Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-30

well. you are taking it pretty
cool!,
Taking what?" faitered Ardmore,
| standing up, and seeking to hide the
book behind his back.
| why, this outrageous article!" and
she thrust newspaper under his
eyes. DO you mean to say you haven't
seen the morning paper.?"
ITO tell the truth, Miss Dangerheld,
hardly ever read the papers,"
What's that you were reading when
came in?" she demanded severely,
Withholding the paper until she should
be answered.
1 Its book about the government,
and the powers reserved to the states
and that sort Of thing. was just read
ing the constitution; | thought it
might help us--I mean youth your
work"
'The constitution help me? Hasn't
1t occurred to you before this that
what I'm doing is all against the con
| stitution and the revised statutes and
all those books you see on the shelf
there?"
But the constitution sounds all
right. 1t seems remarkably reasonable.
| You couldn't ask anything fairer than
that"
so are the ten commandments fair
enough; but you're on the wrong
track, Mr.. Ardmore, if you're trying to
support the present administration
/ with stupid things in books. don't
follow presidents, Mr.. Ardmore: /
create them"
But | should think you would have
to be awfully careful not to mix UP the
business of the executive and judicial
branches of the government. I think
I heard Grissy speak of that once,
though I'm not certain. Grissy knows
more than almost any other living
man."
i don't doubt that your friend is a
well-educated person, but in times like
these you've got to rise above the CON
stitution; and just now it's more con
venient to forget it. There's a consti-
tuition of North Carolina, too, if you're
looking for constitutions, but In good
society such things are not mention
ed. Papa always refers to the constitu-
ton with tears in his eyes when he's
making speeches, but papas very
emotional. If could make speech
should tell the people what | think of
them-that they're too silly and stupid
for words
You are right, Miss Dangerfield. I
have felt exactly that way ever since
was defeated for alderman in New
York. But let me have the paper"
She turned to the, morning mail
while he read. and opened the envel-
opes rapidly. Such of the letters as
she thought interesting or important
she put aside, and when Ardmore fin.
ished reading a double-leaded article
from Columbia, in which the governor
OF South Carolina was quoted as de-
claring his intention of taking immedi-
ate steps for the apprehension of Ap-
plewetght, she was still reading and
sorting letters, tapping her cheek
lightly meanwhile with the official pa.
per-knife.
Here, Mr. Ardmore," she said,
drawing paper from her pocket, "is
the answer to that telegram we sent
yesterday evening. Suppose Won read
that next, and we can decide what to
do"
She was making the letters into lit
tie piles, humming softly meanwhile;
but he felt that there was a storm
brewing. He read the message from
Columbia number of times, and if
the acting governor had not been so
on1inously quiet he would have laugh.
ed at the tense sentences.
There must be mistake about
this. He wouldn't have used the word
'diverting' that way; that's Insulting"
so you appreciate its significance,
do you, Mr.. Ardmore? The iron enters
your soul, does it? You realize that l
have been insulted, do your"
II shouldn't put it that way, Miss
Dangerfield. Governor Osborne would
never have sent message like that to
you--he thought he was sending it to
your father"
He's insulted me and every other
citizen in the Old North State; that's
who he's insulted, Mr. Ardmore. Let
me read it again.; and she repeated
the telegram aloud:
Your extremely diverting tele-
gram in Appleweight case received
and fled think it's the extremely
that's so perfectly mean. The divert
ing by itself would not hurt my feel
ings half so much. He's a good deal
smarter man than thought he was
to think up a telegram like that But
what do you think of that piece in the
newspaper"
He says he's going to catch Apple
weight dead or alive. That sounds
pretty serious"
II think it's a bluff myself. That tel
egram we sent him yesterday must
have scared him to death He was
driven into corner and had to do
something to avoid being disgraced,
and it's easy enough to talk big in the
newspapers when you haven't the
slightest intention of doing anything
at all. I've noticed that father talks
the longest and loudest about things
| he doesn't believe at ALL"
"Is it possible?" whispered Ardmore
| incredulously.
"Of course it's possible! Father
would never have been elected if he'd
expressed his real sentiments; neither
would anybody else ever be elected
If he said beforehand what he really
believed
7