The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-08-14
Danny's
Own Story
BY DON MARQUIS
Copyright, 1912. by Doubleday. Page
~ & Co.

"Do you fatter yourself it was be-
cause think it worth anything?"
The doctor don't answer, and then
the colonel says:
HAS it occurred to you that I may
have saved it because want it?'
"Tom," says DR.. Kirby, really puz-
sled, to judge from his actions, II
don't understand what makes you say
you have the right to take my life"
"Dave, where is my sister buried?"
asts Colonel Tom.
"Buried?" says Dr.. Kirby. my
God. Tom! Is she deadT"
And they looked at each other, both
wonderized and trying to understand.
And it busted on me all at oncet who
them two men really was. l orter
knowed it sooner. But didn't piece
things together like l orter done.
It wasn't until Colonel Tom Buckner
called him Dave and asst him about
his sister that seen who DR.. Kirby
must really be.
He was that there David Armstrong;!
And the brother Of the girl he had run
of with had Jest saved his life. By
the way he was talking, he had saved
it simply because he thought he had
the first call on what to do with it
"Where is she?' asts Colonel Tom.
II ask you," says DR.. Kirby-or Da-
vid Armstrong-agin-
Well, l thinks to myself, here Is
where Daniel puts one acrost the plate.
And breaks In:
"You both got another guess COM
ing" I says. "She amt buried any
where's. She amt even dead. She's
living in a little town in 1ndiany call.
ed Athens-or she was about eighteen
months ago."
"What do you know about it," says
DR.. Kirby.
care you David Armstrong;" says l.
eyes," says he.
"well," says. you spent four or
i've days within stones throw Of
her a year ago last summer, and she
knowed it was you and hid herself
away from you"
Then tells them about how first
happened to hear Of David Armstrong
and all l had hearn from Martha. And
how l had stayed at the Davises in
Tennessee and got some more of the
same story from George, the old Niger
there.
"But, Danny" says the doctor. "why
didn't you tell me all this?"
was Jest going to say that not
knowing he was that there David Arm
strong didn't think It any Of his bust.
ness, when Colonel Tom, he says to
DR.. Kirby-I mean to David Arm
strong:
"Why should you be concerned as to
her whereabouts7 You ruined her life
and then deserted her."
II didn't desert her." said DR.. Kirby.
"She got disguised and left me-left
me without a chance to explain my
self. As far as running her life is con-
cerned, I suppose that when mar.
ried her,
Married herr cries out tho colonel
And David Armstrong stares at him
with his mouth open. =
my God, Tom," he Gays. did you
think
And they both come to another
standstin, and then they talked some
more and only got more mixed up
than ever, fur the doctor thinks she
has left him, and Colonel Tom thinks
he has left her.
"Tom," says the doctor, suppose
you let me tell my story, and you'll see
why Lucy left me-"
Him and Colonel Tom had been
chums together when they went
through Princeton, 1t seems. He had
come from Ohio in the beginning, and
his dad had had considerable money.
which he had enjoyed spending of it.
and when he was young Teller never
liked to work at nothing else. 1t suit
ed him. Colonel Tom, he was consid.
cradle like him in that way. So they
was good pals when they was to that
school together. They both quit about
the same time. A couple of years aft
er that, when they was both about
twenty-five or six years old, they run
acrost each other accidental in New
York one autumn.
The doctor he was there fggering on
going to work at something or other.
but they was so many things to do he
was finding it hard to make choice.
His father was dead by that time and
looking fur a job in New York the
way he had been doing it was awful
expensive, and he was running short
Of money.
CHAPTER Xxx.
A Broken Honeymoon.