Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-12
THE BLACK BAGls
By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
+ Copyright-By Bobbs Merrill Co.
By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
4 q
Copyright-By Bobbs, Merrill Co,

He had never understood this before
This much he had missed in life.
1t seemed hard to realize that one
| must forego it all for ever.
Presently he found himself acutely
| self-conscious. The sensation puzzled
him; and without appearing to do so,
| he traced it from effect to cause: and
found the cause in woman-a girl,
| rather. seated at table the third re-
moved from him. near the farther
wall of the room.
| Too considerate. and too embarras.
sed, to return her scrutiny openly,
! look for look, he yet felt sure that.
however temporarily. he was become
the object of her intent interest.
Idly employed with his cigar, he
slipped his coffee. In time aware that
she had turned her attention else
where, he looked up.
| AT first he was conscious OF an eN-
! feet Of disappointment. She was no.
body that he knew, even by reputa-
ton. She was simply a young girl,
barely out Of her teens-if as old as
that phrase would signify. He won.
dered what she had found in him to
make her think him worth so long
study: and looked again. more keenly
curious.
With this second glance, apprecia-
ton stirred the artistic side of his ma,
ture, that was already grown impatient
OF his fretted mood. The slender and
girlish figure. posed with such abso-
lutte lack Of intrusion against screen
Of rose and gilt, moved him to critical
admiration. The tinted glow of shad-
ed candles caught clustering on the
spun gold of her fair hair, and enhanc-
ed the fine pallor of her young shout
ders. He saw promise, and some
thing dimmed by warm shadows that
unayailingly sought to blend youth
and beauty alike into the dull rica
background,
In the sheer youth of her Che real
ized) more than in aught else, layshei
chiefest charm. She could be littls
more than child, indeed, If he wera
to Judge her by the purity of her shad.
owed eyes and the absence of emotion
in the calm and direct look which pres
emily she turned upon him who sat
wondering at the level, penciled dark.
ness of her brows.
At length aware that she had sur
prised his interest, Kirkwood glanced
aside-coolly deliberate, lest she
should detect in his attitude anything
!. more than impersonal approval.
A slow color burned his cheeks. liz
his temples there rose q curious pulls
ing.
After while she drew his gaze
again, Observation-Disclosures all I'M
; aware Of the havoc she was wreaking
on his temperament.
He could have fancied her dis.
! traught, cloaking an unhappy heart
! with placid brow and gracious de
meanor; but such conception match
ed strangely her glowing youth and
: spirit. What had she to do with care?
!. What concern had black care, whose
gaunt shape in sable shrouds had Turk
ed at his shoulder all the evening, de
), Ispite his rigid pre-occupation, with d
4 being as charmingly flushed with bud
: ding womanhood as this girl?
Eighteen" he hazarded "Eigh
J teen, or possibly nineteen, dining Al
!. the Pless in a ravishing dinner-gown
u and-unhappy? Oh, hardly-not she!'
Yet the impression haunted him and
. ere long he was fain to seek confirm
alton or denial of it In the manner al
her escort.
The latter sat with back to Kirk
L wood, cutting figure as negative as
!, his snug evening clothes. One could
= surmise little from a fieshy thick neck
a round, glazed bald spot, fringe Of
grizzled hair, and two bright red ears
Calendar?
= Somehow the fellow did sugges
u Kirkwood's caller of the afternoon
The young man could not have sale
. precisely how, for he was unfamiliar
with the aspect Of that gentleman:
. back None the less the suggestion
persisted
BY now, a few of the guests, theate-
bound, for the most part, were leav
= ing. Here and there table stood Va
cant, that had been filed, cloth tar
. nished, chairs disarranged; in anothe
- moment to be transformed into it
g pristine brilliance under the def at
tentions OF the seryitors
:. Down an aisle, past the table &,
!, which the girl was sitting, came two
d making toward the lobby; the man,
u slight and meager young personality
~ in the lead. Their party had attracte,
~ Kirkwood's notice as they entered
i why, he did not remember; but it wa
8 in his mind that then they had bee
= IIiSV. ioohCd t1I IL
= table they had left-one placed a
= some distance from the girl, and hit
81 den from her by all angle in the wa!
VI 1t appeared that the third membe
had chosen to daily few moment
~ over his tobacco and liqueur-brand.
II. Kirkwood could see him plainly. loun,
y, ing in his chair and fumbling the steI
Vi of a glass; a heavy man, Of sombl
:, habit, his black and sullen brows loy
H. ering and thoughtful above a far
u, boldly handsome.
eu The woman of the trio was worth
IL Of closer attention. Some PAGES in th
7e. wake OF her lack-luster esquire, ST
ils was making leisurely progress, tra
- ing her skirts of a gown magnifcel
- beyond dispute. half concealed thong
Wy it was by the opera cloak whose so
e' folds draped her shoulders Slowl
ne carrying her head high, she approac
los' ed, insqlent eyes reviewing the roo
Ell from beneath their. heavy lids: a II.
u, tallic and mature type of dark beaut
M supremely selfconfdent and self-pc
le-r cd