Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-22
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Lazy ledHiuS DICK against the table
as if at bay. The man was taller than
I, and thin with vibrant energy. He
turned half about at my voice.
Jumping June-bugs!" he cried airly.
Its Crosby"
mo other, Mac" laughed. What
in the world are you Raging Miss
Tabor about?"
Maclean blushed. "see here, Laurie"
he stammered. tI'm newspaper man.
you see? What's more, I'm thought by
some to be good one. I've got the
goods on this story, and you people
ought to come across. 1t won't hurt
you any Were you the cheese that
lugged the murdered scrubess down
three flights of stairs?"
Lady looked at me imploringly. But
the cat was so far out of the bag by
now that had to use my Judgment
81 was" answered. what are you
going to make out OF it,"
Nov you're tallzin'. Tell me the
story"
!! mot for publication said I, with a
glance at Lady, because there's no
story to publish. In the first place,
you're barking up the right tree, but
it's mighty little one. In the second
place, I've fallen so low as to be an
assistant professor with dignified
reputation. Neither Miss Tabor nor I
is going to be head-lined to make a
journalistic HOLIDAY; and If we were,
you wouldn't write it."
Maclean gnawed a bony knuckle,
and pondered. Darn you," he said.
|"Beg your pardon, Miss Tabor s'pose
can't, after that. But you'll. admit
I had the goods. I don't see how I
can go back with nothing. They send
me out on these things because gen.
orally make good, you see?"
"Your Imagination always was your
greatest charm. Get to work, and use
it. Miss Tabor, this human gimlet is
Stride Maclean. Let me give him
decent introduction: he probably
sighted the matter This gentleman,
for he was gentleman before he be-
came star reporter. had the honor
to belong to my class, and he sings a
beautiful tenor. Naturally he was
popular; he may even have friends
yet. Well tell him all about 1t, aud
then perhaps we'll drown him. One
crime more or less matters little to
people Of our dye"
/ Maclean scowled at me and laughed
"Well, it all amounts to this. First,
nobody has been murdered-as YETI.
and I frowned at him. Secondly, no.
body has been kidnapped; lastly, 1t
isn't story, unless you are on the
comic supplement. This Mrs. Carucci
used to be Miss Tabor's nurse, and
when Antonio beats her up too fire.
quent, she comes up here for vaca-
ton. Well, we were late going for her
because the car broke down; so when
we got there, he had just smitten her
over the brow and retired to a we'll
earned slumber. Then the neighbors
got inquisitive, and we ran away to
escape precisely that immediate fame
you were planning to give lis. That's
all. l will only add that brander1ne
revived this wash-lady and we can
prove It,"
"Oh, fudge" said Maclean, II can't
write anything out of that at all. We
had it before, all but you people. I
hate to go back without story, too"
The front door clicked, and heard
Mr.. Tabor's voice in the hall.
"Wait minute" said, with sud
den inspiration, perhaps can dig up
another story for you. But I'll have to
see Mr.. Tabor first"
I found Mr.. Tabor in his study,
glooming over a paper What is it,"
he asked. half rising. "Is anything the
natter"
II don't know" said. II opened
a letter Of yours by mistake, and 1t
loo:.ed as if had better bring it to
you myself"
He took the dirty envelop gingerly,
and drew out the Enclosure. Across the
top was badly drawn human hand
smudged in with lead-pencil. Below
this ran an almost illegible scrawl.
'If yu don't CIV her back she viii be
taken"
what on earth does that mean?"
I asked.
Mr.. Tabor knit his white brows. ut
begins to look as though Carucci had
been let out Of Jail for want OF proof
against him. Evidently he Is going
into the black hand business. l sup
pose a demand for money will come
next"
"But who is her'-his wife,"
"Of course" he answered quickly.
who else could it possibly be-" Then.
more thoughtfully, y don't like the
fellow around, but hardly see how
to get rid of him. We cant appear
in court against him! and money would
only make him want more"
"Mr. Tabor" l said, there's a man
named Maclean in the other room,
who went to college with me. He is
a reporter"
"a what?"
"A reporter. He found Miss Tabor's
telegram-we were careless not to have
looked for it-and that gave him
enough to work on until he found US.
However, you needn't have any un-
easiness about him. He has promised
me not to use the story"
Good, Crosby, very good. Well
what about him."
81 only thought, sir, that If he would
help me, we might be able to find
Carucci and scare the life out of him
so that he will keep away. He can't
be certain that he hasn't killed his
wife. and we can threaten him with
80 80 tot, 1,,