Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-04

IDttl|(l llIpA
minutes for Philadelphia, and unless
they started early just to fool me, it
was train for Philadelphia they took
themselves"
you've been very good to me, Mrs
Lathrop," I said, "and do not know
what l can ever do to repay your
kindness both to me and to my wife. ;"
IL do said Mrs. Lathrop. you
can write to me when you have found
her"
CHAPTER XII.
For happy man green fields and
country lanes, pastoral sights and the
murmurous harmonics of nature lend
themselves as fitting and tender
glory to his happiness. Seventies
echo back seventies, and the great
and happy heart of nature beats in
blissful accord with his own. But
for man whose happiness has been
disturbed. whose life has been touch
ed by care or sorrow, these accorded
sights and sounds of the country are
greatness of their eternal quality
plaques and vexes him the more. For
the country ia never out OF tune with
itself; it's music Is one vast elemental
chord and has been the same for all
time. So the man out of tune with
himself and with the world finds the
changing discords of the many-noted
city a shock of vigorous relief Here
is not one great melody, but rather
the vigorous uproar of thousand
tunes; where the sane country would
have driven him mad, the mad city
shouts him back to sanity
My little crossroads local drew into
Philadelphia like farmer coming to
the fair And as I stepped into the
busy turmoil of the station and shout
dered my way through the hurrying
impersonal crowds, every moral fiber
in me took tonic and vigor from the
hurly- burly about A wise man has
called mans relations with his fellow
beings "antagonistic cooperation" and
the phrase is miracle of inspiration,
for we shrink from the touch or too
intimate glance of those about us in
instructive resentment, and yet no
healthy person wishes himself very
distant from this human intimacy.
Each one Of us feels that he seeks his
lonely goal alone, yet feels that he
has lost his way, unless he moves with
the crowd down the same great road.
And even to communicate with those
about us the simplest thought is only
told told in many words. When all is
said and done, love is the only lang
uage that ever makes one being com.
prehensive to another. With Nancy
/ had been happy for the first time in
my life; with Nancy gone, this jostle
of humanity awoke in me militant
confidence and potent belief that l
should find mine own.
1t was, therefore, with almost feel
ing of citation that l set about my task
and, as usual with confidence, my first
move was the right one.
II wonder if you remember"
asked the Pullman agent, "a man in a
brown derby hat who came to you this
morning and probably wanted a priv
ate compartment to New York; a tall
man with sloping shoulders large
nose and eyes set too near together.
He was dressed in brown suit with
narrow strip, and may or may not
have had two ladies with him."
Sure" said the agent; what about
him."
Il want to make sure of him."
said. Where did he go-to New
York;"
That's where he engaged his state
room to- said the agent You mean
the man with the insane young lady
and the trained nurse"
ooh, he told you about that, did
he?"
Eyes; you see we have only one
state room, and that was engaged;
so he explained about the young lady
to me, and l moved the other people.
We have to do that once in while. 1t
saves the other passengers annoy
ance."
Doubtless" answered, and hurried
off to get my ticket for New York.
I had only few minutes to wait for
the train, and it was gold one.
New York, when l go there, found
in the drizzle of a late spring rain. 1t
was only about half past five, but I'M
der the dark sky seemed already even
ing; so that I made what haste l
could to find quiet little hotel knew
where a comfortable room could be
had at small figure, and where I
felt enough at home to compose my
self quietly for the task before me.
My best working clue. it seemed to
me, was the torn collar in my pocket;
and that evening after supper took a
classified telephone directory up with
me, and made careful list of those
laundries which seemed near enough
to the fashionable zone to Justify the
mental picture I had of my man. l
realized, Of course, that this list might
omit the place l was looking for, but
there was a strong probability that
it did not, and the very making Of it
gave me something comfortably def
mite to work on. cut, and revised
and added to it; but prune it as 1
would, when | went to bed that night,
my note book held the formidable
array of over sixty names / had
an appalling days work ahead OF
me, an Augean task that haunted my
dreams, and brought me down to
breakfast in the morning to a dining
room where the walters still blinked
with sleepiness, and huddled, monde