Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-07-25

looked at the apron.
"If you could ha' seen 1t when 1t
went in! I'd. upset a bottle of ink
over 1t. And I just popped it there
and then into the stream, and let it
lie for tw%enty-four hours. Excuse me,
SIT, may | take the liberty of askin,
your name?"
"Charteris."
Thank you, sir. C-h.a-r-t-e-r-s?"
Hugo hesitated. Then he nodded
carelesssy. This good was a
gossip, and the proper spelling of
Charters would excite discussion and
invite discovery. He shrank from the
gaping mouth, the fatuous grin of the
enlightened yokel. Meantime, his
landlady had produced an ancient
ledger, in which she was solemnly in
scribing his name.
Christian name, if I may make so
bold?"
"Reginal." This, indeed, was his
second name, never used.
Thank you, sir. My name is Ow-
bridge; Sarah Owbridge. Mr.. Ow-
brige left me a widow nearly ten
years ago. He suffered crool with
ang1ny pectoris, and was took sudden
when least expected; died because the
doctor couldn't get to him."
She spoke quite cheerfully, but ex-
pected a word of sympathy. Hugo
gave it:
"Ah. Mrs. Owbridge, think how
many people die because the doctors
do get to them!"
Whereat Mrs. Owbridge wiped her
| eye, for forms sake, and laughed. AS
soon as Hugo had started to walk back
to VS., she fastened to inform a neigh
bour that the new ledger was one of
the quality" and fond Of his joke.
Meantime, Hugo was walking to Us,
and rejecting, not without satisfaction
that he had been swallowed up in
forest mists, not SO thick, perhaps, as
Newfoundland fogs, but thick enough
to turn what was black into a harm
less and dicreet gray. Tredging along,
he surveyed Arcadia with a restful
eye. He meant to insert a paragraph
in the Morning Post stating that he
had gone abroad. Already he had
cancelled his many shooting engage
ments. Angela would believe him to
be In the wilds, and would, according
ly, expect no letters.
He swung his stick and laughed.
Men reprieved from the gallows
laugh; and why not? Only yesterday
at Eastleigh- Well, that was to be
pushed from sight and memory.
Later in the day he drove over to
Hernshaw Parva, the name of the ham
let. and his kit-bag Vas c%onspicuously
llabelled-Reginald Charters. In his
room at Us he had spent some time
removing the tell-tale marks from
clothes and linen. All that was
marked in ink he despatched to the
faithful Pixton, ~instructing him to
send down his golf-clubs and more
clothes. To Pixton the change OF
name and plan was told. Pixton might
be trusted to hold the fort and keep
inquisitive visitors at bay.
Having done this, Hugo laughed
again.
He experienced a certain boyish de-
light in turning over a new page, a
nice, clean one, wherein pleasant
things might be inscribed. He was
not afraid of solitude, or likely to be
bored with his own company. For the
rest, he would buy some books, take
some photographs, play golf, and live
the simple life as he had lived it be-
fore In forests primeval. Also, he
would make the acquaintance of
Esme Burgess.
OF course he must steer clear of
Miss Joy Vennable. That went with
out saying. Occasionally he might
see her-at a safe distance; and he
would hear of her from Burgess, who,
evidently, was held in high esteem
by Mrs. Owbridge. The landlady,
moreover. gave promise Of entertain
ment; a shrewd woman, masterful,
and kinly-une bonne gazette du pays,
as the French put it.
Let it be remembered that Hugo
had shivered in the shadows for many
weeks, and that a reaction-given a
strong vigorous man-was inevitable.
He had escaped from bondage. Only
for a season, 1t is true. But he was
still young enough to feel like a boy
at home for the holidays after a dreary
term of ioggings and punishments.
The boy has to go back, but he
doesn't think of school till the holi,
days are nearly over.
When Hugo reached the cottage, he
found a fire burning in his small bed,
room, and a welcoming smile upon the
face of Mrs. Owbridge, who asked if
she might take the liberty Of intro.
ducing her two dodgers to each other.
The ceremony was the more necessary
inasmuch as the men would dine to-
gether. Hugo followed her into the
sitting-room with a queer feeling OF
nervousness. Having found sancu'
airy, he was loath to leave it. If Bur
CESS recognisde him!
The young fellow was playing
Patience. He jumped up and shook
hands. As soon as Mrs. Owbridge left
the room, he said, with a laugh:
when the old dear told me youl
name was Charters 1 thought you
might be the bad man come down tc
hide his diminished head. But yor
spell your name differently"
I'VE bear the same crest" sale
Hugo easily. And l dare say my
name was spelt originally as his is
Later, after a plain but excellently
cooked dinner, Burgess began to tall
about himself, not vain-gloriously
but as If the subject vas a pleasant