Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-11-05

Parry darling, the only train out
of here before 6 In the morning Is
couple Of snail-like locals and one
fruit express. We'd better take the
boat"
Mrs. Romolo might have stayed be-
hind the altar longer. but her hay
fever is troubling her again and she
had to slip out into the open to
sneeze.
Helen" demanded the neighbor
sharply. pointing at the Junk piled
in the hall. what does all this
mean?"
Helen hemmed and hawed for sew
eral minutes. and then stammered
that she had received a night letter
from her husband and was sailing to
| Crete to join him.
But you know we were going to
the matinee tomorrow" said Mrs.
Romolo reproachfully.
II know. DEAR" answered Mrs.
| Menalaus, "but it can't be helped.
| Jacks er-a-sick, you know. He's
got measles, or diphtheria, or some
thing. I've got to go at once. Mr..
Paris has kindly consented to- come
along to take care Of my luggage and
chaperone me so that everything Will
| be perfectly proper and all right.
lust then the taXicab honked out
front, and without paying any further
| attention to Mrs. Romolo, the two
dumped the luggage all over the
grooming machine and disappeared IN
| cloud Of dust toward the Acropois'
| After they had gone Mrs. Romolo'
| not having any blindfold on or any>
| thing. took casual glance or two
| about the deserted house. she 1ouho
that the little wall safe had been
emptied, and there wasn't enough OIL
the bric-a-brac left to wad NO. 10
| shotgun. She further noted IN pass
ing that every bit Of the Menalaus
family silver had disappeared from
the sideboard and that even the lead
plumbing in the bathroom with the
gas fixtures all over the house hao
been torn out to be sold by the elop-
ers. ''.
At Pier s, from which the last boat
leaves for Troy. Helen and her COM
! panion were seen by party OF SER
want girls, who recognized her by
| picture in a paper they were read
ing. Seeing that she was discovered
Helen thought that she had better
| make some sort Of stall for the sake
| of appearances and what historians
| would saw about her. Accordingly,
the two prepared short-order frame
up that would have done credit to
New York police lieutenant.
Just before they yanked up the
ranpplank Paris took hold Of Helen's
wrist and she began to scream at
the top Of her voice for help. She
cried that the man was taking her
bv force. Attracted by her cries.
Patrolman Xernon, in plain clothes,
rushed up and, drawing his blackjack.
cried:
"Unhand that woman, you curl"
He and Paris grappled and rolled
about on the cobblestones to the in
tense delight Of the attending popu-
lace. The policeman, who is large
man, was beginning to get the better
Of the ARRAY when the steamer blew
for the last time.
At hearing this Mrs. Menalaus, who
had been standing by shouting en-
couragement to Paris, jerked the billy
from the cops hand, and, gave him
a husky wallop just back of the left
ear. Then, grabbing Paris dress
suit case in one hand and his hand
in the other, she ran for the gang
plank and by jumping two foot
gap they got safely aboard.
When the Macedonian" got down
the bay opposite Neptune Lightship,
Mrs. Menalaus sent the following
wireless to the Associated Press:
I have found the mate Of my soul
and I leave with him, firm in the be-
lief that I can take anything the
Fates can hand out and grin about it
as long as. Paris Is at my side. My
husband was a good man and I still
have the highest regard for him per-
sonally. But I never did care much
for him, because tried in vain to
break him from wearing purple sox
Furthermore, he insisted on leaving
his spoon in his coffee cup, and cared
more for hunting Persians and Bar
barians' than he did Of moving the
lawn and caring for me and the chill
dren.
(Signed) HELEN.
Helen and Paris met two years ago,
come Christmas, at a masque ball