Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-06-24

u !
$500 and left the salary at the old
lrate, $4,000.
and through q crack In the closet
door her ferret-hke eyes caught
slight movement.
There has been foul play here"
impressively announced Miss Peters.
"Mr. Melrose Is confined In that
closet, doubtless bound and gagged
by some relentless robbers. am
going to release him.
Miss Peters remark was received
with subdued, Mortified screams by
the other ladies'. Firmly intent on
her purpose, Miss Peters advanced
and swung open the closet door
Human nature has its limit. David
had reached his, and as Miss Peters
opened the door he bolted through 1t,
clad ve;y briefly In sheet he, had
happened upon in his frantic search
for something to cover his naked
ness.
No wonder Misses Root and Branch
tainted, or that Miss Peters. the In
|trepid, sank to the bed, weak ana
speechless, as the wild-eyed, bare
LEGGED apparition In white shot by
them In desperate sprint for free
dom.
Miss Peters was the first. OF course,
to recover her mental poise. h rhat
lwas Mr.. Melrose,' she decisively, stat
led to her frightened companions, and
DOUBTLESS he Is temporarily unbal-
danced mentally. and 1t IL necessary
that he be followed and returned
home; therefore, you ladies 10 and
notify the neighbors that an immed-
late search be made, and i will stay
there in view OF his possible return"
David, from his hiding place In
the nearby woods, saw the Misses
Root and Branch depart. Why did
Miss Peters remain? No solution
being apparent, he settled down 10
wait in misery, for black flies and
mosquitoes were settling on his en-
j cred limbs In clouds, making ex.
isterce nightmare.
He fought insects and loosened up
unassorted remarks for upward OF
an hour, or unit. 1t was getting
dark.
Physical torture was fast over.
coming his fear Of women aud nat
nrai modesty. He was all ready to
make break for the open when he
saw approaching from the field
men, boys and women, armed and
nnarmed That they were after. him
he instinctively OWNED, but why
was q poser. u, It'll
I What he did was to follow the
instinct of tho hunted. Through
bush and wood, in open and out no
I fled, followed b., the cries 81 the
pursuers who had caught sight of
the white clad figure with the sheet
sailing out behind like the tail of .
4 comet.
His Wind AMI leg muscles failed
about the same time, and as stone
wall appeared before him In his aim
less flight, he clambered weakly over
this obstruction and fell plump into
4 the arms OF female who had risen
) from the ground on the other side.
Z With cry Of dismay, David sank
Imply to the ground, pulling the pro-
tecting sheet closer about him. OF
all women in the world the one be-
fore him was the last one he would
have met In this condition. It was
Mary Stone, the one woman he had
4 always worshiped at q distance, and
4 who, like him, lived alone only Z.
mile from his place Her first words
increased his dismay.
. " J. . z t. *
"Why, David Melrose. what In the
I. world is the matter? Why are you
fleeing in such a condition 2"
4 David had enough sense left TO
realize that full explanation was
due. and he bravely plunged into II.
Mary suppressed q quiet smile Ct
the recital, yet fully In sympathy
with his sorrp plight. When he had
finished she said:
J. Come to the house with me and
will rig you out in suit that was
fathers; then you can go over and
explain to the neighbors and evict
that prying Mandy Peters"
AS the last was said with consid-
cradle asperity Davids hopes took Z
. sudden bound.
The courage that in years gone by
had constantly deserted him flowed
; back, stimulated doubtless by the
excitement OF the afternoon and her
sympathetic attitude. and, clad as no
| other lover was ever clad, and under
!, the most unusual circumstances,
/ David found his tongue and unbur.
dened his heart
, g'Why, yes, David" was Mary's
, quiet reply, II have always cared for
you. Now run along or you will
/, catch your death
David hustled. but he never knew
that 1t was his young nephew that
: sent the notes to the spinsters for
-lfun, and unconsciously hustled the
I climax of his delayed love affair.