Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-24
PIER II Continued.

me keep YOU from it. Some charmef
I'll wager. Here pour all my ;ldVen
lures into your ear, and I on my SIDE
never as much as get hint OF yours
Go on, read it,
Adventures, fiddlesticks! The letter
can wait. 1t is probably bill
"a bill in a fashionable envelope
like that?"
Hilliard only smiled, tipped the era
die and reflled Merrihew's glass with
some excellent Romance Cont. When
does Kitty sail?" he asked after
while of silence.
"a week from this Saturday Feb
ruary second. What the deuce did you
bring that up for? rye been trying to
forget It,"
Where do they land?"
Naples. They open in Rome the
FIRST week in March. All the arrange
ments and bookings seem to be com
plete. That is mighty good Burgundy,
Jack. l don't see where you pick it
up" After coffee Merrihew pushed
back his chair. "Ill reserve table in
the billiard hall while you read your
letter"
"I'll be with you shortly" grateful,
ly.
So, with the inevitable black cigar
between his teeth, Merrihew saunter-
ed off toward the billiard-room while
Hilliard picked up his letter and stud
led it. His fingers trembled slightly
as he tore open the envelope. The
handwriting, the paper, the modest
size, all these pointed to a woman Of
culture and refinement. But subtle
spirit of irony pervaded it all. She
would never have answered his print
ed inquiry had she not laughed over
It, For, pinned to the top of the letter
was the clipping, the stupid, Danal
clipping Twill the lady who SANG
from Madame Angot communicate
with gentleman who leaned out OF
the window? ]. H. Burgomaster Club.
There was neither formal beginning
nor formal ending; only four crisp
lines. But these implied one thing,
and distinctly: the writer had no de-
sire for further communication with
gentleman who leaned out of the win
dow He read and re-read slowly.
/ am sorry to learn that my
singing disturbed you. There
was reason. At that particular
moment was happy.
That was all. 1t was enough. She
had laughed; she was a lady lumor-
ously inclined not to say mischievous.
A comic opera star would have sent
her press agent round to see what adj
yertising could be got out of the Incl
dent; prima donna would have ap-
pealed to her primo tenore, for the
same purpose. a gentlewoman, surely;
moreover, she lived within the radius
the official radius of the Madison
Square branch of the postoffice, TO"
such was the postmark Common
sense urged him to dismiss the whole
affair and laugh over it as the Lady in
the Fog had done. But common sense
often goes about with pedants strut,
and is something to avoid on occas-
ions Here was a harmless pastime TO
pursue, common sense notwithstand-
ing. The vein of romance in him was
strong, and all the commercial blood
of his father could not subjugate it. To
find out who she was, to meet her., to
know her, if possible, this was his fl,
and determination. He rang for paper
and messenger and wrote. Madame
Angot. There Is letter for you in the
mail department of this office This
time his initials were not necessary.
Once the message was on it's way he
sought Merrihew, whom he found
knocking the balls about in spirit
less manner.
"A hundred to seventy-hve, Dan"
For what?"
"For the mere fun of the game, of
course"
Make it cigars, just to add inter
est"
"Cigars, then"
But they both played a very indif-
ferent game. At ten-thirty Merrihew's
eyes began to haunt the clock, and
Hilliard grew merciful for various rea.
sons.
What time does the performance
end?" he asked.
At ten-fifty, but it takes about
twenty minutes to scrape off the
makeup"
run along then, my son; can
spare you. And you've a cigar com
ing"
Merrihew agreeably put his cue in
the rack.
Much obliged for the dinner. Jack
I'll return the favor any night you
say" He made off for the courtroom.
Hilliard laughed and went up to the
writing-room to fulfil part of his des
tiny. He took the letter out and read
1t again. A woman Of wit and pres
ence; a mighty good dinner compan
io- or he was no Judge of women
F. aplaced the letter in its blue GOV
ering, and then for the first time his
eye met the superscription Like g
man entranced he sat there staring
Tie steward had brought the letter tc
him, and in his first excitement this
had made no impression upon his
mind: he had seen nothing peculiar