrilling adventures
The writer of one euded his paper as
follows:
"Of late, the name OF Mr.. Hugo
Charters has been blackened by pub
lie opinion, which nine times out OF
ten Is unfair and hysterical. He was
too proud and perhaps too wise to de-
fend h'r.Relf against the most merci
less attack We have ever witnessed in
all English court of law; an attack
that SO far as we Can see served nc
end. for the decree has not beer
made a1st Lutte, and tbs prosecutor In
! this famous case has rendered the
proceedings null and void by condor
ing the offence. The man recovered
Of the bite, the dog It was that died.
Mr.. Hugo Charters was Handicapped
by the r:ssession If too much money
which he never failed to share with
his friends and acquatntances. NaC
he been & poor man. he might have
made gIsal name as an explorer
lie was essentially of the stuff o
Which pioneers are fashioned; strong
hardy. resou-ceful, always cheerful
and as brave a man as ever tackled :
tiger on foot in its native jungle. W.
never saw him without rejecting tina
he was as much out of place in 9 fash
ionable drawing room as a peregrin,
falcon in gilded cage. R. l. P"
Hugo laughed when he read this ap
piSCldJlOu,
THAT fellow must have borrowed {
tenner' from me-" he said to Tisdale
Upon the fourth day, body wa
washed ashore in a suit of clothe
identified as belonging to Hugo, H
had given to his chauffeur, maj
about his own size and build, coupl
; of old tweed suits. He could remen
Der that the poor fellow was wearin
one of them when he saw him for
few minutes after dinner. The mar
probably, had just had time to slip O
the coat and trousers. The body i
self, and particularly the face. wer
unreccgnis sable, like SO many other
dashed again and again upon fange
, rocks. 1isdale was greatly distres:
cd, but the Man-who-was, as Hug
: nov called himself, set against tn
5 ludicrous horror of funeral at Sa
5 from Charters and Cynthia's grief tn
consoling reflection that Edwar
: would get immediate possession Of tn
!, money he needed so desperately TIL
/ Chief Steward, who was among tn
! survivors, testified that he had see
I Mr.. Hugo Charters come aboard b
tween ten and eleven. Nobody ha
5 seen him leave the ship.
!, Meantime, Tisdale was passin
troubled nights. From the momer
!. Hugo had aonounce6 bis inten tian 4