Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-06-09

suspicion concealed behind the calm
Of her eyes, noted this.
did you sleep well last evening?
she probed some time after the pansy
dialogue was over.
The visitor favored her with keen.
almost analytical glance. Pretty
WE'LL" he answered smoothly. "Why::"
ooh, nothing"
That night. by the light of the
moon the girl was again the silent
witness Of a most peculiar maneuver
on the part Of the New Yorker.
Her eyes were focused on a great
lilac bush when it suddenly crashed
heavily to the ground. Startled, she
stared at its destroyer, Folwel, who
was now disclosed with spade in his
hand on the other side of the fallen
shrub AS she gazed, the guest shoul.
dered his implement and marched
serenely away
Annie Harwell was angry ter
ribly, furiously angry. The perfect
contour Of her face was distorted by
the mad tumult of suppressed feel
ings. She felt that she could not wait
until morning to tell this man what
she thought of him. ,
But in the morning she did nothing
OF the kind, for the explanation OF
this mans strange behavior had sud
denly come to her. Mr.. Folwell--hoW
simple, and how surprising that she
had not thought of ii sooner-was
somnambulist, a sleep walker. She
did not attempt to define the feeling
of relief that came to her with the
thought.
Annie, at the breakfast table, cast
compassionate glance across at the
visitor. Doubtless, the youth was on
the very verge of a nervous break
down. She reproached herself for
having been suspicious of him.
On this day the youth vanished
from the house and did not reappear
until evening. Annie had no chance
to talk with him. The house seemed
strangely lonely and deserted during
the absence Of their guest.
Folwell at last returned, hot, tired
and dusty. He offered no excuse for
having absented himself without ex-
planning to his hostess that he would
not return to lunch-and none was
demanded.
That night Annie again took up
her vigil behind the curtains Of her
boudoir Presently, through the muri
OF the dim night, she discovered her
guest strolling leisurely up and down
the lawn.
Annie Hartwell, prepared for just
this, had not disrobed. Hurriedly she
tripped out through the French win
dow into the night, fiinging gauzy
scarf about her as she did so. She
joined the youth. Somewhere she
had read that sleep walkers were
always unconscious of others in their
immediate proximity, and also that
it was not safe to wake them.
The youth quickly proved the fal-
lacy of the former bit Of Annie's
knowledge. "Wh-why," he gasped,
suddenly turning as the girl joined
him. II didn't hear you, Miss Hart
we'll"
Annie, thrown out OF the rut OF her
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., decided to
humor Z the somnambulist. There,
there" she soothed, much as she
would have talked to baby. Don't
pay any attention to me at all, Mr..
Folwell. Just pretend that am not
here
But that is impossible, Annie" de-
.clared the youth, using the girls
given name for the first time.
''Just go on and do whatever you
intended doing" interrupted the
maid hurriedly. Something must
have brought you out here at this
time OF night"
Folwell gazed curiously at her.
"Would you like to know what
brought met out here?" he questioned,
softly.
eyes," exclaimed the girl, eagerly,
prepared to listen to a confession.
well, them" began the man, you
are the cause of 1t"
The girl gasped. I.
Eyes, you," continued Folwell, as II
the girl had spoken her protest.
love you, and on such short acQuaint-
ance l was afraid to tell you-unttl
now"
"My work here is completed-and
successfully. l must return to the
city tomorrow. You are rich now.
uLLlo girl. ~ II CaA oSh J0u "
marry me, but I want you to know
that love YOU
II don't understand" cried the
girl. "You must be asleep. You
would not talk this way If you were
not
II have been on search for buried
treasure. The Henderscns, in whose
possession this old manse had been
until circumstances compelled them
to sell it to your father, were very
very wealthy at one time, but after
the civil war, during which the head
of the house, Confederate officer,
was killed in battle, their star OF for
tune waned.
II, who am the only remaining de-
scendant of the Hendersons, have
always had an idea that my grand
father buried his treasure for safety's
sake while he was away. secured
letters from mutual friends and came
here in this disgraceful manner but
| was right. have found the money
and securities amounting to almost
half million dollars. They were
buried under the lilac tree. Today,
during my absence, examined and
them. l shall give half
Of it to your father for coming here