Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-22
c,IApTER RI Continual.

u L
"Truth. And what do you thlnk!
Dropped me very neatly two thousanu
feet, but softly. And | was serious
too"
ut seems to me that your Kitty is
not half bad What would you nave
done had she accepted you?"
Married her within twentS-1our
hours"
not such an ess as all that.
Eyes, / am moodily. Il told you
that I was a iackass half the time;
this is the nalf.'
eBut she won't have your?
mot for love or money.
"Are you sure about the money!
asked billiard, shrewdly.
"Seyen hundred, or seven thousand,
It wouldn't matter to Kitty if she made
up her mind to marry fellow. WHAT'S
the matter with me, anyhow? I'm not
SO badly set up; can whip any man
in the club at my weight; I can tell a
story we'll; and I'm not afraid of any
thing
"Not even of the future!". added
billiard
oDo you really think it's my mon
ey9. pathetically.
teWell, seven thousand don't go raf
and that's all you have If 1t were sew
enty. now, I'm not sure Kitty wouldn't
reconsider"
Merrihew ran his tongue along the
cigar wrapper which had loosened
He had seven thousand a year and
every January saw him shouldering a
thousand odd dollars worth of last
years debts. Somehow, no matter how
he retrenched, he never could catch
ssp. It's hard to pay for horse after
one has ridden it to death, and Merri
hew was always paying for dead
horses. He sighed.
whats she like?" asked Hilliard
with more sympathy than curiosity
Merrihew drew out his watch and
opened the case. 1t was a pretty face,
more than that, it was a refined pref
tiness. The eyes were merry, the brow
was intelligent, the nose and chin
were good Altogether, it was the
face of a merry, kindly little soul, one
such as would be most likely to traI
the wandering fancy of a young man
like Merrihew.
"And she won't have you?" Hilliard
repeated. this time with more curios
ity than sympathy.
ooh, SHE'S no fool, suppose. Hon
est Injun, Jack, it's SO bad that fine
myself writing poetry on the back o.
envelopes. And now she's going (
Europe"
"London?"
mo. Some manager has the idea ii
his head that there is money to BIZ
made in Italy and Germany during
the spring and summer American
comic opera in those countries; cal
you imagine it? He has an angel, ant
suppose money is no object"
This angel, then, has cut out a flint
time for his bank account, and he'll
never get back to heaven, once h
gets tangled up in foreign red tape
Every large city in Italy and Gel
many has practically its own oper
troupe In full season it is gran,
opera, out of season it is comic opera
not the American kind; Martha, Tn
Bohemian Girl, The Mascotte, TIL
Grand Duchess, and the like. And Oh
my boy, the homeliest chorus 20
ever dreamed of seeing; but they cal
sing. It's only the ballerina who mus
have looks and figure. Poor angel
Tell your Kitty to strike for a re
turn ticket to America before sh
leaves"
"You think it's as bad as that"
Look on me as a prophet of evi
II you like, but truthful"
''I'll see that Kitty gets her ticket
Merrihew snapped the case of hi
watch and drew his legs from unde
the table. 81 lost hundred last nigh
too"
"After that / suppose nothing wors
can happen said billiard cheeEjl,
"You will play, for all my advice
TITS better to give than to receiv
that replied Merrihew, phi
osephically i've good mind to fo
low the company. I've always had
hankering to beat it up at Mont
Carlo. A. last throw, Ell? Win or los
anI might"
''A,-o Ien again you mightn't. BIZ
the next time go to ItalyI want yo
to go with me. You're good compan
and for the pleasure of listening
your jokes I'll gladly foot the bill
and YOU may gamble your letter
credit to your hearts content. mu
be off. Who is riding the Sanford
black?n