Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-22
hat Russia leather bag"

that Russia leather bag"
Burton swung his foot rhythmicall,
4 against the pipes.
I'm not so darned sure of It," h
said calmly.
II he had any reason, he refused t.
give it. I told him, in my turn, of Car
ter's escape, aided by the police. ant
he smiled. For a case Of suicide IT.
|causing a lot of excitement" he re
marked. When told him the little in
cident Of the postoface. he was mucl
interested y
"The old lady's in it, somehow" N
maintained. "She may have been lend
! ing Fleming money, for one thing. How
do you know it wasn't her hundret
thousand that was stolen?"
| II don't think she ever had the un
controlled disposal OF dollar In hel
life"
There's only one thing to do Bur
(, ton said finally, land that is, find Miss
Jane. If she's alive, she can tell some
; thing. I'll stake my fountain pen or
that--and it's my dearest possession
on earth, next to my mother. If Mis-
Jane is dead-well. somebody killed
her, and it's time it was being found
out"
Its easy enough to say find her
"It's easy enough to find her" he ex
ploded. make a noise about it; send
up rockets. Put a half column ad in
every paper in town, or-better still
give the story to the reporters and lei
them find her for you. I'd do it If
wasn't tied up with the Fleming case
Describe her, how she walked, what
she liked to eat, what she wore-in this
case what she didn't wear. Lord,
wish l had that assignment! In forty.
eight hours she will have been seen in
a hundred different places, and one OF
them will be right. 1t will be a question
Of selection-that Is, if she is alive"
In spite of his airy tone, knew he
was serious. and felt he was right
The publicity part of it left to him,
and sent special delivery that morn
ing to Bellwood. asking Miss Letitia
to say nothing and to refer reporters
to me. I had already been besieged
with them, since my connection with
the Fleming case, and fewmore made
no difference.
burton attended to the matter thor
oughly The one o'clock edition Of an
afternoon paper contained short and
vivid scarlet account of Miss James
disappearance. The evening editions
were full. and while vague as to the
manner of her leaving. were minute
as regarded her personal appearance
and characteristics.
To escape the threatened inundation
Of the morning paper men. left the Of
fee early, and at four o'clock Margery
and I stepped from hill car into the
park She had been wearing a short.
veil, but once away from
the gaze of the curious, she took it off
| was glad to see she had lost the air
Of detachment she had worn for the
asst three days. -
Hold your shoulders we'll back" I
directed, when we had found an isolat.
ed path. land take long breaths. Try
breathing in while count ten" ...
She was very tractable-unusually
80, imagined, for her. We swung
along together for almost half-hour,
hardly talking. l was content merely to
be with her, and the sheer Joy of the
exercise after her enforced ccnfine-
ment kept her silent. When she began
20 flag little found bench, and we
,at down together. The bench had been
ately painted, and although it seemed
Try enough, 1 spread my handkerchief
or her to sit on Whereupon she called
ne "Sir Walter and at the familiar
est we laughed like a pair of chill
lren.
I had made the stipulation that, for
his one time, her fathers death and
Ter other troubles should be taboo,
md we adhered to it religiously. A
'obin in the path was industriously dig
,ing out worm; he had tackled long
one, and it was all he could manage.
He took the available end In his beak
md hoped back with the expression
If one who sets his jaws and deter
mines that this which should be, is to
oe. The worm stretched into pink
sh and attenuated line, but it neither
broke nor gave.
"Horrid thing" Margery said. THAT
S disgraceful, heartless exhibition"
''The robin is parent" reminded
her. ut is precisely the same as Fred,
who twists, jerks, distorts and attenu-
ates the English language in his maya.
zine work, in order to have bread and
ce cream and jelly cake for his two
youngsters"
She had taken off her gloves and sat
with her hands loosely clasped in her
ap.
II wish some one depended on me-
she said pensively. tits terrible
thing to feel that it doesn't matter to
any one-not vitality. anyhow-whether
one is around or not. To have all my
taken away at once.
and Just to drift around, like this-oh.
It's dreadful
"You were going to be good' I re-
minded her.
II didn't promise to be cheerful" she
returned. Besides my father, there
was only one person in the world who
cared about me, and l don't know
where she is. Dear Aunt janet"
The sunlight caught the ring on her
finger, and she flushed
suddenly as she saw me looking at it.
We sat there for while, saying moth
ing; the long May afternoon was COM
ing to close. The paths began to fill
with long lines Of hurrying homeseek-
ers. their day in Office or factory at an
end.
Margery got UP at last and buttoned