Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-19
"A NOVELTY in MYSTERY STORIZS
,n ne z SFGRE 14 81
SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS
AUTHOR OF AVERAGE JONES ETC
Corv-sh, 1917, Inc potb.- Merrill; Company.

AUTHOR OF ANEl
Copyright. 1912. The
CHAPTER X.-(Continued.)
Since his design was only against
your life and not against your picture"
commented Kent with smile. well.
our nights work is DONE" Lifting the
lantern, he held it In the face Of the
half-breed. "Jim!"
"Huh?"
when you really want to know who
made those footprints, come and tell
me who the body In Annalaka burying
ground is. A trade for trade. You
understand"
The eyes stare, immovable. The
chin did not CULVER. Reaching for the
lantern, Gansett Jim, now nine Of In
dian to one OF negro, turned away
from them to the pathway. NO." he
said stolidly.
AS the flicker of radiance danced
and disappeared in the forest sedg-
wick spoke. well, do you consider
that we've made a friend?"
NO." answered Chester Kent; "but
we've done what's as good. We've
quashed an enmity."
CHAPTER XII.
Answers to the kilograms Chester
Kent had despatched arrived In the
form of night letters. bringing infor-
nation regarding the Blairs of Hedge
row house; not sufficient information
to satisfy the seeker, however. There
fore, having digested their contents at
breakfast, the scientist cast about him
to supply the deficiency. The feet Of
hope led him to the shop of Elder Ira
bennett.
Besides being an able plumber and
tinker, Elder bennett performed, by
vocation, the pleasurable duties of un-
printed journalism. That il to say, he
was the semi-ofacial town gossip. As
Professor Kent was conspicuous
figure in the choicest titbit the elder
had acquired In stock for many years,
and as the elder had been unable to
come to speech with him since the in
quest (Kent had achieved some skill
full dodging), there was joy in the
heart over the visit.
Unhappily, it appeared that Kent was
there strictly on business. He did not
wish to talk Of the mystery of Lone
some Cove. He wished his acetylene
lamp fixed. At once, If Elder bennett
pleased.
"I've been thinking little Of get
ting an electric car, to run about hero
in. There was a neat little one In
town yesterday"
"Old Blair's," replied bennett. II
seen you In it,. Known Mr.. Blair
long?"
HE offered me = lit into town. very
H. = - 90
said Kent truthfully, and with intent
to deceive. WHO did you say he
was?"
"Gosh sakes! Don't you know who
Aleck Blair is?'
blair? Blair?" said Kent innocent
ly. us he the author Of Blatrs
Studies of Neuropterae?"
Elder bennett snorted. Hes mil
lionaire, that's what he is! Amt you
read about him In the Fabric trust in
"oh. that Blair! Yes, I believe I
have"
Kent yawned. 1t was a well-con-
ceived bit of strategy, and met with
deserved success Regarding that
yawn as challenge to his vocational
powers, the elder set about eliminating
the inhuman indifference of which 1t
was the expression. Floods of infor-
nation poured from his eager mouth.
He traced the history of the Blairs in
and out Of concentric circles of scand
al; financial, political, SCOTLAND
mostly untrue. Those In which the
greatest proportion of truth inhered
dealt with the escapades of Wilfrid
Blair, the only son and heir of the
who had burned up all the
paternal money he could lay hands on,
writing his name In red fire across the
night life Of London, Paris and New
York. firing of this, he had come
home and married girl of nineteen,
beautiful and innocent, whose parents,
The elder piously opined, had sold her
10 the devil, per Mr.. Blair, agent. The
girl, whose maiden name was Marjorie
Dorrance-Kent's fingers went to his
ear at this-had left Blair after year
If marriage, though there was no legal
process, and he had returned to his
naunts of the gutter, until retribution
overlook him, in the form of tubercu-
osis. His father had brought him to
heir place on Sundayman's Creek, and
there he was kept In semi-seclusion,
visited from time to time by his
young wife, who helped to care for
1im.
That's the story they tell" COM
nented the elder; but some folks has
got suspicious"
"It's a prevalent complaint" MUIR
nured Kent, "and highly contagious"
bennett stared. my own sus-
he proceeded firmly, lis that
he young Teller hasn't got no more
than you have. l think
I'D Blair has got him here to keep him
,ut OF the papers"
Publicity is not to Mr. Blair's
aste, Them
"Not's' no word for it, declared the
human bureau of information, delight |
I'd at this evidence of dawning interest
IN the part OF his hearer. Hes crazy
against it. They say he pays Town |
ritbits thousand dollars a year to
ct young Blair's name alone. l don't
believe the old man would hardly stop
short Of murder to keep his name out
If nrint He's kind n lOOny nm the