Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-16
BY Meredith Nicholson

against the hills beyond. The plat
form lamps of station shone quar-
ter of mile ahead. The feverish stee
yielded reluctantly to treatment, and
Griswold went forward and watched
the men at work for a few minutes
then returned to the end of the train
He swung himself into the vestibule
and leaned upon the guard rail, gazing
down the track toward the brakeman s
lantern. Then he grew impatient at
the continued delay and dropped down
again, pacing back and forth in the
road-bed behind the becalmed train.
The night was overcast, with hints of
rain in the air, and little way from
the rear lights 1t was pitch dark. Girls
void felt sure that the train would not
leave without the brakeman, and he
was further treasured by the lanterns
of the trainmen beside the baggage
car. Suddenly, as he reached the car
and turned to retrace his steps, a man
sprang up, seemingly from nowhere,
and accosted him.
Il reckon y'u're the gov'nor, amt
y'u?"
yes, certainly, my man. What can
do for you?" replied Griswold in
stantly.
Il reckoned it was y'u when y'u fust
come out on the platform. I'm app'int-
ed to tell y'u Gov'nor, that if y'u have
Bill Appleweight arrested in South
Car'lina y'u'll get something one of
these days y'u won't like. And IL y'u
try to find me y'u'll get it quicker.
Good night, govnor"
Good night" stammered Griswold.
The least irony had crept into the
word governor as the man uttered it
and slipped away into the darkness.
The shadows swallowed him up; the
frogs in the ditch beside the track
chanted dolorously; then the locomo-
tive whistled for the brakeman. whose
lantern was already bobbing toward
the train.
AS Griswold swung himself into the
vestibule the girl who had borrowed
his newspapers turned away hurriedly
and walked swiftly before him to her
section. The porter. who was gather
ing her things together, said, as she
paused in the aisle by her seat:
"Beginnin' to get ready Miss Osbo'n
We're gwine intu Columbia thirty
minutes late all account dat hot box"
Griswold passed on to the smoking
compartment and lighted cigar. His
acquaintance of the supper table had
retired, and he was glad to be alone
with his thoughts before the train
reached Columbia He dealt harshIy
with himself for his stupidity in not
having associated the girls perturba-
ton over the breach between the gov
ernor Of North Carolina and the gov
ernor Of South Carolina with the
initials on her travelling bag; he had
been very dull, but 1t was clear to him
now that she was either the daugh-
ter of some other near relative of
Governor Osborne. In few minutes
she would leave the train at Columbia,
where the governor lived, and, being a
gentleman, he would continue on his
way to Richmond, and thence to the
university, and the incident would be
closed But Griswold was lawyer,
and he had an old-fashioned southern
lawyers respect for the majesty of law.
On the spur of curiosity or impulse he
had received threatening message
Intended for the governor of South
Carolina, who, from the manner of the
delivery Of the message, had been ex-
pected on this train. GriswoId argued
that the man who had spoken to him
had been waiting at the little station
near which they had stopped. in the |
hope of seeing the governor; that the
waiting messenger had taken advant-
age of the unexpected halt Of the
train, and, further, that some sugges-
ton of the governor in his own ap-
pearance had deceived the stranger.
He felt the least bit guilty at having
deceived the man, but it was now
clearly his duty to see that governor
was advised of the threat that had
been communicated in SO unusual a
manner
He was bordering whether he
should do this in person or by letter or
telegram, when the rattle of the train
over the switch frogs in the Columbia /!
yards brought him to the point of de.
cision.
The porter thrust his head into the
compartment.
Columbia, sab. Yo' berth IS all
ready, sab. Yo' gwine t. Richmond
yes, sah.'
His hands were filled with the young
lady's luggage. The lettering on the
suitcase seemed, in way, to appeal !
to Griswold and to fix his determine
lion.
PORTER! Put my things off. I'll
wait here for the morning train
CHAPTER II.
Griswold spent the night at the
Saluda House. Columbia. and rose in
the morning with every intention Of
seeing Governor Osborne, or some one
In authority at his Office, as soon as
possible and proceeding to Richmond
without delay. AS he scanned the
morning newspaper at breakfast he
read with chagrin this item, prom
inently head-lined:
Governor Osborne. who was expect
ed home from the Cotton Planters
convention yesterday morning has
been unavoidably detained in Atlanta
by important personal business. Miss
Barbara Osborne arrived last night
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