Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-27

pressed for money. Then there was
Daggancourt, whom he had completely
forgotten in the flow of larger events
Daggancouru, effusively expectant OF
that imme diate departure for Ken
lucky. To make a man weep 1s
painful experience-and 1t was IN this
manner Daggancourt received the
news Of q second postponement. His
grizzled head sank, and the tears
ran through the gnarled and wrinkled
hands he raised to hide them. IN
vain Matt explained and expostulated,
promised and protested. The old mu-
latto was disillusioned; his shoulders
heaved; he brokenly repealed all con-
ISOLATION.
"Td set my foolish old heart on It,"
he sobbed. ~ believed you were In
earnest lists a terrible blow
''But it's only put off little while"
said Matt For heavens sake, don't
think I've given 1t up, Victor. In fact,
it's more of life and death thing to
me now than ever before"
Daggancourt shook his head.
81 was willing to go my last dollar"
he said. 81 could have worked for
you with both hands, and starved and
stinted-not for the money IN IT,
Marse' Broughton-but because you
are Won; because it Is the colored
mans instinct-his curse-to love ana
serve a master. made god OF
you, and put you on pedestal, and all
reward looked for was the humDlest
of places near you, and that little
farm Of ours in the mountains. Ana
now I see 1t was all a dream-that
YOU were fooling me. Yes, Sir, ana
fooling yourself, and 1t was nothing
but talk after all, and scrawling
sheets Of paper, like a child with
TOW. Say no more, sir. I shall not
trouble you again. am like the
Psalmist who put his trust in princes,
and verify was he disappointed
Matt was conscfence-striken; ne
had leaned on Victor; he had found
comfort and sense of safety In the
old fellows rugged affection. It was
hard to see 1t go, and 1t appeared
doubly valuable, now that it was lost.
It was with a very bereft feeling, In
deed. that he saw the mulatto strike
ont into the rain, and raise the CAMP
lest of camps above his alienated
head.
Then another disaster! Goldstetn,
confound him, had developed mumps,
and had planted himself for the day
near the telephone with copy OF L,l-
Gle. With the whole house to choose
from. there was Colby at the tele-
phone, swollenly ready for every word
that he could catch Matt, burning TO
reach Chris over the wire and arrange
somehow to see her, or least to hear
her bubbling voice, saw his way block
ed by that grinning obstacle. 10
share that precious talk with Goldstein
was an impossibility. Even the men
ton of Chris name would throw the
creature into q paroxysm OF curiosity.
II was a great name In Manaswan;
the very apex of everything exclusive
and aristocratic; one might as well
shoot of a pistol at Goldstein's ear. so
there was nothing for 1t but to brave
the sleety rain outside and seek the
booth at the candy store. On the
road thither Matt stopped at the
Western Union to telegraph to Snood
and Hargreaves. Their backwardness
was becoming intolerable.
"Snood and Hargreaves, 314 kearney
St., San Francisco:
"Please give immediate effect to my
letter, and remit money for ring by
express. Telegraph reply, saying
when may expect to receive 1t:
Matthew Broughton.'
When this was accomplished, ne
encountered the concluding disaster OF
that whole disastrous morning. HIS
request to speak to Miss Marshall was
received by maid, who said that her
mistress was Ill, and could not come
down. Nor could message be carried
to her because she was asleep. One
might be left, however Did the gen.
tleman wish to leave one?
Matt, wretchedly perturbed, was al
most at q loss how to answer. Ill
my God, i'll! The freezing rain out
side was no colder than the chill that
struck against his heart. Urged to
haste ne could think Of nothing else
than that Miss Marshall was to be in
formed that he had rung her up.
"Broughton, not Button-B-r-o-u.g-h-
t-o-n-and please tell her I shall call
this afternoon in the hope Of seeing
her, and perhaps take her for drive
If the weather clears and she Is well
enough" The maids tone indicated
how little she anticipated either con-
tingency Then she cut him off with:
'I'll tell her you were asking for her,
and will call at three. Good-by."
At three he was at Fair Oaks in a
worse downpour than ever, only to find
himself rebuffed. Half soaked, he
stood on the threshold and was told
that Miss Marshall could see no one,
and that the doctor had given her
some sleeping stuff. The general, too
had intrenched himself against callers
Again Matt was asked for message
He cursed himself for not having writ.
ten a note beforehand and brought ii
with him-that he had wasted his time
like q fool, playing pinochle with Gold