Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-06
THE EVENING STORY
M@@~@~@D~ $1,000

| 81
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Liter
airy Press.
Everybody knows that lovers
trifiing cause. This one did. George
Egbert had told Mabel Drake that he
would trust her to the ends of the
earth. She understood him to mean
that If she happened to be leaving the
postoff1ce just as Billy Shaw or Tommy
Tweed came along and walked home
with her no row would be raised over
1T, and the poor girl went ahead and
let them walk. Then she suddenly
discovered that ''the ends Of the earth
did not extend so very far.
On the evening of the day that
Billy Shaw happened to walk dis
lance of five blocks with her and that
half a dozen persons happened to pass
them and then happened to drop in
and tell the rising young lawyer
about it, he made call with a very
serious expression on his face. 1t was
SO serious as to be legal it alarmed
Miss Mabel When she had asked #
mis- sister had been indicted for murder
his mother held for cons piracy, or If he
had got mixed up in filibustering
expedition, and was expecting a Unit
ed States marshal to lay hands upon
him, he arose and addressed her in
his best legal manner
you We're walking with Billy Shaw
today" he began
'Well?" she replied.
He is a rejected sutton of yours
and an enemy of mine. Can't you see
the inconsistency Of the thing?"
Billy Shaw tried to make love to
me, but laughed him out of it. That
was whole wear ago. l never heard
that he was an enemy Of yours"
No? Well, let me state for your in
formation that William Shaw once
proclaimed me young squirt of a
lawyer Were those the words of a
friend or an enemy?"
Mabel could not restrain a hearty
laugh, and that laugh froze the Dig
nifty of the lover until it was armor-
plated. In the most frigid sort of way
he looked at her and announced:
Il thought could trust you. but /
see can't"
Just what do you mean by that?'
Have you two strings to your
bow"
Mr.. Egbert!"
You must drop William Shaw and
others of his ilk, or you must drop
mel"
And then the clock on the mantel
missed four ticks and other things be-
gan to happen. Young Mr.. Egbert had
mixed courtship and the law together
and brought combustion. Miss Drake
rn n6 i'm, fnr rt with ocl,
ing eyes and blazing cheeks and then
rose up end handed him his hat and
gloves and quietly observed:
Good night, Mr.. Egbert; good
night"
And Mr.. Egbert bowed and found
himself on the other side of the front
door, with no interest whatever as TO.
who climbed Mt. Mckinley or whether
it was ever climbed at all LAYING
down the law to the girl is all right
and very interesting up to certain
point, but when it goes beyond that
the orator feels jar. Mr.. Egbert felt
one md went home in a sort Of maze.
His sister said he must be coming
down with the grip and ought to soak
his feet and bring about sweat; and
his mother, who had had years more
experience, darkly limited at overwork
and brain fever and mustard plasters.
As for Mics Mabel-no matter how
she looked and felt. She couldn't
have done less than she did. Had
Mr.. Egbert called the next evening
with smile on his face the matter
would have passed like a summer
shower. But did any one ever know of
a young man doing the sensible thing
in case OF this kind? He knows the
girl cant, and his silly pride won't
let him. And there you are.
For the first three days and nights