Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-02

u
with self-indignation, and think her
disappointment was only less than my
own.
well, It can't be helped" said.
Eat least we know now how the note
was written, and can tell you I am
glad Of any news at all. What is the
first train can get from here to New
York or Philadelphia
There isn't one tn either direction
for an hour and halt" said Mrs.
Lathrop, "and. good sakes, we have
both Of us forgotten about dinner"
CHAPTER XII.
Over my luncheon, or dinner, as Mrs.
Lathrop preferred to call 1t, my hostess
told me everything that she could rem.
ember. She was keen little woman
and sympathetic one and when told
her that Nancy and had been married
but day or so, her indignation, al
ready very much excited, knew no
bounds. She said that about ten
O'Clock on the evening before, the red
wheeled buggy had drawn up before
her gate, and that man describing
himself as Doctor Morrison had rllng
her bell and asked If she had lodgings
for the night for two ladies. He him
self, he had explained, could only stay
for supper and would return for them
in the morning.
II didn't like him very much when !
first saw him." she said, "and I GER
tainly shouldn't have taken him all by
himself, and so late at night. But,
after all. Mr.. Ellsworth, have lodg-
ings to let, and, late or not, could
hardly turn two ladies away from the
door; but should very much have
liked to before we got through supper.
"As soon as he found had room
he went back to the buggy and whis-
pered for while, and then the two
ladies got out OF the carriage and came
into my hall, the doctor and the nurse,
as can't help calling them, walking
on each side Of the young lady It
was not until the doctor had gone to
put his horse in the stable, that really
got good look at the other two Dear,
dear, but 1t puzzled me. The young
lady (and you were right In saying
that she was lovely), looked white and
frightened and as II she had been cry
ing; and her pretty dress was torn at
the neck. And all the while, as they
stood there In the hall. the other wom-
an kept a hand on her arm and looked
as II she was daring her to say word.
tell you didn't like 1t at all, but
here they we're, and showed them
up to their room. Pretty soon the doc
tor came back, and I liked things still
less. He's an ugly one, Is the doctor.
and you can take my word for 1t. Have
you ever seen him."
mo-" answered; "on1y once,
vaguely, and in the moonlight"
"You know then" said Mrs Lathrop,
that he is almost as tall as you are.l
with great heavy sloping shoulders
and queer broad stumpy hands. His
hair was black and not very thick and
grew down low In the middle of his
forehead. in what think is called q
widows peak, and what with the long
nose under it and eyes too small and
near together and that queer, mean.
little baby mouth Of his: l can tell you
was sorry hadn't slammed the door
In his face"
Here at last was some picture OF the
. man to 80 upon.
): How was he dressed :" asked.
i II don't exactly know" said Mrs.
Lathrop. II remember that he did
have brown derby and that his
clothes were brown too; smooth,
think. and with narrow stripe. He
wore a ring with q sort Of pointed
purple stone in 1t. All his things
looked as II he had plenty OF money.
Still, think | hated the woman more.
Perhaps woman always does hate q
woman more, when she's hating at
all. I thought she was fat at first. but
she wasn't, only heavy and broad and
strong, with q square mannish face and
q silly mop of chorus-girl hair over It.
mo one said very much while they
were eating their supper. The two Of
them had the girl between them, and
talked across her. while she said moth
ing. Once or twice the doctor raised
his thin eyebrows at me, as II he
meant me to understand something he
didn't want to say at the moment. He
had caught me looking at the girl.
poor dear, I suppose, and all he could
think of was to make mystery OF 1t:
for 1t was pretty plain that she was
frightened and unhappy, and once,
when she raised her hands from her
lap, noticed red mark about her
wrists, as If they had been tied to-
out into the kitchen to pay me, asked
him about It.
! Perhaps should have told you
about it, Mrs. Lathrop, he said, but
there are things that one does not
speak of unless it Is absolutely nee
essary. This young lady has run away
from sanatorium, and her nurse and
II are bringing her back. 1t would
have been better If some one Of her
family could have come with us, but
they are all abroad at present
edo you mean to say asker him.
that that lovely little thing is out of
her mind?'
"'Only slightly, Mrs. Lathrop,' he
told me; we hope to have her well in q
year or 80. Absolutely quiet and med.
! "a treatment work wonders, you
know. She imagines that she has been
married, and will probably tell you so
II she gets the chance
"'Well she wears q Wedding-ring'