Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-10-12

and went his way rejoicing.
AS for the scratch on his arm. it was
nothing, as he presently demonstrated
to his complete satisfaction in the Sc
clusion of a chance sent fiacre. Kirk
wood. commissioning 1t to drive him to
the American consulate. made his d.
agnosis en- route. wound handker-
chief round the negligible wound.
rolled down his sleeve and forgot 1t
altogether in the joys of picturing to
himself Hobbs in the act Of opening
the satchel in expectation of finding
therein the gladstone bag.
At the consulate door he paid off the
driver and dismissed him. The tiacre
had served his purpose. and he could
find his way to the Terminus hotel at
infinitely less expense. He had con-
siderably harder task before him as
he assembled the steps to the consular
doorway, knocked and made known
the nature of his errand.
No malicious destiny could have
timed the hour of his call more appo-
siteiy. The consul was at home and at
the disposal of his fellow citizens
within bounds.
In the course of thirty minutes or so
Kirkwood emerged with dignity from
the consulate. his face crimson to the
hair. his soul smarting with shame and
humiliation. and left an amused off,
cial representative Of his country's
government with the impression Of
having been entertained to the point
of ennui by an exceptionally clumsy
but pertinacious liar.
At noon precisely, his suspense grown
too onerous for his strength of will,
throwing caution and their understand
ing to the winds. he walked boldly into
! the Terminus and inquired for Miss
/ Calendar.
When at length she appeared on the
threshold of the apartment, bringing
with her the travelling bag and looking
wonderfully the better for her ninety
minutes of complete repose and pri-
vacy. the relief he experienced was so
intense that he remained transfixed i'll
/ the middle Of the floor. momentarily
able neither to speak nor to move.
On her part, SO tagged and dis
I traught did he seem. that at sight Of
his careworn countenance she hurried
/ to him with outstretched. compassion
ate hands and low, pitiful cry Of
concern. forgetful entirely of that
emotion she had betrayed on parting.
"Oh. nothing wrong" he fastened to
reassure her, with sorry ghost of his
familiar grin, only have lost Hobbs
and the satchel with your things. and
there's no sign yet Of Mr.. Calendar.
We can feel pretty comfortable now,
and-and l thought it time we had
something like meal"
THIS narrative of his adventure
which he delivered over their dejeuner
la fourchette contained no mention
either of his rebuff at the American
consulate or the scratch he had Sus-
tanned during Hobbs murderous as
sault The one could not concern her:
the other would seem but bid for her
sympathy. He counted it a fortunate
thing that the mates knife had been
keen enough to penetrate the cloth of
his sleeve without tearing it. The slit
it had left was barely noticeable. And
he purposely diverted the girl with
flashes of humorous description, SO
that they discussed both meal and cpl
sode in a mood of wholesome merri-
ment
1t was concluded. all too soon for the
taste Of either. by the walters an
nouncement that the steamer was on
the point Of sailing.
Outwardly composed. inwardly Qual1-
ing. they boarded the packet. meeting
are to except the circumstance that
when the restaurant bill was settled
and the girl had punctiliously surren
dered his change with the tickets
Kirkwood found himself in possession
of precisely / franc and 20 confines
He groaned in spirit to think how
differently he might have been fixe6
had he not in his infatuated spirit Of
honesty been so anxious to give Cal
endar more than ample value for hi
money.
An memorable anxiety held then
both near the gangway until it wa.
cast off and the boat began to draw
away from the pier. Then. and no
till then, did an unimpressive, small
figure of man detach itself from thu
shield Of pile of luggage and ad
vance to the pier head. No secont
glance was needed to identify MI
Hobbs, and until the perspectiv,
dwarfed him indistinguishabl he wa
to be seen alternately waving Kirk
wood ironic farewell and blowing vic
lent kisses to Miss Calendar from th
tips of his soiled fingers.
So he had escaped arrest.
At first by turns indignant and re
lieved to realize that thereafter the
We're to move in scenes in which hi
hateful shadow would not form an es
sentially component part. subsequent
Kirkwood fell prey to prophetic tel
rors. 1t was not alone fear or retribl
ton that had induced Hobbs to reli1
quish his persecution. or so Kirkwoo
had become convinced. If the mate
calculation had allowed for them til
0 least fraction Of a chance to escap
apprehension on the farther shores G
K the channel. nor fears nor threat
n would have prevented him from sal
r ing with the fugitives. Far from hay
t, ing left danger behind them on tn
o continent, Kirkwood believed In h
d secret heart that they were but fyin
g to encounter it beneath the smoky pa