Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-27

tore open the envelope with quick
ening interest The letter was OF some
length. and signed simply Stevens"
/ could imagine as read it how he
gnawed his penholder and his already
picked and bitten finger-tips; for what
he wrote barred almost lndecently the
mongrel soul OF the man. He clustered
and threatened, cringed, whined and
begged, angry with one sentence,
groveling with the very next; in one
breath he seemed to pray for assist
ence and snarl hint Of blackmail.
He spoke Of some former letter he
had written. and which had remained
unanswered, and ran over, as II he
were repeating 1t, the list of his OF.
lenses against me in the service OF his
employer; his ingratfating himself
with Ephraim Bond, his officiating at
our wedding" his finding OF me In
New York, and the attack he and his
pals had made upon me In the park,
and he added that. since his last let
ter, he had seen me in the subway,
but owing to an accident had been I'M
able to follow me, adding, further that
as was carrying traveling-bags, there
was a possibility that might be on
my way to Winford. But the burden,
soul and text of the letter was that
he had not been paid. He had not
been paid, he had performed many and
dangerous services dangerous, should
they be discovered, to both employer
and employed), he had performed his
half of the bargain faithfully, and now
cheat him out of his rights, let him
hoW0Yo Ho xuovY1d horo hio v,o<~nSy I
they both had to 60 to jail for It, and
jail It would be II the facts were
known. But he proclaimed an infinite
preference for Jail for them both, to
liberty In his present state OF being
trimmed"
Why the letter was not. mailed do
not know. Perhaps his vacfllating
courage was not up to It, or he may
have written and sent another which
pleased him more; but, at least,
now knew why he had come to my
htding-plac opposite the sanatorium
This time he hunted, not me, but his
employer. It was like him that he
should spy upon him first.
With infinite satisfaction put the
letter back into its envelope, and
sweeping the whole heap into my trav-
eling-bag, made ready for bed.
1t seemed that had only slept q lit
tie while. when there came q thund-
erous knock on the door. opened my
eyes to find that 1t was already morn
ing, and that this was the call for
which had arranged at the office.
felt sore and stiff as l got up, but
with my bath this feeling disappeared,
and set about my dressing gaily.
had been up some time before I re-
membered my roommate. A glance at
his bed told me that 1t was empty.
With childish craft he had arranged
the pillows under the bedclothes,
which, suppose, had at first subcon-
sciously contented me. Now hurried
through my dressing and went down
to the office.
Has the other gentleman come
down YETI" asked.
why, yes" was assured; che came
down about daylight, think. He said
he had to take the early train for New
York and that you knew all about it,
Very WELL" said, hiding my an
noyance as we'll as was able, for, aft,
or all, he was clean gone and there
was no use crying over split milk II
/ needed him again he would not be
very hard to find; for, II l needed him,
it would mean that he had committed
q crime, and the matter would be tax.
en- out of my hands.
"Your uncle thought 1t best to 90
back to New York" said to Nancy
at breakfast. He left In fact, before
I was awake"
II am very glad" Nancy said SIM
ply.
You mean" Mrs. Lathrop asked,
that he ran away"
II am afraid he did," l answered;
$50 that now you will have the tom
neau all to yourself"
Mrs. Lathrop shifted. II must say"
she said, that for rascal he was q
terribly uninteresttng man."
The garage-keeper may have been
worthy and upright and good citizen,
but as mechanic he was hopeless
failure. He returned me the car and
q very stable bill, fairly glowing with
what he may have supposed was Jus
tifiable pride.
Ito Be Continued.)