Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-08-01
EVENING STORY
DROP THE HANDKERCHIEF.
BY Jeanne O. Ioizeaux.
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Liter
airy Press)

"a 0oosJ
The August day was enough to
make Casper hot and cross. He was
all that and more. He was lonely
and the man on the desk was grouchy.
Casper wished he had remained on the
farm. and married his first sweetheart
like the other boys he had been
brought up with. College was all
right but journalism, as seen from
the reporters viewpoint was be.
ginning to be too much for him. So
many things hurt his heart and his
sense Of right and Justice.
Go out and dig up some news, Cas-
per, called Jones from the desk. "This
weather Is hot enough to make some
body commit murder and we want to
be nosing around the spot when 1t hap
pens. You've the nose for news. But
don't get soft and let some girls pretty
eyes beg you of from playing her up
in story"
Casper started out. It was Saturday
afternoon, and most Of the stores were
closed. and most Ct the Offices.
Only newspapers keep up tho grind
Sss::rlay Afternoons" he said to him.
self. Il feel like drowning myself in
the lake. The News would have q story
then-only I'd have to rescue q girl
from a watery grave and all the rest.
Wish knew any nice girl we'll enough
to want to rescue her. Wish could
see a girl from home-wish knew
where Ruth u.s." Going down the street
he met little mouse Of a girl that
made him think Of her
Entering the first drug store he
called for root beer and asked the clerk
what was doing" His thoughts were
on the girl he had lost track Of. Sud-
denly she had stopped her simple lit
tie letters while he was at college.
and on his graduation he came homo
and found that she had left town. The
old aunt she had lived with had died,
and the girl had taken the few hum
dreds that had been left her and bad
gone to the city. No one knew where
she was going nor what she was going
to do. She had been always strange
silent, wide eyed little thing. and had
come an orphan into the town. She
never seemed to fit there, nor to make
friends except with Jerry Caspar. He
had written school love-notes to her,
and taken her to ice cream sociables,
and walking Sunday afternoons. Once
he took her to Uncle Toms Cabin In
the opera house over Swilkin's grocery
and hardware emporium, but she
cried over little Eva SO that he had to
take her home before 1t was finished.
The boy, for he was hardly twenty
four, remembered how her gray, soft
eyes would widen II anyone was unhap-
nv. And she was so little and good.
He wished he could find her. and won
dered whether she were married. She
was not the girl to take care Of her
self. Then he turned down a street
where 1t was less noisy, street where
there were many Offices OF physicians,
and obscure lawyers, the less prosper
GUS business men. Where should he
look for story?
He bethought himself of Doctor
Falkner. F'alkner was quack. He
had no conscience. He dealt with the
undertow of the city. Once he had
given Caspar a story Caspar hated
Falkner, but he slowly walked towards
his place.
The boy stumbled little, and in saw
ing himself from fall, looked up
ward Just in time to see handkerchief
fall and flutter from third story
window to his feet. He picked 1t up.
It was small and clean. but twisted.
It had an R in the corner. He laughed
q little. Then love of romance, de-
sire for a story made him suddenly
turn into the stairway. He would see
who dropped that handkerchief. OF
course It had fallen out by mistake.
But perhaps It would be his luck to
find story behind it or connected
with It. :.
There was no elevator, and the hall
was unspeakably hot and dark. Who
ever owned the little twisted rag had
a bad place to stay in, too, second rate
people all through the building. The
second flight made him pant little,
but he found the upper hall cleaner
and a little more respectable.
He entered several Offices before he
found the window he wanted overlook
ing the street-then he came to an
open door, and went into an Office, but
he saw no one The inner Office was
closed but he heard a cry from within,
and hoped the doctor was not hurting
child more than he could help--it
was a little child-like cry. Then it
came again, and he caught the words
clearly, but in girls voice.
Go away or shall surely call
someone! You shall not!''
Without an instant's pause. Caspar
strobe to the door, jerked 1t open and
entered. gross-looking tall young
man. carefully dressed. was holding
the arm Of slender girl, who was
pulling away from him, her back to-
wards Caspar. Caspar waited NOM
ent. The girls hair was soft and
dark and knotted plainly at the back
Of her small head. She wore a blue
bingham dress, and looked very neat.
Can | help you?" His clear voice
made the girl turn her head and the
man let her go. Caspar, for one dazed
minute, forgot the fellow because
Ruth's gray eyes looked tearfully up
to him. 1t was Ruth, though for the
moment he could not believe his eyes.
Ruth Cady! What are you doing
here?" His voice was stern, but she
came to him readily, holding on to his
arm with both hands. He pulled
away from her, and went towards the