Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-09
CHAPTER 1.

ed upon this life under false pre-
lenses, thinking that money would
make the game easy, but here am,
twenty-seven years old, stalled at the
end of blind alley, with no light
ahead; and to be quite frank, old man,
don't believe you have the advant-
age Of me. What's the matter with
us, anyhow"
"The mistake we make" replied
Eriswold, is in failing to seize op-
poTtunities when they offer. You and
have talked ourselves hoarse thou
sand times planning schemes we
never pull off. We are cursed with in
decision, that's the trouble with us.
We never see the handwriting on the
wall, or if we do, it's just streak OF
hieroglyphics, and we don't know
what 1t means until we read about it
In the newspapers. But thought you
were satisfied with the thrills you got
running as reform candidate for al
derman in New York last year 1t was
large stage and the lime-light struck
you pretty often. Didn't you get
enough? No doubt they'd be glad to
run you again.
Ardmore glanced hastily about and
laid his hand heavily on his friends
shoulder.
Don't mention it-don't think of it!
No more politics In mine. The world
may go hang If it waits for me to set
1T right. What l want Is something
different, real ACCOMPLISHMENTS
with spice in it. have bought every
thing money can buy, and now I'm
looking for something that can't be
tagged with price"
There's your yacht and the open
sea- suggested Griswold.
"Sick Of it! Sick to death of it!''
You're difficult old man, and
mighty hard to please. Why don't you
turn explorer and go in for the north
pole?''
Perfectly bully! I've thought of
1t lot, but | want to be sure I've
cleaned up everything else first. It's
always up there waiting-on ice, SO
to speak-but when it's done once
there will be nothing left. want to
save that for the last CALI
"You said about the same thing
when we talked Of Thibet that first
evening we met at the University
club, and now the Grand Lama sings
In all the monographs, and for a
penny you can see him in a kineto-
scope, eating his luncheon. l re-
member very we'll that night. We were
facing each other at a writing table,
and you looked up timidly from your
letter and asked me whether there
were two g's in aggravate, and I an
swered that it depended on the mean
ing-one for mild case, two for a
severe one-and you laughed, and we
began talking. Then we found out
how lonesome we both were, and you
asked me to dinner, and then took me
to that big house of yours up there in
Fifth avenue and showed me the
pictures in your art gallery, and we
found out that we needed each other"
Eyes. had needed you all right"
And Ardmore shifted dolefully, and
complained of the smoke that was
drifting in upon them from the train
sheds. 81 wish you wouldn't always
be leaving me. You ought to give up
only chap l know who doesn't want
to spend whole evenings discussing
champagne vintages; but you're too
good a man to be wasted on a college
professorship. Better let me endok an
institution that will make you presi-
dent-there might be something in
that"
1T would make me too prominent
so that when we really make up our
minds to go in for adventures
should be embarrassed by my high
position AS mere lecturer on The
Libeling Of Sunken Ships in law
school, I'm the most obscure person
in the world. And for another thing,
we couldn't risk the scandal of tainted
money. 1t would be nasty to have your
Observation-Disclosures whisky deals with
the Mohawk Indians chanted in
college YELL
The crowd surged past them to the
Washington express, and waiting
porter picked up Griswold's bags.
Wish you wouldn't go have three
hours to wait said Ardmore, looking
at his watch, "and the only Atlanta
man know is out of town"
What did you say you were going
to New Orleans for?" demanded Girls
void, taking out his ticket and NOV
ing toward the gate. IL thought you
exhausted the Creole restaurants long
ago."
"The fact it." faltered Ardmore, col
oring, "I'm looking for some one"
"Out with tout with it, com
manded his friend.
I'm looking for a girl l saw from
car window day before yesterday. |
had started north, and my train stop
ped to let a south-bound train pass
somewhere in North Carolina. The
girl was on the south-bound sleeper,
and her window was opposite mine.
She put aside the magazine she was
reading and looked me over rather
coolly.'
And you glanced carelessly in the
opposite direction and pulled down
your shade of course, like the we'll
bred man you are" interrupted Girls
word, holding fast to Ardmore's arm
as they walked down the platform
81 did no such thing I looked at
her and she looked at me. And then
my train started"
We'll, trains have way of start
ing. Does the romance end here?"
Then, just at the last moment, she
winked at mel"