Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-09
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be. must. | don't pretend to be glad
to see you. but--you're free to stay As
long as you find the climate agree.
able. warn you I shan't whine. Lots
of men, hundreds and hundreds of 'em,
have slept tight O.. nights with you for
bedfellow; If they could grin and bear
You, believe I can
NOW care Knocked him with a sar.
donic laugh, and sought to tighten up.
on his shoulders its bony grasp: bur
kirllWood resolutely shrugged it of
and went in search of mans most
faithful dumb friend, to wit. his pipe;
the which, when found and filled, he
lighted with {. spill twisted from the
envelope of a cable message which
had been vicariously responsible for
his introduction to the shade of care.
b. It's about time. Y he announced,
watching the paper, blacI1en and burn
in the CRATE fire, that / was doing
something to prove my title to a liv.
ing. And, this was all his valedictoiy
to a vanished competence. Anyway,
he added hastily, as if fearful lest care,
overbearing, might have read into his
tone trace Of vain repining, anyway,
I'm sight better off than those poor
devils over there! | really have q
great deal to be thankful for, now that
my attentions drawn to it,
| For the ensuing few minutes he
thought it all over. soberly but with a
stout heart: standing at a window Cf
his bedroom in the Hotel pless. hands
deep in trouser pockets, pipe Tuning
unanimously, his gaze wandering out
over blurred infinitude of wet shin.
Ing roofs and sooty chimney pots; all
OF London that a lowering drizzle
would let him see, and withal by no
means a cheering prospect, nor yet one
calculated to Offset the disheartenins
influence OF the indomitable shade of
care. But the truth is that Kirkwood' 8
brain comprehended little that his
eyes perceived; his thoughts were
with his heart, and that was half a
world away and sick with pity for an
other and fairer city. stricken n
the flower of her loneliness, writing
in Promethean agony upon her stored
hills
There came a rapping at the door.
Nlrkwood removed the pipe from be.
tween his teeth long enough to say
Come in" pleasantly.
The knob was turned, the door open.
ed. kirkwood swinging on one heel
beheld hesitant upon the threshold a
diminutive figure in the livery of the
Pless. pages.
Mister kirkwood?"
k1rkwood nodded.
Gentleman to see you. sir
kirkwood nodded again. smiling
Show him up. please he said. But
before the words were fairly out of his
mouth football sounded in the CORR.
dor, hand was placed upon the Shout.
der Of the page. gently but, with decis.
ion swinging him out Of the way, and a
man stepped into the room
Mr.. Brentwick." Kirkwood almos:
lshouted jumping forward to seize his
visitors hand.
My dear boy" replied the latter
I'm delighted to see you. Got your
note not an hour ago, and came a,
! once-yOu See!"
1T was mighty good of You. Sit
down, please. Here are cigars
Why, a moment ago | was the most
miserable and lonely mortal on the
! footstool,'
Il can fancy" The elder man look
ed up, smiling at Kirkwood from the
| depths Of his armchair. as the latte,
stood above him, resting an elbow or
| the mantcl. The management knows
me" be offered explanation of his I'M
| ceremonious appearance; $50 | tool
the liberty of following on the heels
I,of the bellhop, dear boy. And how
are you? Why are YOU in London. en-
| joying our abominable spring weather:
And why the anxious undertone de
tected in your note?'
He continued to stare curiously intc
kirkwood's face. At glance. this
Mr.. Brentwick was q man Of tallisl
figure and rather slender: with coun
itenance thin and flushed sensitive
pink, out Of which his eyes shono
keen, alert. humorous, and a trace
wistful behind his glasses. His years
we're indeterminate; with the aspec
of fifty, the spirit and the nerve D
thirty assorted oddlyS But his hands