Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-06-29

81 don't know now what did happen,
she said. II thought it was you.
Your young lady had gone upstairs
for some time, and left me to put paper
on the closet shelves. While was
working in there, some one slammed
the door behind me and locked 1t. 1t
frightened me nearly out of my senses.
and then l thought as perhaps you
were one Of those young cut-ups, and
had done 1t for joke"
did you hear any noise In the
house?" asked her.
s'No, heard nothing at ALL" she re-
piled dryly. tive been making all the
noise myself could hear at one time
Why?" she added. HAS anything
happened?"
saw she had no information for me
and decided against letting her know OF
Nancy's disappearance.
mo-" stammered, nothing has
happened. I really must apologize
I Numbered on, feeling that was lying
clumsily, but I am afraid that l really
did shut that door. You see, I'm very
absent-minded. I don't remember do
ing it, but I suppose must have. We
had closet at home very much like
this, and we had to keep continually
locking 1t to keep the cat out must
have just shut the door and turned
the key from force of habit, when l
went through the kitchen; but l give
you my word OF honor, Mrs. Blake,
that didn't see you
Clumsy as the falsehood was, 1t
struck fortunate chord.
"That's just like my father used to
be-" she said, long about when he was
ninety He was so absent-m1nded,
he'd go upstairs to change his shoes
and go to bed right in the middle OF
the day" She launched into long
series of her fathers peculiar and
absent minded doings, which In my
agony I had to strive to listen to quiet
ly; for | was very anxious to get her
out OF the house, suspecting nothing,
feat which finally accomplished by
saying that Nancy was tired out and
resting and that she wanted Mrs.
Blake to be home in time to cook her
own supper. Then I mounted the stairs
again to Nancy's room. The late sun
came levelly through the windows.
lighting its farthest corner. One chair
lay on it's side, lace window curtains
were disarranged, and curtain cord
had been ripped away with force that
had broken It's oldfashioned hook. That
was all. But that all was enough.
Nancy had not gone of her own free
will, and with murder in my heart
laughed aloud in the silent room.
This, then, was the errand of the
midnight prowler, this the accomplish.
ed aim of the man, for he must have
been the same, who had inquired for
us at the county clerks Office. Who
he was, whether an agent Of Ephraim
Bonds or not, whether or not this was
all part Of the original plan, I could
not know, and for the instant did not
care. It was enough for me that Nancy
was gone and that she had been taken
roughly. I knew that should find her
again. if I had to kill some one to do
it: find her and bring her home. The
next time this man came under my
hands he should not escape so easily.
But on Nancy's bureau lay some
thing white, a hooking sheet OF paper
that looked up at me. I read:
'I have changed my mind, luckily in
time for us both. You must forgive
me, but I find that am unable to
overcome an innate repugnance of
physical Disagreement. did not wish
the pain Of seeing you again, which, !
am sure, you will see would have been
a pain for us both, and so am taking
the afternoon train for Philadelphia.
There shall spend the night with
friends, and in the morning take up
the rest Of the journey home. For
give me and believe me, am sorry.
You are not to try to follow. That Is
absolutely final.
Nancy Bond"
Even as read it, I knew the thing
was a lie. I had never seen her writ
ing; but whether this letter was
forged or whether she had written 1t
herself, under the necessity Of some
compulsion, could not decide, already
I was to sure Of her to believe it.
Whatever she might do, or had done,
she would certainly never have made
nv hands the excuse for rsnning away,
nor indeed would she have run away
at ALL
The thing was outside the possibility
OF her moral courage. If, In my alb
sence she had decided for any reason
that our proposed marriage WAS wrong,
I was sure she would have waited for
me, and told me that reason with gen.
tie bravery.
folded the note and put it in my
pocket, then, with a sudden tardy
thought, cursed myself furiously and
aloud. for remembered the galloping
horse that had so nearly run me down,
the swaying buggy, the flashing, cruel
whip: Nancy must have passed me al
most at our very gates, and l had
stood gaping in the road and wonder
ingly watched her out Of sight. What
q hopeless fool had been. and even
now the minutes were flying Again
I found myself out upon the open road
running this time tirelessly and with
q new-found strength. Evening had
fallen, and here and there passed toll
ers returning home. One or two called
after me, but kept steadfastly on my
way until the town lights began to
twinkle before me. Then, here and
there, stopped to make inquiries, fear
ing now at many turnings to lose the
trail Of him whom / pursued.
A 1athered foundered horse attracts