Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-02
MeMAN IN tie"
BROWN DERBY
~,
Wells HASTINGS
~o Author Of GEO
The Professors Mystery
lopyr4,tl9llby Bobb1lerrs O.
CHAPTER TX Continued.

..
eyes," the proprietor told me, 81 did
rent out that red-wheeled buggy to
gent yesterday, and a fine state he
brought the horse back in. 1t was all
very we'll to give me ten-dollar note,
but no one can tell how much harm
driving like that does to q horse;
maybe you don't find out till weeks
later. No, the gentleman was all
alone; there wasn't no lady at all with
him. Sure, could let you have q rig
and driver to take you over to Buck
ingham."
AS drove along the red Pennsyl-
vania road to the little town of Buck
ingham, tried to picture to myself, as
best l could, just what the man in the
brown derby had done; knew that he
had hired horse in Doylestown, that
he had driven to our farm and in some
manner taken Nancy away with him;
but some hours later he had returned
alone with the buggy, which had evil
IDENTIFY been driven fast and far; there
fore he must have left Nancy in some
other certain care, probably in the
town from which he ultimately meant
to take the train. One can't very well
lock up a distinguished and beautiful
young lady in a village hotel; so that
the probability was that he had left
her in the care of some trustworthy,
private individually; under what pretext
I could not know, perhaps under none,
providing the guardian he chose was
dependably INSCRIPTIONS.
So at buckingham I again followed
the advice Of my exiled policeman,
and went first of all to the livery
stable, and to my joy, found out that
the red-wheeled buggy had been put
up there for an hour the evening be-
fore.
"Why, yes" said the stableman,
"your party stopped in her about eight
O'Clock, and asked If knew of any
one who had lodgings"
was there a lady with him." I
asked.
Lady" he laughed. "sure there was
two on EN- They had the top up, and
II couldn't see them very plain but |
should say one of them was young and
slim, the other middle-aged and
stoutish. sent 'em around to Mrs.
Lathrop's."
1.-TWO ladies'" repeated, puzzled.
"sure, only two, and there wasn't
hardly room for them. How many
was you looking for?"
1.-TWO are quite enough" an
swered; II think I'll drive around to
Mrs. Lathrop's. They are the friends
| I am looking for" And left him star.
ing at my recklessly large tip: for here
was the third person whom my theory
demanded, and without whom could
not explain the midnight return of the
man in the brown derby.
CHAPTER x.
Mrs. Lathrop's found easily
enough. It was a formal little white.
trimmed yellow house Of two stories,
and It looked for all the world as II
It had strayed from some toy village.
It was set squarely In little hand
kerchief of a lawn, and dwarfed and
shaded by towering giant elm. II 1t
had been in the tree instead Of under
It. it would have made very present
able bird-house; and Mrs. Lathrop, as
she threw open the front dock with a
Jerk and popped out to stand squarely
before me on the door-sill seemed like
some small brown bird herself.
"You rent lodgings, believe" l
said.
She cooked her head and stood look
ing at me with her arms a-kimbo, her
bright brown eyes searching. l thought
every detail Of my appearance. Some
times to some people, she said; very
seldom to single gentlemen. Do you
smoke"
mot in lodgings" I laughed, and
besides, am not sure that l am look
ing for any; but may come in for a
moment?"
Anything to SELF" she asked.
I shook my head Nothing at all;
but I think I should like some lunch
con, II you can give me some. Now
want to ask you question or So"
"Question?" she turned abruptly in
the little hall "The census man was
here last week, and a suffragette the
week before that, and the week before
that a young woman who said she was
getting statistics on the cost Of living.
| It seems's If I'd answered enough
questions to last out year or So
"My questions aren't personal" !
explained, Eat least not personal to
you. But you had some dodgers here
last night, have been informed, who
probably left early this morning, and.
| If you don't mind, should like to ask
you something about them =
There I knew It," she cried; Il
knew very we'll that something wasn't
right, and that somebody would be
around pretty soon blaming me for it.
What is 1t you want to know? Are
you some friend Of the doctor's?"
"The doctor?"
eyes. that long-nosed young fellow
in charge"
mo, could hardly call myself a
friend" I answered, "but there are
some things would like to ask about
him and the ladies with him. / was
strung and tortured with anxiety, and
Inow that 1 realized that Nancy had
been here but few short hours be-
! fore, suppose that some reflection
| of my mental tenseness must have
shown itself in my face, or perhaps in
some quality of voice. Certainly. as
Mrs. Lathrop glanced up at me, her
whole manner changed on the instant.
Land of love-" she said there
don't year go by but get stupider.
Here's a young man most starved to
ord boon him STANDING in tho