Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-03-31

|
catch the Orient Express from Paris
tomorrow morning. Therefore
thought I'd call to see if you have
any further instructions"
The old man grunted. His keen
eyes were fixed upon the others face.
The explanation was an unsatisfac-
tory one
Samuel Statham, as became great
flnancier, had wonderful knack of
knowing all that passed He had his
spies and secret agents in every cap
ital and was always well informed
of every financial move in progress.
To him, early information often meant
profits Of many thousands, and that
information was indeed paid for gen.
erously.
In London. too, his spies were ever
at work Queer, mysterious persons of
both sexes often called there in Park
Lane, and were admitted to private
audience of the king of the financial
world Rolfe knew them to be his Sc
cret agents, and. further. that his en-
| ployer's knowledge of his own move
ments was often wider than he had
ever dreamed
No man in the whole city of Lon
don was more shrewd or more cum
ming than old Sam Statham. 1t was
to the interest of Statham Brothers
to be so. Indeed, he had once remark
ed to his secretary that no secret,
however carefully kept, was safe from
his agents. and that he could discov-
err without diff culty anything he want
ed to know.
Had he discovered the truth regard
ing the strange disappearance of the
doctor and his daughter?
"Whv did YOU lose the train last
night, Rolfe?' asked the great fnan-
cier. "Yon did not go to Charing
Cross" he added
| Rofe held his breath again. Yes, as
| he had feared, his departure had been
watched for.
"I-well it was too late, and so
didn't attemrt to catch the train"
"Why too 1ate?" asked Statham re-
lprovingly. "In a matter of business =
and especially of the magnitude of
yours at this monochrome should
never be behindhand. Your arrival in
Belgrade twenty-four hours late may
mean loss of about twenty thousand
to the firm
81 hope not, sir" Rolfe exclaimed
quickly "I trust that the business will
go through all right II did my best
to catch the train!"
"Your best. Why. you had half a
day in which to pack and get to Char
ing Cross"
81 quite admit that but was pre-
vented"
ssBy what?" asked Statham. fixing
his eyes upon the young man before
him
CIV matter of private business"
"Yes-a woman! You may as well
admit it, Rolfe for I know all about
it. You can't deceive me, you know"
The others face went CHASTITY white.
much to statham's surprise. The lat
ter saw that he had unconsci ousv
touched a point which had either fill
ed his secretary with either shame or
fear. and made a mental note of it.
81 don't denv it. sir" he faltered.
much confused. He had no idea that
his employer had any knowledge of
Maud.
! "Well-vou're an idiot" he said,
very plainly. "You'll never get on in
the world if You're tied to a woman S
are the ruin of Young men like you
When a man is free he's his own mas
ter. hut as soon rs he becomes the
slave of a prettv face then he's a lost
soul both to himself and to those who
empoy him. Take the advice of an old
man. Ro1fe" he added. not unkindlv
Coast off the tranmels. and be free to
20 hither and thither. When ! was
YOUR ara 7 believed in what men call
love. Bah, Live as long as have. and
watch human nature as have
watched IT.. and vou'll come to the
same conclusion as 7 have arrived at .
"And what is that?" asked Rolfe
for such conversation was altogether
unusual
"That woman is mans ruin always
that the more beautiful the woman
the more complete the ruin" he an
swered In the hard rrevrnathetic
wav which he sometimes did when he
wished to en,nhasize Doint.
Charlie Rolfe was silent He was
familiar with old Sans eccentricties
one of which was that he must neve,
he cortradicted His amazine prosner
itv he'd induced an overbearine ego
tism. It was better to make no ren1v
himself with delieht that his secre
, tarv bod not left london. hut it was
his ro1cv never to betrav Measure a
ANYTHING He seldom bestowed a sin
gle word of praise unon anyone. HI
was silent when satisfied end bitterl.
sarcastic when not pleased.
81 do not think, sir, that whateve
, you may have heard concerning thu
| lady in question is to her detriment
, he could no refrain from remarkine
"All that have heard is very ia
vorable I admit Understand that
, say nothing against this ladv What
: object to is the principle of youn,
man being in love. Whv court unhar
: piness. You'll meet with sufficient o
!. it in the world I can assure you
, Look at me. Should l be what I ar
, if ] had saddled myself with a won
" an and her worries of society, frocks
!, children, petty jealousies, flirtations
d and the thousand and one cares an