Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-11

| iouSiy SCI uIIllGluS SdCn lnQlV1Qual OIL
the throng of intended travellers
Perhaps they had been de-
layed = by the Alethea's lateness in
making port very likely; perhaps
they had purposed taking not this.
but later train; perhaps they had al
ready left the city by an earlier, or
had returned to England
On time, the bell Changed its warn
ing; the guards bawled theirs; doors
were hastily opened and slammed,
the trucks began to groan, couplings
jolting as the engine chafed in re-
straint. The train and kirkwood
moved simultaneously out of opposite
ends of the station, the one to rattle
and hammer around the eastern
boundaries Of the city and straighten
out at top speed on the northern
route for the Belgian line, the other
to stroll modify away, idle hands in
empty pockets, bound aimlessly any
where - it didn't matter!
Nothing whatever mattered in the
smallest degree. Ere now the outlook
had been dark; but this he felt to be
the absolute nadir of his misfortunes.
Presently after a while - as soon
as ne could bring himself to it - he
would ask the way and go to the
American Consulate. But just now,
low"as the tide OF chance had ebbed.
leaving him stranded on the flats of
vagabondage. low as showed the
measure Of his self-esteem, he could
not tolerate the prospect of begging
for assistance = help which would in
all likelihood be refused, since his
story was quite TOO preposterous to
gain credence in official ears that daily
are filed with the lamentations of
those whose motives do not bear in
vestigation. And if he chose to elimi-
nate the strange chain of events
which had landed him in Antwerp,
to base his plea solely on the fact that
he was victim of the San Francisco
disaster he himself was
able to smile, if sourly, anticipating
the incredulous consular smile with
which he would be shown the door
No; that he would reserve as,
last resort. True, he had already come
to the Jumping-off Place; to the
Court Of Last Resort alone could he
now appeal But not yet;
after while he could make his petit
tion after he had made familiar Of
the thought that he must armor him
self with callous Indifference to re-
buff, to say naught of the waves of
burning shame that would overwhelm
him when he came to the point Of
asking charity.
He found himself neither knowing
nor caring how he had won hither, in
the Place Verte, the vast venerable
pile of the Cathedral rising on his
right, hotels and quaint Old-World
dwellings with peaked roofs and
gables and dormer windows, inclosing
the other sides Of the square The
chimes Che could hear none but those
hour of seven. Listless and preoccu-
pied in contemplation of his wretched
case he wandered purposelessly half
round the square, then dropped into
bench on it's outskirts
1t was some time later that he no
ticed, with casual Indifferent eye,
porter running out Of the Hotel de
Flandre, directly opposite, and calling
a farce in to the carriage block.
AS languidly he watched woman,
very becomingly dressed, follow the
porter down to the curb.
The farce swung in, and the wom-
an dismissed the porter before enter
ing the vehicle; a proceeding so un-
usual that it fixed the onlooker's
interest He sat rigid with attention;
the woman seemed to be giving ex-
rlicit and lengthy directions to the
driver, who nodded and gesticulated
his comprehension.
The woman was Mrs. Hallam
The first blush of recognition pass.
ed, letaving Kirlwood without any
amazement. 1t was an easy matter to
account for her being where she was.
Thrown off the scent by Kirkwood at
Sheerness, the previous morning, she
had missed the day boat, the same
which had ferriend over those whom
she pursued. Returning from Sheer
ness to Queensborough, however, she
had taken the night boat for Flushing
and Antwerp and not without her
plan; who was not a woman to waste
her strength aimlessly; Kirllwood be-
lieved that she had had from the first
a very definite campaign in view. In
that campaign Queensborough Pier
had been the first strategic move;
the journey to Antwerp, apparently,
the second; and the American was
impressed that he was witnessing the
inception Of the third decided step
The conclusion Of this pro-
cess of reasoning was inevitable;
Madam would bear watching.
Thus was a magical transformation
brought about. Instantaneously lassi-
tude and vain repinings were replaced
by hopefulness and energy In
twinkling the young man was on his
feet, every nerve a-thrill with excite
ment.
Mrs Hallam, blissfully ignorant of
this surveillance over her movements,
took her place in the farce. The dri-
yer clucked to his horse, cracked his
whip, and started Off at a slow trot;
pace which Kirkwood initiated,
keeping himself at discreet distance
TO the rear of the cab, but prepared to
break into run whenever it should
prove necessary
Such exertion. however, was not re-
CURED of him. Evidently Mrs Hallam
was in no great haste to reach her
destination; the speed of the farce
remained extremely moderate; Kirk