Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
once. What has happened to bring
about all this pothero"

and see for yourself" He gave to
her g. broad white envelope and a
clipping from La Malone Of the day
before.
She seized the clipping eagerly, but
the eagerness died from her face
quickly, leaving it pale and stony. The
clipping futtered unheeded from her
fingers to the ground. Her gaze passed
from one face to another, all the while
a horror growing in her eyes. Slowly
she picked up the envelope and drew
out the card. Her eyes filled, but
with tears of rage and despair.
TELL me, what is it," cried Hillard
troubled, for his keen lovers eyes saw
these changes.
In answer she gave him the card.
He read it. 1t was rather knock
Now, why should the Principessa di
Monte Blanca take it into her head
to give ball in the Villa Ariadne,
Wednesday week, when she had loan
ed the villa indefinitely to her friend,
La Signorina?
CHAPTER XXI.
Hillard passed the card to Merrihew,
who presented it to Kitty. Smith had
already seen it. He waved it aside
modify La signorina's eyes roved,
as in an effort to find some way out
Afar she discovered Worth, his chin
in his collar his hands behind his
back, his shoulders studiously inclin-
ed, slowly pacing the graveled path
which skirted the conservatory. From
time to time he picked a pebble.
Whether he saw them or not she could
not tell Presently he turned the cor
ner and was gone from sight. Dur
ing the past few days he had lived
by himself; and for all that she did
not like him, she was sorry for him.
Its pretty kettle of fish," said
OMally, rather pleased secretly in
having created SO dramatic moment.
"She might have been kind enough,
however, to notify us in advance of her
intentions. | am still broke" dis
heartened; "and the Lord knows what
I'll do if I'm shunted back into the
hands Of the tender hotel managers
and porters. There is nothing for us
to do but to clear out, bag and bag
gage. It's a blamed hard world
wish | had kept some Of old Pietros
tips He spoke with full detection.
Up to this time he had been playing
the most enjoyable part in all his
career, plenty to eat and to drink and
no worry. And here the affair was
ended with the suddenness of a thun-
derclap.
Pm even worse off than you are,
Tom said Smith. you've got a dia-
mond. The sooner we light out the
better In day or two the princess
will be piling i'll upon us with her
trunks and lackeys and poodles."
''Poodles!" La Signorina was white
with anger.
"Why, yes" said Smith innocently.
Nearly all italian ladies carry one or
more of those woozy-eyed pups. Good
by to your sparlzler, Tom, this trip, if
we ever expect to see the lights of old
Broadway again
OMally sighed deeply The blow
had finally fallen.
Then La Signorina rose to her feet
She took the card from Kitty's
fingers, tore it into many pieces and
flung them over the wall.
eve have been betrayed" she cried,
storm in her eyes.
"Betrayed?"
OMally looked sat Smith; Hillard
stared at Merrihew; Kitty regarded
La Signorina with wonder.
Betrayed? In what manner?" ask
ed Hillard.
"Her Highness has had no hand in
this. / know. Some one with malice
has done this petty thing" To La
Signorina everything had gone wrong
today. II shall telegraph her High
ness at once. say that we have been
made the victims of some practica
joke
Joke or not, we can't stay here
now Smith declared "All the high
muckamucks in and round about Flor
ence will be getting out their jewels
and gowns. If we send denial to the
paper, and we really have no authority
| to do that, there'll be a whole raft o
'em who will not see it. And since
nobody knows how many invitation:
| have been sent out or to whom the!
have been sent-oh, what's the use o
all this arguing? The things done. NJ
matter how we figure it, we're all rail
roaded Third-class to Naples anc
/ twelve days in the steerage. Whew!"
II guess Hillard and | can help you,
said -Ierrihew 'We'll see that yo,
get home all right"
ITO be sure" assented Hillard
Poor devils!
| We'll make good, once we STRIKE
Broadway" replied O'Mally gratefully
La Sigrorina, her arms folded, he
lips compressed into thin line o
scarlet, the anger in her eyes unabat
ed, began to walk back and forth, AM
there was something tigerish in tn
light step and the quick turn. TIL
others, knowing her to be woman Q
fertile invention, patiently and i,
silence waited for her to speak.
But the silence was broken unes
pectedly by O'Mally. He grippe
Smith by the arm and pointed towar
the path leading to the gates.
Look" he whispered.
All turned, and what they saw i
nowise relieved the tenseness of tn
situation. Two ca1abinieri and an il
yspector Of seals, dusty but stern c
conntenance, came up the patti
OMally, recoilecting the vast prison 6
Naples. saw all sorts Of dungeon:
ankle-deep in sea-Water, and no