Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-28

This story has been blamed for its
lack Of a moral. People seem to ex
poet one so to put to the rack the
facts in the case that they will Shrek
out some well-tried message. Some
have behaved as IL they thought the
moral here, but faulty. Colonel Loree
Of the Solar Selling Co., however,
thinks the affair rich in the hic-fab
ula-docet> element. So does William
son, soliciting agent for the Mid.
Continent Life; and so-emphatical.
ly so-does the Mid-Continent ITSELF
Trudeau, the breed" guide. has had
30 few years in which to turn it over
in his slow-moving mind as he has
lain rolled in his blankets while the
snow sifted through the moaning
pines, that he has not made up his
mind. AS for Foster Van Dorm and
Gwendolyn, their opinions-but the
story itself is not long.
Williamson says that when he left
Van Dorn's office with his application
he was as near walking on air as in.
surance men ever are. People had
been 80 slow in writing their auto
graphs on the dotted line and here
was six-fignre application, with a
check. These accompanied by the
wide-eyed Williamson, exploded into
the mid-December calm of the agen-
cy headquarters like the news of n
Tonapah strike in the poker-playing
ennui of a Poverty fiat.
Whats that, williamson" ejacu-
lated the cashier. Give hundred -.
you don't mean thousand?" !
"Why, confound you," sneered Will
hanson, look at that application"
Let me see it," painted the man
ager, bursting in. Foster G. Van
Dorm; half million! Holy cat, Will
hanson; but this will put you and
the agency in the lead, for Is he
good for it, williamson" .-... .
"Why, don't you see that check?"
inquired the lofty solicitor. II tell you
fellows, there's always a way to land
any man. Why, for year, I've -. by
George! I'm forgetting to send DR..
Watson over to make the examina-
ton. Van Dorn's going on a hunting
trip, and we've got to hustle, and get
him nailed before he goes"
The manager stood by Williamson
during the telephoning. "Who is Mr..
Van Dorm" he asked, as the agent
hung up the receiver.
"President of the Kosmos Chemical
company" replied Williamson. Son
in-law and enemy of Colonel Loree
Of the Solar Selling company, you
know said the cashier.
"Oh-h-h!" replied the manager, as
II recalling something. II remember
the romance in the newspapers; but
I thought the young fellow was poor.
Fixed it up with the colonel, sup
pose-the usual thing"
mot on your life!" replied Will
hanson. "Loree would kill him If he
dared-old aristocrat you know; but
Van Dorn's too smart for him. You
remember he was an engineer for
Loree's company, and met the daugh-
ter on some inspection trip. Love at
first sight-moonlight on the noun
tains-runaway and wedding on the
sly-father's curse-turned out to
starve and all that"
ger; "but it doesn't seem to lead log
ically up to this application"
WELL" went, on Williamson, Evan
DOf0S CurnS up Will" company
formed to work deposit of the sal
ammoniac, or asphaltum, or whatever
the stuff the Solar company has cor
nered may be, and began trust bust
ing. The colonel swore the new le-
post really belonged to his company
because Van Dorm found it while in
his employ, and called him all sorts
Of a scoundrel. But the young mans
gone on, all the same, floating his
company and flying high"
II heard that Loree was sure to
ruin him." interposed the cashier.
Ruin nothing!" said Williamson.
ut was case of the whale and the
swordfish. Van Dorn's got him licked
why, don't you see that check"
THAT does look like success" re-
piled the manager. 81 hope his siren