Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-16
. A PERSON OF F.
| @32S0llf IMPORTANCE =
/sl4m =: y1 iii l Ant N &c
Copyright. 1911. The Bohbs-Merr Company.

!! + p c.s,',..;. ~. Tie 3
| CHAPTER XVIII-(Continued.)
"She says you are to get carriage,
or better, an automobile, and pick her
up tomorrow morning at four o'clock
at the Fair Oaks entrance. Previous.
!ly, l shall have packed a small port
manteau and placed it outside the house
and all next day l will inform her
father that she is i'll and can not be
disturbed. BY this means you reach
marlborough without trouble, and get
married and then take the train to
New York. From New York you will
travel to that city-that city where
you were cheated of your ring"
Jeif.)
"And there you stay, no matter how
poor, how starving, till the opportunity
arrives to go to that place where you
have a friend-a very rich, queer man
whom once you served-and who will
take you back in employment"
("John Mort" said Matt to him.
self.)
"She says 1t must be now, or not
at all, for she can not be so brave
| twice; she says desperate people have
/ to take desperate chances; she asks
you to answer yes or no"
! Matt made hasty calculation; he
had almost a hundred dollars; this,
with Chris eighty-two would easily get
them to California, with something to
spare. Answer? It was yes, of course
thousand times yes, though his tenn
per rose at Swiss rapacity.
"You are to be paid two thousand
dollars for helping us?' he protested.
isn't that very great deal?'
| Flexner could not admit that it was,
betraying animation for the first time.
Was she not going against her con-
science? What would be the value OF
that promissory note were Mees to die
before she came into her property?
Flexner considered two thousand dol.
lars at six per cent compound interest
most moderate remuneration. Matt,
whose real purpose was to save that
hundred dollors in money-a hundred
dollars that might be of priceless i'm
portance to him and Chris in the ex.
! tremity of their fortunes, objected and
haggled with a persistence very unbe.
coming in a young Lochinvar.
But the inflexlble Swiss would not
abate panny of her demands. A
hundred dollars in cash, and nineteen
hundred in a promissory note, at six
per cent, due in three years, was the
price of an infiexible Swiss. She was
losing an excellent position; Mees
might die; her conscience, ETC., etc
bargain was bargain. Attacked on
the side of sentiment, Flexner con.
fronted him with her own little TO
nance. She meant 4 to return to
Zurich and marry faithful cuckoo
clock maker. That was what made SO
blind to duty and conscience. The
sallow, mid6le-aged creature had her
Carl; Mr.. Broughton must not think
he was the only one that loved. The
Swiss, too, had hearts, and every week
!! Carl wrote and asked her how much
money she had saved up. She would
earn her reward, never fear, and then
misdirect the pursuit to Bridgeport;
! she would manage everything with
secrecy: she would assure them Of a
whole days start. The real question
was-yes or no?
Matt longed to write a note to
Chris, but he was afraid Of the atten'
ton it might attract in the boarding
curious, SO nosing, especially where he
was concerned. Besides, he had to
see Daggancourt and arrange for that
fitting at dawn. He told Flexner that
his answer was EYES," and put into
the word warmth that he hoped she
! would carry to her mistress. She was
to say that he had ninety-seven dol
lars, and would carry out his instruc.
lions implicitly; was also to say that
she was the Quickest girl In the world,
and that if it were a desperate chance
he would promise that they would be
desperately happy. 1t was like talk
ing to cold veal but all the same he
talked and talked-and cold veal list
ened, mentally computing nineteen
hundred dollars for three years at six
per cent.
She drove off, leaving Matt in a
whirl. Chris and he were to run
away! Chris and he were to be mar
ried at marlborough! His pulses
throbbed; he could scarcely grasp it;
he could scarcely believe it! How
superbly reckless of her! How in
credible! How unworthy be was OF
such an amazing sacrificed! Yet it was
the only way out, made as it was.
She had appreciated that bodily when
he had been despairing. Could they
but hold their own In san Francisco
the opportunity would surely present
itself of reaching the South Pacific.
Once into Tahiti, Samoa, RaratoEga-
anywhere in the islands-the rest
would be comparatively easy.
One was readily trusted in the South
Pacific; he could charter a vessel and
pledge John Morris credit without the
least danger to the latter. And with
what welcome he would be received
he and Chris! Here was the one
spot on earth where he was assured
of welcome. Moreover, he would re.
turn with the glory of having baffled
Morris mysterious enemies, of having
! successfully resisted and defied them.
Mort would appreciate that. Yes,
everything pointed to Lotoalofa.
! He had some trouble in finding Dag
gancourt, whom he finally ran down
in wood shed behind Mrs. O'Brien's
boarding house Mrs. O'Brien drew
the color line more strictly than Mrs
Sattane; hence the wood shed, and the