Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-16

| a general order, the wisdom for which
could readily see.
I "Of course, 1 understand that you
have orders, but please tell Miss
Louise that Mr.. Kent is here" 81
| "I'll tell her, if you WISH" she said
doubtfully, carefully closing the door
before she went on the mission.
| The shutting of the door in my face
gave me an odd sense Of desolation.
! It seemed as if were being shut out
Of the life of the woman I loved. Yet
, on second thought I smiled at my per
turbation. The maid was only CARRY
ing out a necessary order. AS soon
as Louise knew I was there she would
come running to the door herself. In
minute she would be folded IL my
arms and all misunderstanding would
be cleared away. Undoubtedly she
would have a good explanation for her
telephone message Of the night before.
told myself that it, was only lack OF
sleep and the incident in the park that
had upset my nerves. My misgivings
were utterly foolish.
At length the door opened slowly
! / had expected to see Louise herself
behind it, but it was the same maid.
This tide she held the door hardly as
wide as before.
"Pm sorry, SIR" she said, 'but Miss
Louise says she can not see you now. y
"What?" I gasped. ,.
! She repeated her message while
stood there dazed. There must be
some mistake Louise must have mis-
understood the name.
Did you tell her it was Mr.. Kent?'
| Eyes, sir, told her"
what did she say?" .g..--
"She said she could not see you or
any one else now"
was puzzled beyond expression.
Why should Louise refuse to see me?
I was conscious Of having done moth
ing to offend her. If only l could see
her for just minute to find out what
was the matter! I felt that l must
reach her. For an instant | was
tempted to brush past the maid and
force my way in. Surely Louise OF
her own accord would not treat me
thus. She must be beside herself with
grief Perhaps she was under the
same malign influence that so distress
ed her sister. Yet even in the depths
of despair we observe the convention
alities.
"WilI you ask Miss Louise when
she can see me?" I found myself say
ing in calm tones to the maid. ~
Again she closed the door in my
face. Again I waited. ~. ....... .
Miss Louise says that she will see
|ypu If you-will return in an hour" was
the message that was brought to me
r left the Parrish door and stumbled
blindly up the street. The plight in
which found myself seemed inexplic'
able, maddening. I was sure Louise
loved me- Had she not turned to me
in the first hour of her distress? Had
she not telephoned me when her sis
ter shot herself? Had she not per-
mitted me to take her in my arms
Had she not commissioned me to
solve the mystery of the yellow let
ter? Yet why had she babe me dis
continue my search? Why had she
shut her door to me? What could be
her motive? What could have int1u'
enced her against me? - -'
Torn by hundred conflicting emo
tons, 1 traversed street after street
not knowing or caring whittier my
fleet were taking me. l must have re-
traced my steps, for l. found myself in
the block where the Farrishs lived.
looked at my watch and saw it was
still half an hour before the time had
been told to return. l turned away
from the house and wandered aimless
| ly on. There was scme mystery In
) Louise's conduct I could not fathom
( She refused to see me, yet just ahead
Of me some one else had been ad'
mitted to the house. A wave of jea'
lousy swept over me. Who was this
other man? l racked my brain, strlv
ing to recall his appearance, trying to
remember what there was that was
! familiar about him.
All at once it came to me. A wild
rage filled me. l knew now who he
was. A picture of the office in that
little hotel in New Jersey came to my
mind, as it looked when l stood by
the stove drying my clothes. A man
had come to the desk and got his key
and had walked past me as he went to
! his room. knew where I had seen
that man who was admitted to the
| Parrish home. It was the man called
| Cook
It was Hugh Crandall.
CHAPTER X.
| An unbidden and unwelcome guest,
jealousy came and sat by the altar OF
my heart, stirring the fires Of my love
| for Louise into furious darts of flame
that SCARED my soul. That Crandall
for was positive now that the visi-
tor who had entered the Parrish
home had been he-should have been
admitted to the house when so many
things pointed to his guilt, while |, an
accepted lover, and certainly Louise's
faithful servitor, had been barred with
such scant courtesy, filled me with
; dumb, unreasoning rage. felt that
all the claims of friendship and OF
service, even disregarding the still
stronger claims of honest love, entitl-
ed me to far different treatment.
Yet even in the burst Of anger that
as progressive idea. If that is pro-
gress it is Of the circular variety.