Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-11

Fran had grasped the plot. That cloud
OF witnesses was banked against the
green Notwithstanding, to behold her
,ignominy.
"Mr. Clinton" said Fran, all sweet
ness, all allurement. II am going to
ask OF you first favor. I left my hat
up In Miss Bulls room and"
II will get It, said Abbott promptly.
"Lemme!" Jakey pleaded, with fine
admiration.
"Well, I rather guess mott" cried Bob
Think Illrefuse Fran's first reQuest?"
He sped upstairs, uncommonly light OF
foot.
Now" whispered Fran wickedly,
|"letss run of and leave him"
Pm with you" Abbott whispered
boyishly lt
They burst from the building likea
storm, Fran laughing unsteady. Alb
bolt laughing joyously, Jakey laughing
loudest of all. They sailed down the
front walk under the artillery fire OF
hostile eyes from the green veranda.
They continued merry. Jakey even
staggered. fancying himself part Of
1t; he regretted his short trousers.
When Robert Clinton overlook them,
he was red and GREATNESS, but Fran's
beribboned hat was clutched triumph
antly in his hand. 1t was he who flrst
discovered the ambuscade. He sud
denly remembered, looked across the
street, then fell, desperately wounded.
The shots would have passed UNDECIDED
over Abobtts head, had not Fran called
his attention to the ambuscade.
Its a good thing" she said limo
Gently, that you're not holding my
hand" and she nodded toward the
boarding house. Abbott looked. and
turned for one despairing glance at
Bob; the latter was without sign OF
life
What shall we do?" inquired FIR ",
as they halted ridiculously. If we
run for it, it'll make things worse"
ooh, Lord yes." groaned Bob; don't
make bolt!"
Abbott pretended not to understand,
Come on, Fran, shall go home with
!you,' His fighting blood was up. IN
his face was no, surrender. no not even
with dignity.
"Shall we go through the grove
that's the longest way"
"Then let us go that way" respond
ed Abbott stubbornly.
Abbott" the school-director warned,
you'd better come on over to mr.
place-I'm going there this instant 70
to get cup Of tea. It'll be best for
you, old fellow. you listen to me. nov
you need little er-a-some--a IT.
tie stimulant"
NO" Abbott returned definitely. He
had done nothing wrong, and he resort
ed the accusing glances from across
the way. mo- I'm going with Fran
"And don't you bother about him.
Fran called after the retreating chair
man of the board. he'll have stimulant
enough"
CHAPTER XI.
The New Bridge at Midnight.
| i was almost time for summer va
cation. Like all conscientious super
intendents of public schools. Abbott
| Ashton found the closing week es-
pecially fatiguing. Examinations we're
nerve-testing and correction OF exami.
''nation-papers called for late hours over
the lamp. At such times. when most
needing sleep, one sleeps least
One strolls. at hours devoted by
others to slumber. Abbott Ashton, for
instance. had fallen into the reprehen-
Isible habit OF boiling from the board
ing.house, after the last paper had
been graded, no matter how late the
night, and making his way rapidly
from town as II to battle his soul in
country solitude. Like all reprehen-
able habits this one was presently to
revenge itself by getting the "profes-
sor' into trouble.
One beautiful moonlight night, he
was nearing the suburbs. when he
made a discovery. The discovery was
twofold; first, that the real cause OF
his nightly wanderings was not al
together WEAKNESS Of mental toll;
second, that he had, for some time.
been trying to escape from the thought
of Fran. He had not known this. He
had simply run, asking no questions.
1t was when he suddenly discovered
Fran in the flesh, as he slipped along
"a crooked alley, gliding in shadows.
that the cause Of much sleeplessness
was made tangible.
| Abbott was greatly disturbed. Why
should Fran be stealthily darting
down side.alleys at midnight? The
wonder suggested its corollary-wh
was he running as from some intangl-
BILE enemy? He realized that the
Fran-thought had been working In the
under-layers Of his mental process all
the time his upper crust had busted
itself with rehearsals Of Beyond the
Alps lies italy" and the determine
ton of Hamlet's madness. But now
was no time for introspection, and he
set himself the task of solving the new
mystery AS Fran merged from the
mouth of the alley, Abbott dived into
its bowels, but when he reached the
next street, no Fran was to be seen.
Had she darted into one OF the scat
tered cabins that composed the fringe
of Littleburg? At the mere thought.
he felt nameless shrinking Of the
heart. Surely not. But could she pos
sibly, however feet Of foot, have round.
ed the next corner before his coming
into the light? Abbott sped along tho
street that he might know the truth.
though he realized that the less he
saw Of Fran the better However,
the thought of her being alone in the
outskirts of the village, most assuredly
without her guardians knowledge.