Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-06-29

leave q man stranded six miles from Tn
by persons who do not have to hSure Q
washable shirt front.
utter Inconsistencies crept the vague
and poignant strings Of my anxiety
|Nancy's face, white and terrified, came
before me in changing dream and
dream. It seemed to me that she tried
| 10 call but not, that she was IN
some dim place where she believed my
ewes could not md her, and that, mn
ally. In her desperation unable to
speak and struggling frantically in 81
lence for my attention, she overthrow
AZ last some unknown object with q
crash. With cry awoke and sprang
from the bed.
The first gray Of morning was com
ing in the window, and birds were
ttwittering and astir. The dim country
Law in wholesome peace before me. and
vet nv mind surged with living hor'
ror Of the dream. Duly looked about
nv room; the chair upon which l had
nut NV clothes was overturned and
in the middle of the floor. piled one
upon another, were stacked my ran
sacked OUr6du"uIdWcIS. ! .. 'AASL
was not q sound In the house.
As softly as could searched room
after room; the house was empty from
garrett to cellar. My visitor, whoever
he was, and there could be but little
doubt Of his probable identity, mad
made a safe escape.
| was angry that sleep had held me
so soundly, and chagrined to think that
this man, whom I would have given
nv life to lay my hands upon, had
stood watching me as I slept, and had
coolly searched my room for what ne
wished to find; but this chagrin was
tempered somewhat by the reflection
that his search had been in vain; fol
| he could have come back for nothing
save the collar and tie. which he left
in my hands, and which found still
safe beneath my pillow. The very fact
that he had come back for them gave
them added Importance in my eyes, for
certainly their Importance to me must
have occurred to him. and must have
strongly disturbed him, to nave mace
him risk another return.
Then, too, he must have come alone;
which meant that he had left Nancy
in some other care; what care l could
not guess. but was thankful for the nee
essity all the same.
It seemed to me that my best course
Of action at least the only one that
presented itself to me at the moment
was to go back again to the county
seat, and, with that as center, to
start nv search from there. went
about the house closing and locking
the windows against my indefinite re-
turn. ! had lived in 1t but two days
and yet the place was somehow nome
and, as I made 1t secHTe, this very
home atmosphere heartehed me un
lbelievably. The place was undoubted
" meant for us; and could not but
believe that, sooner or later, my search
would be successful, and Nancy and
would some day take up the quiet lie
there that both of us sorely needed
and that both of us would find sc
sweet. AS locked the front door
lhesitated about the disposal Of the key
It was barely possible that Nancy her
self might return In my absence, tna'
l. by some ingenuity Of her own, she
might be able to escape from whatever
situation now held or coerced her. II
would be bad enough for her to find
ma zone at least she should not find
the house locked against her. smiled
as 1 lifted the front door mat and drop
ped the. key under 1t; any woman
would look there for key, either there
Or over the Intel Of the door. Men
having pockets, do not expect to fino
the key OF locked house In any other
place. :.
| the house. How still and quiet and
waiting 1t looked! I felt as Adam
must have at the garden gate; the
worlds strife before me and paradise
behind. But after all an empty para
disc is not paradise at all. and
turned nv back resolutely upon 1t, and
set forth upon my indefinite journey
By great good fortune ] found my near
eat neishbor just about to start into
town with wagon load of farm stun
He looked me over curiously enough
! but consented to give me seat beside
him. when told him who was and
where lived. He considered II 9
rood opportunity, think. to satisfy q
curiosity. which had evidently for some
DAYS been preying upon him. fear
however. that proved poor source
CT information; was so busy with my
thoughts and plans that only with the
greatest effort was l able to answer
| his constant questioning at all, and,
even with all the will in the wcrld.
there was very little information that
had in my.power to give. His incredu.
Ions suspicion. when denied knowing
how much had been paid for the farm
would have amused me at any other
time: as 1t was, I made the lame ex.
cuse that | was only the tenant Of the
real purchaser; I cared not at all that
he did not believe me.
AS we drew into Doyiestown new
thought and fear possessed me. II
h, that one chance In q hundred