Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-25

understanding. Don't worry;
We'll win out yet I've plan"
Splendide mendax! He had not the
glimmering of a plan.
The engine painting, the train drew
in beneath the vast sounding done Of
the station, to an accompaniment of
dull thunderings; and stopped finally.
ktrkwood got out. not without a
qualm of regret at leaving the COM
partment; therein, at least, they had
some title to consideration, by virtue
of their tickets; now they were utterly
vagabondish, penniless adventures.
The girl joined him. Slowly, elbow
to elbow, the treasure bag between
them, they made their way down
toward the gates, atoms in tide-rip
of humanity-two streams of passen-
gers meeting on the narrow strip of
platform, the one making for the
streets, the other for the suburbs.
Hurried and jostled, the girl cling
ing tightly to his arm lest they be sep
arated in the crush, they came to the
ticket-wicket; beyond the barrier surg
ed sea of hats-shining ''toppers, .
dignifled and outstanding, the outward
and visible manifestation of the sturdy
stodgy British spirit of respectability;
'tbowlers" round and sleek and hum
BILE; shapeless caps with cloth visors,
manufactured Of outrageous plaids;
fower-like miracles of millinery from
Bond street; strangely plumed mon,
strosities from Petticoat Lane and
Mile End Read. Beneath any one of
these might Turk the malefcent brain,
the spying eyes of Calendar or one of
mis- creatures; beneath all of them
that he encountered, Kirkwood peer
ed in fearful inquiry.
Yet when they had passed unhin-
dered the ordeal of the wickets, had
run the gantlet of those thousand eyes
without lighting in any pair spark of
recognition, he began to bear himself
with more assurance, to be sensible to
a grateful glow of hope Perhaps
Hobbs telegram had not reached it's
destination, for unquestionably the
mate would have wired his chief; per
haps some accident had befallen the
conspirators; perhaps the police had
apprehended them. - . No matter
how, one hoped against hope that they
had been thrown off the trail.
And indeed it seemed as if they
must have been misguided in some
providential manner On the other
hand, it would be the crassest of in,
discretions to linger about the place
an instant longer than absolutely nee.
essary.
Outside the building, however, they
paused perforce, undergoing the cross.
fire of the congregated cabbies. 1t
being the first time that he had ever
felt called upon to leave the station
afoot, Kirkwood cast about irresolute
ly, seeking the sidewalk leading to the
Strand
Abruptly he caught the girl by the
arm and unceremoniously hurried he1
toward a waiting hanson.
Quick" he begged her. "Jumr
right irl-not an instant to spare
She nodded brightly, lips firm with
courage. eyes shining.
"My father?"
yes" Kirkwood glanced back owe,
his shoulder. Y "He hasn't seen us vet
| They've just driven up. Stryker'.
with him. They're getting down
And to himself, ooh, the DEVIL" criet
the panic-stricken young man.
He drew back to let the girl pre-
cede him into the cab; at the same
| time he kept an eye on Calendar
whose conveyance stood half thu
length of the station front away.
| The fat adventurer had finished pay
| ing off the driver, standing on thu
deck Of the hanson. Stryker wa
already out, towering above the mas
Of people, and glazing about him will
his hawk-keen vision. Calendar hat
started to alight MS foot was leavin,
the step when Stryker's glance singled
out their quarry. Instantly he turn
ed and spoke to his confederate Cal
endar wheeled like a flash, peerins
eagerly in the direction indicated b.
the captains index finger, then, snap
ping instructions to his driver, threw
himself heavily back on the seat
Stryller, awkward on his land-legs
stumbled and fell in an ill-calculatet
attempt to hoist himself hastily bacl
into the vehicle.
To the delay thus occasioned alon
kirkwcod and Dorothy owed a respit
Of freedom. Their hanson was a.
ready swinging down toward the grea
gates of the yard, the American
standing to make the driver compre
bend the necessity for using the III
most speed in reaching the Cravel
street address. The man proved bot
intelligent and obliging; kirkwoo
and barely time to drop down besid
the girl, ere the cab was swinging on
into the Strand, to the peril of tn
toes belonging to a number of righ1
eously indignant pedestrians
Good boy!' commented Kirkwoo
cheerfully. That's the greatest con
fort of all London, the surprising il
tellectual strength the average cabb
displays when you promise him a ii
SO Great Heavens!" he cried, reac
ing the girls dismayeu expression
"a tip! never thought" His fac
heightened dismally, his eyebrow
working awry. Now we are in fc
it,"
Dorothy said nothing.
He turned in the seat twisting hi
neck to peep through the small rea
window. 81 don't see their cab" b
announced. But of course they'r