Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-01
Euen;ng Story
HER CRY FOR HELP.

HER CRY FOR HELP.
BY M. J. Phillips.
copyright, 1911, by the Associated
Literary Press).
A rough March wind, which had
somehow strayed over into April.
hurled piece of paper squarely into
George Herrick's face At the same
moment his car Changed just below
the corner and he started to sprint.
But one cannot run when his eyes
are effectually blindfolded. So ne
clawed the paper away, crumpled u
absentmindedly, and thrust II into
his pocket. In the diversion OF board
Ing the trolley and reading the morn.
ing papers he forgot all about 1t until
he reached the Office.
Then he smoothed 1t on his desk,
and read, with growing excitement
and indignation:
don't dare leave the house, for
feel he is always lying In walt Tor
me. Last night / went. to the 'front.'
gate, for the first time in four weeks,
and was enjoying the sweet spring
air. / never saw or heard him Till ne
leaped at me. / screamed at the
top OF my voice. Mother came out
and he ran away with sort OF snarl.
/ don't take a step outside the
door"
It was part Of letter, in femi-i
nine hand, on thick, creamy paper.
The rufiian wind had snatched II
away even as 1t was being written,
for the last few words were plotted,
and. there was a little splotch OF Ink
on Herrick's cheek where they had
stuck.
Whatever business the real estate
firm OF Herrick & Holman did that
particular morning was transacted by
the junior partner The senior mem.
Der opened the mail and dictated
few replies, but most Of the time he
spent porting over that square OF
notepaper and the unconscious cry
for help which 1t voiced.
Here is a girl" unused Herrick
at lunch, whittier he had gone alone
on purpose to ponder on the message
the wind had brought him, who is
being prosecuted by an Internal
scoundrel. First, how do l know It's
a girl? Well, the note Is in woman's
handwriting; and that's modern PEN
manship. They began teaching that
particular slant after / left the high
school. She must be younger that ],
considerably-and she was young
when they taught 1t. or she wouldn't
have learned SO perfectly. I'm twenty
six: she can't be more than nineteen
or twenty.
"She must be pretty or she wouldn't
be prosecuted. She Is in great terror
of him-why, she hasn't left the
house for four weeks! And she has
no male protector, or she wouldn't be
forced to stand such treatment. She
speaks of her mother. Probably her
father is dead. and she has no
brother"
Here Herrick was interrupted by a
smoker from the waitress. He had
put salt in his coffee and sugar on
his omlet. With rebuking dignity.
he ordered another cup Of coffee and
took up his reflections again.
"Her prosecutor is not an ordinary,
normal man. II he were IA re-
jected lover, say, and had any pride.
he wouldn't be prowling around 50.
Perhaps it's q crazy man. No, he
cant be crazy. They would complain
and have him locked up. It must be
q foreigner whom she doesn't know
at all"
"But why doesn't she report this
affair to the police?"
He pondered on that during the
rest Of the meal, and finally built up
this theory: "She is refined and SEN
sitive and hates notoriety-in short.
she's lady. The police would peddle
the story to the newspapers, and
there would be snapshots OF her and
her mother and her home in every
sheet in the city"
Herrick by this time was quite as
indignant against the newspapers as
against the. prowler. Back at his
desk. after locking the door to In
sure uninterrupted thought, he took
up the next phase. "The question it,,
what am going to do about It?
Here is a woman--a girl--in distress,
in actual danger. Shall turn this
note over to the police? No. She
doesn't trust the police. II she did
she'd have called on them four weeks
ago George Herrick, it's up to you!"
AS a result of his decision, young
Mr.. Herrick spent $3.50 In inserting
the following in the "lost and found"
column Of every city paper:
"Found-Near the corner Of L and
Fifty-fifth streets, letter. Owner
can be assured of its return and the
finders help by writing. G. H., this
ONCE.
George put in the afternoon walk
ing around the blocks adjoining the
corner of L and Fifty-fifth streets It
WAS a suburban neighborhood Of
pretty thoroughfares, shade trees,
houaes set in comfortable yards and
neat wooden fences and gates. The