Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-24

you nave any cTEdlu lASAuO, 6V Ola oA9As
to the door. Mr.. Tabor doesn't like his
lawns trampled. Good morning
stood at the gate while they moved
unwillingly away, and then went back
to the house.
CHAPTER XIV.
The next few days passed by without
event; and the absence of excitement
was a welcome enough relief, even to
me- Adventures in themselves are all
very we'll, but l perfer mine uncom-
plicated with nervous anxiety; and al
though my enlistment in the family
garrison had relieved me in some mea-
sure from that torment of personal
worry which had bounded me before,
yet the trouble had only taken another
form, the more heavy for being less
selfish. l was inside the mystery
now, in action II not in knowledge.
What the root of the matter might be.
I knew no better than before; but
somehow, had been quite sincere IN
saying that did not really care. IL
was as If the nerve Of curiosity had
been blunted in me through overstraln.
And knew now that come what might
Lady had begun to care for me, and
that left little in the world which for
myself l could fear. Only for her
feared everything; and the necessity
of her remaining here at the mercy OF
dangers which l could neither dispel
nor understand was too heavy burden
for my frivolous enjoyment OF ad-
venture. could not say 80, nor try
again to persuade her away from the
fight. AS her way was, she had drop
ped my interrupted protest into moth
ingness, as though 1t had never been.
and my only comfort was the hope
that, knowing how wholly my blind
fold LOYALTY to them all was for ner
sake. might be secret help to her.
Beyond taking care that one OF US
three men should be always IN the
house, we did nothing. so far as knew
except to await events passively.
Doctor Reid, of course; went daily 70
his office, where he remained often
until late in the afternoon; and MT.
Tabor, though understood that ne
was retired from active business, made
two or three all day trips to the city.
What they might be doing to safe
guard us from Carucci or IN anairs
more intimate to the situation, l could
not guess. At any rate, my own
perie DIS OF guardianship we're generally
lonely: for Mrs Tabor was still too
SHAKEN by our recent alarm to be
much out of her room, and Lady made
occasion of shopping to accompany
her father. Perhaps was touchy; but
1t seemed that she avoided the strain
Of being long alone with me, skating
on thin ice above emotion.
Mrs. Tabor had gone to lie down
after luncheon. and l was trying to
forget in a hook the prospect OF long
embarrassing afternoon within doors,
when the telephone In the den across
the hall began to ring. l hurried
across, with an irritable impulse to
shout, Eyes. I'm coming" and picked
it up.
"Hello!" drawled the little voice.
"Who is this?"
gave the number, with mental
reservation concerning some Unknown
persons telephone manners.
eyes. I know: hut who's there? Who
is this speal<ing?"
"This is Mr.. Tabors house" said |
sharply. "Do you want some one IN
particular, or will Won leave a mes
sage?' It may have been partly the
voice which annoyed me: thick. sort
voice unraturaIly sweet in its infiec-
tion. a voice like the cares OF tat
hnrd. thought there was a trace OF
forei~r accent, but that might be
imagination.
| "Cl-n,ight I speak with Mrs.
Tarcr rlnaseP"
Hold the line a moment. said i;
and IS turned. there was Mrs TABOR
herself in the doorway
us II for me?" she asked. You
know. I'm Gre it's the very same per-
son was going to call Telephone
calls cr~ss Ahat way all the time. just
like letters"
left her. and went back to my book.
A few mir,.4cs later Sheila came in
"Nrs. Tahar''-shc began. Then
with an aslorisned look about the
room, why, where is she?'
.She YVES in Mr.. Tabors study. tele-
phoning a moment ago, saiu. -
anything the matter!
"She never came upstairs again al
all. Will she be out around the gar
den anywhere, wonder! Wouid you
mind looking. sir. while I'll be seeing
if she's in the house!
r searched not only the garden, but
the entire grounds; and o. " with
hurried throughness and a growing
enxiety. Sheila's alarm when | re-
turned put an edge upon my own.
"Ah, the Saints preserve us, what'll
we do now, with Mr.. Tabor away IN the
city an'that black villain OF mine rum
MIN around the country after us? II
it's lin has anything to do with her"
.Nonsense!' said uneasily. She's
probably only gone over to one OF the
.eighbors. You'd better telephone
,,oc4or Raid while I go and See."