Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-15
her sensesg Somebody's been smok-

other senses? Somebody's been smok-
ing"
"It's me- Heppie shouted. &"
"You?' Miss Letitia snarled. what
are you smoking for? That amt my
shirt; it's my"
Il amt smokin'," yelled Heppie.
"You won't let me tell you spilled
vinegar on the stove; that's what you
smell.
Miss Letitia's sardonic chuckle came
through the door.
Vinegar she said with scorn.
Next thing you'll be telling me it's
vinegar that Harry and Mr.. Knox
carry around in little boxes in their
pockets. You've pinned my cap to my
scalp
hurried down stairs to find David
son gone. My blanket lay neatly
folded, on the lower step, and the
horsehair chairs were ranged along
the wall as before. looked around
anxiously for telltale ashes, but there
was none. save, at the edge Of the spot
less register, a trace. Evidently they
had followed the apple parings. 1t
grew cold day or sd later, and Miss
Letitia had the furnace fired, and al
though it does not belong to my story,
she and Heppie searched the house
over to account for the odor Of bak-
ing apples-a mystery that was never
explained. :
Wardrop did not appear at break
fast. Margery came down stairs as
Bella was bringing me my coffee, and
dropped languidly into her chair. She
triad nd whit
Another day." she said YEARLY.
"Did you ever live through such an
eternity as the last thirty-six hours +"
I responded absently; the duty had
assumed hung heavy over me. had
a frantic impulse to shirk the whole
thing; to go to Wardrop and tell him
it was his responsibility, not mine, to
make this sad-eyed girl sadder still.
That as had not his privilege of COM
forting her, neither should shoulder
his responsibility of telling her. But
the issue was forced on me sooner than
had expected, for at that moment l
saw the glazing headlines Of the morn
ing paper, laid open at Wardrop's
plate.
She must have followed my eyes, for
we reached for it simultaneously. She
was nearer than I, and her quick eye
caught the name. Then put my hand
over the heading and she flushed with
indignation.
"You are not to read it now" said,
meeting her astonished gaze as best
could Please, let me have it, l
promise you l will give 1t to youal-
most Immediately"
you are very rude" she said with
out relinquishing the paper. IT saw
a part of that; it is about my father"
Drink you coffee, please" pleaded.
81 will let you read it then. On my
honor"
She looked at me; then she with.
drew her hand and sat erect.
"How can you be SO childish" she
exclaimed. IF there is anything in
that paper that twill hurt me to
learn, is cup Of coffee going to make
i: any easier?"
gave up then. had always
thought that people heard bad news
better when they had been fortified
with something to eat. and had a
very distinct recollection that Fred
had made Edith drink something-tea
probably-before he told her that Billy
had fallen off the back fence and
would have to have stitch taken in
his lip. Perhaps l should have offer
ed Margery tea instead of coffee. But
as it was, she sat, stonily erect, star
ing at the paper, and feeling that eva
sion would be useless, i told her what
had happened, breaking the news as
gently as could.
l stood by her helplessly through
the fearless agony that followed, and
cursed myself for a laundering ass.
1 had said that he had been accident
ally shot, and I said it with the paper
behind me, but she put the evasion
aside bitterly.
accidentally" she repeated. The
first storm of grief over, she lifted her
head from where it had rested on her
arms and looked at me, scorning my
subterfuge. "He was murdered. That's
the word. didn't have to read!
Murdered! And you sat back and let
it happen. l went to you in time and
you didn't do anything. No one did
/ did not try to defend myself. How
could I? And afterward when she sat
up and pushed back the damp strands
Of hair from her eyes, she was more
reasonable.
II did not mean what said about
your not having done anything" she
said, almost childishly. No one
could have done more. 1t was to hap
pen, that's all"
But even then I knew she had
trouble in store that she did not sus-
pect. What would she do when she
heard that Wardrop was under grave
suspicion? Between her dead father
and her lover, what? II was to be
days before knew and in all that
time, ], who would have died. not
cheerfully but at least stoically, for
her, had to stand back and watch the
struggle. not daring to hold out my
hand to help, lest by the very gesture
she divine my wild longing to hold
her for myself.
She recovered bravely that morn
ing from the shock, and refusing to
go to her room and lie down. sug-
gestion, like the coffee, culled from my
vicarious domestic life-she went out
to the veranda and sat there In the
morning sun, gazing across the lawn.
l left. her there finally, and broke the
news Of her brother-in-law's death to