Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-18
ENDING HER FREEDOM.
BY Richard Barker Shelton.
Copyright 1910 by Associated Literar


Copyright 1910 by Associated Literary
Press.
The jangle of the telephone in the
library interrupted Holroyd's peaceful
breakfast. Almost impatiently he
arose from the little table in one cor
ner of the screened porch-for, fair
weather or foul, hot or cold, Holroyd
invariably breakfastad out of doors
while he was at The Birches- and
stumbled through the open French
window into the library. He caught
up the telephone from the table and
shouted rather impatient "Hello!"
into it.
Hello" came an anxious voice
from the other end Of the wire. rs
that you, Jimmy?"
yes. Who is this? Oh, you
Anne" said he as he recognized the
voice of his cousin Mrs. Delmar.
What on earth are you calling me up
for at this time of the morning for?
What? Trouble over there? What
sort of trouble? Has Billy sneezed
this morning? Is that it?"
Listen, Jimmy, and don't attempt
any of your silly humor just now,
the agitated voice admonished what
do you suppose that crazy child has
done now?"
What crazy child?"
Nora, of course
ooh, said Holroyd, not without a
sardonic chuckle as he realized Anne
referred to Tom Delmar's niece, Nora
Ormand who was spending two weeks
at the Delmar's place and who was in
cidentally keeping Mrs. Delmar on the
verge of nervous breakdown in the
meantime.
What has she done, Anne? Set the
stable afire or accidentally shot one
of the dogs?"
''Will you be serious, Jimmy?" his
cousins voice demanded. ITS no time
for levity. She has gone for gallop"
there was an impressive pause
ION Blackfire," came the finish in term
ulous tones.
"What?" Holroyd shouted in unbe-
lief.
Don't you understand? | tell you
she has gone for a gallop on Black
fire. She was up early this morning
and she went out TO the stable and
bribed Tim into saddling that brute
for her. The cook saw her starting
out and so Nora bribed the cook. too,
not to tell me; but when she was
gone over an hour. Jenny grew alarm
ed and has just come to me and told
me the whole thing; and Toms away
in town and I can't find Tim any
where around the place, and goodness
only knows what may happen to her
on that horse! Even Tom himself is
a Dit afraid Of him. For heavens sake,
Jimmy, see if you can't find her. That
brute has probably thrown her some
where, and
Holroyd waited for no more. For all
his lazy exterior, he was a man CT
marked decision. His unfinished break
fast on the porch, the engrossing
article he had been reading in a
magazine as he slipped his coffee, even
his omnipresent cigarette case was for
gotten, as he ran out Of the library
and crossed the trim yard to the lit
tie garage.
In trice he had jumped, hatless,
into the low black road-car, and was
whirling down the drive towards the
roads at furious pace.
Nora Ormand had gone out on Black
fire Blackfire, brute that had a
reputation extending over three conn
ties for his vicious temper and his
proneness to attempt murder on who
ever was bold enough to perch on his
sleek back.
Just why the girl should have crown
ed her many wild feats since she had
been at the Delmar's with this widest
one of them all, Holroyd did not at
tempt to argue with himself: but it