Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-30

his wiry friend out OF the restaurant.
though with slower steps. He mad
an errand at his boarding house be-
fore he could return to the office for
, the afternoon.
He was in no hurry. The news
had taken the spirit from him. He
wished now that he had remained IN
the west with his father instead OF
bringing his few thousands OF CAPT
/ i to New York in the hope of build
ing up business for himself.
In his room he paced the floor
restlessly with hands behind MS
back. Finally he stopped before q
hanging pencil sketch OF tall girl
in dress that may have been gray
and big hat.
sta- ding in the attitude Of q sup
plant before his queen.
Bennett hadn't the remotest IDEA
who the girl was. although he had
made The sketch with considerable
ability and great deal OF interest.
A summer vacation in Maine. A tall
girl in difficulty on the rocks with
the tide rising. Bennett to the res
| cue. A smile of gratitude, a few
words that fixed themselves and
their tone on his memory. Sep
aration. Next day round of the
hotels to find the girl Futility; girl
gone. That had been his romance.
Bennett had never been able to
find any one who could remember the
girl from his description; and yet
his personally sketched drawing
showed that he could describe.
He had hung his drawing and had
worked hard. Some day he would
find her and meantime he would
make himself bigger, better and 9
richer man.
what would you do?" he asked
again. And he seemed to have his
! answer, for he bowed low. 1t was
! two years now since the seashore In
! cident
Down in the ol.ce he found let.
ter waiting. 1t was from his father
in Canada! Bennett had fought
against the idea that his father could
have done any wrong and was really
fugitive. Now he shook his head.
The old gentleman said nothing
about his business. The burden OF his
letter was that he lay i'll in bed In
the faraway country.
"I'll be getting along up there to
brace the old man." the old mans
athletic son affectionately unused,
with vision in his heart of the
broken and depressed fugitive. HE
| used to put his arm around me when
the world went against me. He used
to pay for the window panes broke
Now it is my turn to stand by him"
There passed across Benefits
memory the recollection of poem
he had recently read. In the first
verse father sailed the boat while
his little son sat securely on the
lee: in the second it was the stall
wart son who sailed, the old father
on the lee. Bennett nodded his un.
derstanding Of it.
The newspaper told him that How
ellis and Weston we're the eastern
creditors in the many-thousand-dol-
| lar smash-up. Bennett called up
| their offices in the late afternoon.
| Mr.. Weston was out of town; Mr..
Howells had just gone home. Ben
nett made an appointment to see the
senior member at once, before ne
started toward Canada.
| On his way up town Bennett ran
facross Marcy.
"Man alive" his friend commented
briskly, "you look as grave as 9
tombstone. Have you got funeral
to attend or are you looking for q
| place to have another OF those fits?"
Bennett did not stop to explain.
Marcy was welcome to the unhappy
| news when he happened to run
across it.
| In Mr. Howells' Bennett found q
| courteous gentleman of middle life.
His rich surroundings simply en-
phasized in Benefits mind his own
fathers poverty.
Anyway he promised himself,
''if Dad is wrecked he and l will
hang together and paddle through
life somehow on the wreckage."
The business with Mr.. Howells
was quickly stated. Bennett wanted
to set forth the extent OF his own
resources and to place them at the
disposal of his fathers creditors.
Mr.. Howells looked at him over
kindly spectacles. II lost son years
ago" he unused, gravely. HE would
have been about your build now,
should think. I'm wondering whether
he would have done for me what you
are doing for your father"
Bennett could offer no opinion.
The merchant looked him over care
fully and continued.
However, you give yourself need
less anxiety. Your father is our
western agent. The smash-up was
an investment which he placed for us
which he warned us against, too.
We can afford to lose the money and
learn our lesson"
Bennett was ready to kick up his
heels with wild Joy. His fathers
absence in Canada had nothing what.
ever to do with irregularity OF bust
ness. Furthermore he had just tele,
graphed Mr.. Howells that In view OF
the disaster he was well enough to
try and start for home. Bennett had
no need to make the trip. He &C
copied an invitation to stay for din
ner.
A servant came in to tell the mer-
chant that his automobile was ready.
Mr.. Howells apologized for hasty
errand. He had come home from the
Office with wrong paper and must
/ in