Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-31

OF ownership, as if--certainly he was
holding her hands longer than was
necessary! or course, other men were
in love with her. such radiant per-
sonality held its potent attraction for
men, but for all that. she was going
to belong to him Darlington! She dld
like him: she had shown It in q hun. I,
dred little ways during the last week.
and he would give her up to no man
give her up?--there wasn't the least
tie between them---except that kiss
and she was furious because OF It. .
There was nothing for him to do but
efface himself. He would go now, be-
fore the boat started-and an instant
later, when Betty. remembe
turned to speak to- him, his place by
the rail was deserted.
CHAPTER TX
All that day Hannibal was haunted
by the memory of what he had heard
and seen at Slosson's tavern. More
than this, there was his terrible sense
of loss. and the grief he could master,
when his thin little body was shaken
| by sobs. Marking the course OF the
road westward he chung to the woods.
where his movements were as stealthy
as the very shadows themselves. He
Stunned the scattered farms and the
infrequent settlements for the fear
was strong with him that he might be
followed either by Murrell or Slosson.
But as the dusk Of evening crept
across the land, the great woods. now
peopled by strange shadows, sent him
forth into the highroad. He was be-
ginning to be very tired. and hunger
smote him with fierce pangs, but back
Of 1t all was his sense OF bitter loss, his
desolation. and his loneliness.
II couldn't forget Uncle Bob II
tried" he told himself, with culver
ing lips, as he limped YEARLY along
the dusty road, and the tears welled
up and streaked his pinched face.
Now before him he saw the scattered
lights of settlement. All his terrors.
the terrors that grouped themselves
about the idea of pursuit and capture.
rushed back upon. him, and In o panic
he plunged into the black woods
again.
But the distant lights Intensified
his loneliness. He had lived whole
day without food, whole day without
speech, He began to skirt the settle
ment, keeping we'll within the thick
gloom of the woods, and presently. as
he stumbled forward, he came to
small clearing in the center OF which
stood a log dwelling. The PLACE
seemed deserted. There was no sign
| OF life, no light shone from the win
dow, no smoke issued from the stick.
and mud chimney.
Tilted back In a chair by the door
OF this house q man was sleeping. The
boot Of an owl from q nearby oak
reused him. He yawned and stretched
himself, thrustihg out his fat legs and
extending his great arms. ZEN be.
coming aware OF the small figure
which had stolen up the path as he
slept and now stood before him In the
uncertain light, he fell to rubbing his
eyes with the kriucKlese of his plump
hands The pale night mist out of the
lsilent depths OF the forest had as
eumed shapes as strange
"Who are you?" he demanded, and
Ibis voice rumbled thickly ferth from
his capacious chest. The very sound
/ was sleek and unctuous.
"1'm Hannibal said the small
figure. He was meditating flight; he
glanced over his shoulder toward the
woods. lS5
'.No, you amt. He's been dead q
thousand years moro or less. Try
again. recommended the man..
8"I'm Hannibal Wayne Hazard" said
the boy The man quilted hts chair.
Welt am glad to know you. Ham
nibal Wayne Hazard. am Slocum
| Price Judge Slocum Price, sometime
major-general OF militia and ex-men1.
her Of congress, to mention a few OF
those honors my fellow countrymen
have thrust upon me- He made q
NnyS n
outspread and bowed ponderOusly.
| The boy saw a man OF sixty, whose
! gross and battered visage told It's own
story There was sparse white frost
about his ears; and his eyes, pale blue
and prominent, looked ont from under
beetling brows He wore shabby
plum-colored coat and tight, drab
breaches. About his fat neck was q
black stock, with Just suggestion OF
soiled linen showing above 1t. His
Figure was corpulent and unwieldy.
The man saw a boy of perhaps ten,
barefoot, and clothed in homespun
shirt and trousers. On his head was a
ruinous hat much too large for him.
but which in some mysterious manner
he contrived to keep from engulfing
his small features, which were swol-
len and tear-stained. In his right hand
he carried a bundle, while his left
clutched the brown barrel OF long
rifle
/ "You don't belong IN these parts, do
your" asked the Judge, when he had
completed him scrutiny
mo, sir" answered the boy. He
lglanced off down the road, where
lights were visible among the trees.
I"What town is that? p he added.
! "Pleasantville-wh iS a lie-but
II am neither sufficiently drunk nor
sufficiently sober to cope with the pos
sibilities your question offers. It is 9
task one should approach only after
extraordinary preparation" and the
sometime major-general OF militia
grinned benevolently.
"It's town, amt IT." asked Hanni-
bal doubtfully. He scarcely understood
this large, smiling gentleman who was
so ciyilly given to speech with him, vet
strangely enough he was not afraid OF
| hiyn and hic whole soul craved human