Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-21

I've known your brother intimately for
years.
"Knowed my brother?" and for the
first time the man really seemed to
doubt himself. Which did y'u know
.Bill?"
I'VE roomed together at Harvard
that's how know him, if you force me
to It! We're both Hasty Pudding men.
Now If you try to bulldoze me further,
I'll slap your wrists. So there!'
Ardmore entered the hotel deliber-
ately, climbed to his room and locked
the door. Then he seized the little
brown jug, drew the stopper and
poured out tumblerful of clear white
fluid. He took a swallow and shudder-
ed as the fiery liquid seemed instant
ly to cause every part of his being to
tingle. He wiped the tears from his
eyes and sat down. The corn-cob stop.
per had fallen to the floor and he
picked it UP and examined it careful
ly. 1t had been fitted tightly into the
mouth of the jug by the addition of a
bit of Calico and he fingered it for a
moment with a grin on his face. He
was considering his tranquil past.
making history rapidly. and he wished
that Griswold. whom he imagined safe
ly away on his law business at Rich
mond, could see him now, embarked
upon serious adventure that had al
ready brought him into collision with
seemingly sane man who had
threatened him with death. Griswold
had been quite right about their woe
full incapacity for rising to emergen-
cies but the episode Of the jugs at
Kildare was exactly the sort of thing
they had discussed time and time
again, and it promised we'll. His
throat was raw. as though burned
with acid, and it occurred to him for
an anxious moment that perhaps he
had imbibed a poison intended for the
governor.
per cmfwypshrdlcmfwys hrdcmfwypyyi
He was about to replace the cob
stopper. when. to his establishment, it
broke in his fingers, and out fell a
carefully folded slip Of paper. He car
died 1t to the window and opened it,
finding that 1t was a nordinary tele-
graph blank on which was written in
clear round characters these words:
The Appleweight crowd never done
you harm. If you have any Of them
arrested you will be shot down on
your own doorstep.
When Mr. Thomas Ardmore had
read this message half dozen times
with increasing satisfaction he folded
1t carefully and put it away in his
pocket-book.
Taking half a sheet Of note paper
he wrote as follows:
Appleweight and his gang are cow
ards. Within ten days those that have
not been hanged will be in Jail at
Kildare.
He studied the phraseology critical
ly and then placed the paper in the
cob stopper whose halves he tied to-
gether with a bit of Irvine. AS the jug
stood on the table it was, to all ap-
when delivered to Ardmore on the rear
of the train at Kildare, and he was
thoroughly well pleased with himself.
He changed the blue scarf with which
he had begun the day for one Of purple
with gold bars, and walked up the
street toward the state house.
This venerable edifice, meekly re-
posing amid noble trees struck agree
ably upon Ardmore's fancy. Here was
government enthroned in quiet dig
nifty, as becomes a venerable common
wealth, wearing its years like vet
eran who has known war and tumult,
but finds at last tranquility and peace.
He experienced feeling of awe, with
out quite knowing 1t, as he strolled up
the walk, climbed the steps to the por-
tico and turned to look back from the
shadow of the pillars. He had never
but once before visited an American
public building-the New York city
hall-and he felt that now, indeed, he
had turned corner and entered upon
a new and strange world. He had
watched army maneuvers abroad with
about the same attention that he gave
to a ballet, and with a like feeling of
beholding a show contrived for the
amusement of spectators; but there
was not even policeman here to rep
resent arsenals and bayonets. The
only minion of government in sight
was the languid operator Of a lawn
mower, which ratified and hummed
cheerily in the shadow of the soldiers
monument. There was something fine
about a people, who, as he learned
from the custodian, would not shake
down these historic walls obedient tc
the demands of prosperity and growth
but sent increased business to fine
Judgment elsewhere. He assembled tt
the toy-like legislative chambers
where flags of nation and state huns
side by side, and where the very seats
and desks of the lawmakers spoke o.
other times and manners.
Mr.. Ardmore, feeling that he should
| now be about his business, sought the
governors Office, where a secretary
who seemed harassed by the cares o
his position. confirmed Ardmore's
knowledge of the governors absence.
Il didn't wish to see the governor OF
business explained Ardmore pleas
antly. leaning upon his stick with al
air of leisure. "He and my fathe
were old friends, and I always prom
Used my father that would never pas
through Raleigh without calling OIL
Governor Dangerfield."
THAT is too bad" remarked thu
young man sympathetically, though
with preoccupation that was elo