Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-23
CHAPTER V.

"She never did it; she never, never
did"
Mr.. Ardmore, from a bench in the
State House park, thus concluded a
long reverie. 1t was late afternoon and
he had forgotten luncheon in his alb
sorption. There was no manner Of use
in recurring again to that episode Of
the lonely siding. He had found the
girl-Qndutiably the girD-but not
the wink! Miss Jerry Dangerfeld was
not the winking sort; he was we'll sat
isfied on that point, and so thoroughly
ashamed into the bargain that he re-
solved to lead different life and be
very heedful of the cry of the poor in
the future. His emotions had never
been taxed as today, and he hoped
that he might never again suffer the
torture he had experienced as he
waited in the governors drawing-rooHl
for Miss Dangerfield to appear. After
that agony 1t had been a positive re-
lief to be ordered out of the house.
Her anger when she caught him lying
about having met her father in New
Orleans was superior to any stimulat-
ed rage he had ever seen on the stage,
and no girl with winking eye would
be capable of it. He was not clever;
he knew that; but If he had had the
brains of monkey he would not have
risked his foolish wits against those
of a girl like Geraldine Dangerfield,
who had led him into an ambush and
then shot him to pieces.
"She threatened to have the SER
wants throw me out!" he groaned. And
her slight, tense figure rose before
him, and her voice, still the voice of
young girlhood, rang in his ears AS
she, read the threatening message
from Kildare he had noted the fine
ness of her hands, the curve of the
fair cheek, the hayward curls on her
forehead, and he remembered all those
things now, but more than anything
else her wrath, the tiny fists the flash.
Ing eyes as she confronted him. AS he
sat dejectedly on his park bench he
was unaware that Miss Geraldine
Dangerf1eld, walking hurriedly
through the park on her way from the
governors mansion to the state house.
passed directly behind him. His atti.
tude was SO eloquent of despair that
1t could not have failed to move
much harder heart than that of Miss
Dangerfield, yet she made no sign:
but few minutes later the private
secretary came out on the steps Of
the state house, and after brief sur
vey of the landscape crossed the lawn
and called Ardmore by name.
Il beg your pardon, but Miss Dan
gerfeld wished me to say that she'd
like to see you for minute. She's at
the governors Office
A prisoner, sentenced to death and
unexpectedly reprieved with the rope
already on his neck, could not ex-
perience greater relief than that
which brought Mr.. Thomas Ardmore
to his feet.
you are sure of it--that there's no
mistaken"
told me was to bring you back"
Enthroned at the secretary's desk,
mass of papers before her, Miss
Geraldine Dangerfield awaited him. He
was ready to place his head on the
block in sheer contrition for mis- con-
duct but she herself took the init.
alive, and her tone was wholly ami.
able
This morning, Mr.. Ardmore-"
"Oh, please forget this morning."
he pleaded.
"But / was rude to you; threaten
ed to have you thrown out of the
house; and you had come to do us a
favor"
Miss Dangerheld, l can not lie to
you. You are one of the most difficult
persons to lie to that have ever met.
] didn't come to Raleigh just to warn
your father that his life was threat
ened. | can't lie to you about that"
Then you are spy" and Miss
Dangerfleld started forward in her
chair so suddenly that Ardmore drop.
ped his hat.
NO! / am not a spy, don't care
anything about your father. I never
heard of him until yesterday"
well, like that" calculated Miss
Dangerfeld.
aOh. mean that T wasn't interested