Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-23

in another moment they must detect
the substitution, SO that l gathered
myself together and came down the lit
tie space of hall with rush, pushing
Mrs. Olsen roughly aside as / passed
her, and giving the man with the slug
shot blow that sent him against Doc
tor Mayhew. | had no time now to
stop for Mrs. Lathrop. She was In no
immediate danger and l could come
/, back for her, but Nancy was In the
Ozark room," place, it seemed to me,
probably located in the cellar; so
ran the rest of the way down the hall,
plunged down the stairs, and set about
,looking for stairway that would lead
me into the basement. Above me
Icould hear Mrs Olsen calling loudly
for help. I thought Of the guards on
the outside of the building, and run
ming to the front door, made sure that
lit was locked, and dropped the great
likely into my pocket. The Office door
was closed now, but threw 1t open
and stepped in. A dark-haired young
women whom l took to be Our little
mercenary covered before me into
corner.
Quick" said; "show me where the
dark room Is"
"Oh.' she moaned, ooh, oh! What
have you done, what have you done?
I did not know it was going to be like
this. They will kill me for 1t, If they
find out Go away, oh, do go away
"Nonsense," said; mo one Is going
to hurt you. Show me where that dark
room Is"
Il dare not" she said piteously.
'"They will kill me, tell you" !.
They'll do nothing Of the kind, II
you'll hurry. I'll see that you get out
all right Can the guard outside get
in any way but by the front door"
yes" she said, there is a door IN
the back. The cook would let them IN. =
"Well, show me that first.
She shrank still further into her cor
ner, laughing and sobbing half hysteri-
cally; then, with little scream, she
pointed to the window looked up to
see the bearded face of the guard peer
ing through the grating, looking at US
both in fierce amazement. | picked
the girl up in my arms and carried her,
family struggling, to the hall.
"Now," I said, IF you're going to
save your precious neck. you'd better
help and help all you can First show
me that other door and then the dark
room"
To my surprise she had stopped cry
ling and, as we passed under the dim
hall-light, she glanced up at me with
sidelong flash of her black eyes.
You're awfully strong" she said as
IL set her down, as II she had made an
important discovery and, slipping her
hand into mine, she ran with me along
the hall, passing through the one which
bisected 1t at right angels and on to-
ward the rear of the building, where
she stopped before another door with
her hand at her heart.
"Well,' I said what is it,"
The hand which l held In my own
frightened. 1.-THE cook" she said; what
can you do with him."
On the floor above Mrs. Olsen was
still screaming, gathering vocal power.
lit seemed to me, with every passing
second. fumbled at the knob before
me and, throwing the door open at last.
lstepped into the shodowed dfmness of
the great kitchen, pulling the maid in
latter me.
| 'He sleeps on a cot in the corner"
she whispered; shall turn up the gas
for your"
eyes" said. and, dropping her hand
II closed the door after us, shutting
out the growing pandemonium above.
| In the sudden silence I heard the
peaceful sound of throaty snoring;
|then the dim gas-jet leaped into full
power and the snoring stopped with
ruf1bling snort Under its br1lliance
stood our little mercenary, her olive
cheeks, still wet with tears, now flush
ling like pomegranate, her primly
dressed hair in some disarray, her
black eyes swapping with excitement.
She held her clasped hands high.
leaning her cheek against them, like
a schoolgirl at the crisis of her first
play, vivid bit Of color in the great
! raftered room. Her eyes flashed to
mine with the same look | had seen
in the hall, q smile stirred at her lips.
and she slowly turned her head and
nodded toward the corner.
There. On low cot. a big, blue black
negro was sitting up, barbaric figure
lin ebony. swathed in the voluminous
folds Of red flannel nightgown.
garment redder and more vivid even
THAN the great cavern Of his slowly
!, gaping mouth. where row Of incredi-
Bile teeth cleaned and glistened. He
rubbed his eyes sleepily and stared at
me, and rolled them solemnly around
to the girl under the gas-jet.
"Yassah." he said, "yassah. Use
awake, sab" He was evidently too
isleepy to have quite taken us In.
Lock the back door, please, said
OF the girl. and bring me the key"
while she ran to do it, turned to pull
down the shades. There were no
shades, 1 found, but better yet, there
were heavy inside shutters, which UNI
folded across the windows, and which
IL had but to drop bar in place to
secure. AS shut the last one l. saw
the dim figure Of the guard in the
darkness outside; and in moment
more he tried the door which we had
locked. Now, with the shutters closed
the place was like fortress.
"Wha ah yo'? One o'they loonytics?"
The big black was fully awake now,
and stood like an impossible pillar of
Hra hased and canned with cOal he