Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-03-28

| y. z. Brooks, b1o5 Brooks 6lda, war
shall, Mich.
at the window. Then, Strengthening
himself in vain endeavor to remain
calm, he bent and crept back to the
window in order to ascertain whether
the man still remained. Bent and out
of sight he approached the lace-edged
curtain and peered through unseen.
Yes; the fellow was still there He
had lit his pipe with calm unconcern
and was leaning back against the rail-
ings in full view of the house. The
mans attitude was that Of complete
triumph. All! what a fool he had been
to show himself SO openly as he had
done! To think that this man Of all
men was still alive!
He crept back again, trembling. His
face was haggard and bloodless, the
countenance of man whose future
was a blank-the dismal blank of the
grave.
His whole badly trembled as he sank
into his writing chair. and, leaning his
elbows upon the desk. he buried his
face in his hands and sobbed Yes; he.
the hard-headed f1nancier, whose inf1u-
ence was felt in every corner of the
world, the man who controlled mil
lions and who loaned great sums to
certain of the rulers of Europe, sob
bed aloud
"Ah!" he cried to himself, "I was a
fool when disbelieved them. /
thought that blackmail was their OBJ
ject in telling me the story of how
/ that man was alive and had been seen.
Therefore I only laughed at them and
took no precaution. All! l was fool,
and my foolishness must end fatally.
There is no way out of it for me
only death. I've been a fool-a con-
founded fool ought to have made
certain; ought not to have taken any
risk. I'm wiser now than I was then.
Age has brought me wisdom as we'll
as destroying my belief in the honesty
of men and the LOYALTY of friends:
and he sighed heavily, his brow still
bent upon his sand he touched the
bell and old Levi appeared
1 Levi" he said, in low unusual
voice, Ego quietly to that window and
without attracting attention, look out
side at man opposite"
The faithful old servant, somewhat
surprised at these rather unusual in
structions, walked stealthily to the
window and peered through the lace
insertion Of the brise-brise.
Scarcely had he done so than, with
a cry, he withdrew, and. facing his
master, stood staring at him.
did you see anyone, Levi?" asked
:. his master, raising his head sudden
1y.
eyes" was the hoarse answer Of
the man who stood there white-faced
in fear. "It's him! II thought you
said he was dead"
mo: he isn't. He's there in the
flesh
"And what are we to do?"
what can we do? He recognized
me moment ago, and he's watching
the house."
(Which means that you had better
leave England for a considerable
time"
'What!" cried Statham, in quick re
proof. "What-run away? Never"
"Rut-well in the circumstances
don't you scent danger-a very grave
danger" asked the old servant, whose
devotion to his master had always
been so marked
"When I am threatened always
, face nv accuser. ] shall do it now,
was the great mans calm replv, ever
, though IT were in absolute cOntradfc
tion to his attitude only few mo
ments before. Perhaps it was that he
did not wish old Levi to know his
fear.
"But-but that can only result ir
disaster" remarked the old servant
who never addressed his master as
Sir the pair were on too intimate
terms for that eff might presume te
advise. 7 think
mo. Levi" snapped the other
"you haven't any right to give advice
in this affair. know my business
best. snrely?"
. "And that man knows as much az
you do--and more"
"Thev told me he was alive. and +
fool that I was-disbelieved them!'
the old millionaire cried. "And there
,, he is now WATCHING outside like ter
rier outside a rat-hole And I'm the
rat Levi-caught in my own tran"
rs there no way out Of this?" ask
!, cd the other "Surely you can escane
if you so desire-get away to America
) or to the Continent"
!, And what's the use. He'd follow
And even if he didn't. think Of wha
he can tell if he goes to the police