Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-06

Ills WAUGH WHICH uo lau plsaCoN a. SA>
side of his plate.
by Jove! quarter to nine. I've go
an errand or two to do, and there'i
. no need Of your running your feet OF
on my account. I'll be back quarter
after" He dug into his pocket ane
counted out fifty pounds in paper ane
gold. You keep this. till get back"
She pushed it aside, half rising from
her chair. i5
Fortune, listen. Hereafter I an
George your brother George; and
do not want you ever to question any
action of mine. l am leaving this
money in case some accident befel
me- You never can tell" He took hel
hand and firmly pressed it down upon
the money. Sin half an hour, sister
I'll be back. You did not think that
was going to run away"
"No." stt. III
do you understand me now?"
eyes" SMt -I
While he was gone she remained
seated at the table. She made little
pyramids OF the gold, divided the even
dates from the odd, arranged Maltese
crosses and circles and stars
Pity, pity! Well, why should she rebel
against it? Was it not more than she
had had hitherto? What should she
do? She closed her eyes. She would
trouble her tired brain no more about
the future till they, reached Naples,
She would let this one week drift her
how it would. q.
George came in under the tfme-limit
of his adventure. He had been upon
the most difficult errand imaginable
at least from bachelors point OF
view. He carried two handbags. One
of these he deposited in Fortunes lap.
"Shall.I open it," -
IF you wish" ''r....
She noted his embarrassment, and
her immediate curiosity was not to be
denied. She slipped. the catch and
looked inside. There were combs and
brushes, soap and tooth-jowder and
tale, a manicure set, pair Of soft
wooden slippers, and @s She
glanced up quickly. The faintest rose
stole under cheeks. 1t was droll; 1T
was pathetically funny. She would
have given worlds to have seen him
making the purchases. "a
"You are not offended?" u
"Why should I be-? l am human; -
have slept and lived for days in q
dress, and worn my hair down my
back for lack of hair-pins and combs.
l am sure that it is very nice night
gown
Laughter overcame her. He laughed,
too: not because the situation APP
pealed to him as laughable, but be-
cause there was something, an indie
Unable something, in that laughter OF
hers that made him wonderfully
happy.
"Georgs," he interrupted deter
=,
Brother George, it was very kind
and thoughtful of you. Not one man In
a thousand would have thought Of
Of - hair pins!" More laughter.
81 didn't think of them; it was the
clerk"
"She." .''
"Well, then, she will achieve great
lightly, though her heart was
full. ....
Tactfully he reached over and swept
up the money. -,
Shall ever be able to repay you?"
she said.
Eyes, by letting me be your brother:
nv not deciding the future till we lana
In Naples; by letting me keep in touch
with you, whatever your ultimate de.
cision may be. That isn't much. Will
you promise that?' .... !
eyes"
They spoke no more Of Ryanne. 1t
was as though he had dropped out OF
heir lives completely. To certain
extent he had. They were to meet him
once again, however, in the last act
II this whimsical drama, which had
drawn them both out of the common
place and dropped them for full spin
upon the whirligig of life.
In due time they arrived at Alex.
lndria. There they found the great
liner, homeward bound.
Ryanne would beat them into New
York by ten days. He had picked up
. boat Of the P. & o. line at Port
Said, sailing without stop to Mar
settles. From there to Cherbourg was
/ trifling journey.
George knew the captain. and the
captain not only knew George, but had
Known Georges father before him.
rhe young man went to the heart OF
he matter at once: and when he had
finished his remarkable tale, the cap
ain lowered his cigar. 1t had gone out.
"And all this happened in the year
.9O9-191O! II any one but you, Mr..
tones, had told me this. I'd have sent
lin ashore as lunatic. You have re-
ported it,"
What good would it do? We are out
# It. and that's enough. More, we do
lot want any one to know what we've
,een through. If the newspapers got
,old of it, there would be no living.
"You leave it to me-" said the big
hearted German. From here to Naples
he shall be as mine own daughter.
fou have not told me all?" .s. 3s,.
''No; only what I had Of necessity
o tell" .,7. ,%.. a
well, you know best. I shall do my.
hare to make her feel at home. She>l
5 as pretty as a flower" I
To this George agreed, but not
'erbally. >.,tt NH . &c.. /
The steamer weighed anchor at 6
o'clock that evening, with only a hand
- I~.s- IN