Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-28
from Blue

The ear. and hold him tight till you've got his wad.
j Work my boy work--and leave the rest to Time"
Fred frightened vistbly at the idea While his
fancee had fallen under the spell OF prophet here
was he surrendering to another His faith his
acquiescence were immensely hattering. It put me
into quite a glow about him-good old Fred He
asked me- with naive new belief In my omnipotence,
for the probable date OF Elinors disillusionment
answered two months. not caring to shake my posi-
raft of things could happen in two months, and he
wouldn't be likely to blame me II the young lady
climbed down little before schedule. But what II
1t the other way around? Well life Is all risk.
( especially for prophets.
Later on wished had kept my good advice for
myself, instead Of getting excited and wasting It
Fred Fred ought to have been curbstone Socialist
he had such talent for invective When the two
months had expired and there was still Elinor he
had been wicked railroad, side-trackng shipment
Of fresh apricots in Death Valley. he couldn't have
gone for me any worse.
Busybody and meddler were the mildest Of his ex.
pressions Hadn't spoiled everything by my damned
oiciousness? Wasn't Ram securely inrenched.
bodyguarded ivewired and burglar-belled that per.
sonal violence almost out Of the question? And
how else the rascally charatan to be got rid Of?
Say. was prepared to join small desperate party
with masks, and blackjacks? What, certainly
wasn't Then i was not only double-dyed jackass.
but coward, too
The new religion was belying all antcipations and
putting other wiseacres than myself to shame. Its
adherents had doubled and 1t seemed to be meeting
longfelt want From what one heard 1t seemed just
the thing for dyspeptic people, with large fixed In.
In most interesting talk had with Miss Gibbs,
the sprightest Of old maids. and ex-convert, who
had broken away to have liberated tooth seen to
(not being satisfied with the new religions treat.
ment)-in that delightful talk with Miss Gibbs
was struck by her mistaken belief in the Prophets
sincerity
"He's dear, good man." she said, "and oh, so
kind and gentle and sanity that II ought to be true
even II 1t isn't He says he is ,perfec and really,
do you know, he is. No, I haven't word to say
against the Purple Brother, we call him. It was
that horrible getting up at dawn, and the monotony
Of the diet and having nothing to read, any Cos
1 sip news, that brought me back. I wasn't good
enough, too earthly, you know. I missed my home
comforts and the Country Club and my breakfast
tray, and when it to needing dentist and being
oomed instead, just quit Secrets? oh, they're
safe enough in my keeping! I'm not renegade. only
Ia backslider."
"And Elinor7" inquired. "Tell me about Elinor
Wentworth" st
NJ Miss Gibbs faded eyes flashed .3se
AZ "Thats where fell out with the whole crowd" she
exclaimed. 1T was shame to make her break It on
with Fred Mccall, and spoil her life. She's simply
spining away, poor baby and moons about like
ghost But what can one do? The old lady Is such
aomlneering old thing that Elnor has about as much
chance as kitten tied up In gunny sack"
" Too bad too bad !" observed I'd
~ Just rotten" replied Miss Gibbs with spirit
.There ought to be an agenlit for New Regionists,
the same there Is for minors in saloons, nobody
allowed uAder twenty-five, you know and arrested II
they are found on the premises"
SITS pretty black lookout for Fred Isn't TT?
l said X I
what a mans way Of looking at IT," she returned.
Indignantly. Erred will still be Fred when Elinor
is lying in her poor little grave; just boomy and