Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-16
The Little Brown Jug
at Kildare
BY Meredith Nicholson.
Copyright Bobbs Merrill Company


anu pTOCeeQeQ at once TO the cover
| nOrS mansion
Several matters of considerable i'm
portance await the governors return
Among these is the matter of dealins
with the notorious Bill Appleweight
1t is understood that the North Caro-
lima officials are unwilling to arrest
Appleweight, though his hiding-place
in the hills on the border near Kill
dare Is well known. Although he runs
back and forth across the state line
at pleasure, he Is North Caroliniar
beyond question, and it's about time
Governor Dangerfleld took note of the
fact. However, the governor of South
Carolina may be relied on to act with
his usual high sense of public duty in
this matter.
Professor Griswold was not pleased
to learn that the governor was still
absent from the capital He felt that
he deserved better luck after the
trouble he had taken to warn the gov
ernor. His conscience had got the
better Of his comfort-he knew that,
and he wrote telegram to the law
firm at Richmond with which he was
consultant, asking that a meeting
with certain clients arranged for today
be deferred twenty-four hours. It was
now Tuesday; he had no further lee
lures at the university until the fol-
lowing Monday, and after he had talk
en- his bearings of Columbia, where it
occurred to him he had not an &C
quaintance, he walked toward the
capitol with a well-formed idea of see
ing the governors private secretary
and if that person appeared to be
worthy Of confidence. apprising him of
the governors danger.
Standing in the many-pillard portico
of the capitol. Griswold turned to
look down upon Columbia, city dis
tinguished to the most casual eye by
streets an acre wide! And having an
historical imagination and reverence
for the past, Griswold gave himself
for moment to Memory, hearing the
der of cannon, and seeing flames leap
again in the wake of battle. 1t was
a glorious day and the green of late
May lay like a soft scare upon the
city. The sky held the wistful blu.
of spring. Griswold barred his head
to the faint breeze, or perhaps I'M
consciously he saluted the bronze
figure of Hampton, who rides forever
there at the head of his stubborn
legion. He turned into the capitol with
a little sigh, for he was a son Of Vir-
ginia, and here, in this unfamiliar
scene. the Past was revivihed, and he
felt the spell of things that were al
ready old when he was born
1t was not yet nine o'clock when he
entered the governors office. He wait
ed in, the reception-room, adjoining
the official chamber. but the several
desks of the clerical staff remained
uncccupied He chafed a bit as time
passed and no one appeared, for his
north-bound train left at eleven, and
he could not fairly be asked to waste
the entire day here. He was pacing
to appear at any moment, when a
man entered hurriedly, walked to the
closed inner door, shook 1t impatiently
and kicked 1t angrily as he turned
away. He was a short, thick-set man
Of thirty-five, dressed in blue serge,
and his movements were quick and
nervous. He growled under his breath
and swung round upon Griswold as
though to tax him with responsibility
for the closed door.
Has no one been here this morn
ing?" he demanded, glaring at the
closed doors.
If you don't count me | should
answer no. replied Griswold quietly.
"Oh!"
The two gentlemen regarded each
other for a moment, contemptuous dis
like clearly written on the smaller
mans face, Griswold half-smiling and
Indifferent.
II am waiting for the governor" re-
marked Griswold, thinking to gain in
Then you're likely to wait some
time" jerked the other. "The whole !
place seems to be abandoned. II
never saw such lot Of people"
mot having seen them myself, 1
must reserve judgment" Griswold re-
marked, and the blue serge suit flung
out of the room.
Presently another figure darkened
the entrance, and the colored servant !
whom Griswold had seen attending |
Miss Osborne on the train from At. |
lanta swept into the reception room
and, grandly ignoring his presence, sat
down in chair nearest the closed |
door of the inner chamber. Griswold
felt that this was encouraging, as i'm
plying some link between theigovernor
and his domestic household and he |
was about to ask the colored woman
II she knew the business hours of the !
office when the closed door opened and |
Miss Osborne appeared on the TIRES !
hold. The colored woman rose, and !
who happened to be facing
the door when it swung open with
such startling suddenness, stared an
instant and bowed profoundly.
81 beg your pardon, but wish very
much to see Governor Osborne or his
Miss Osborne, in white, trailing a !
white parasol in her hand, and with |
white roses In her belt, still stood half |
inside the private office.
81 am very sorry that Governor Os-
borne and his secretary are both alb !
sent" she answered, and the two eyed
each other gravely. Griswold felt that
the brown eyes into which he looked