Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-10-16


because Alice and do love each other,
and It seems a pity that two old men
who have made money enough to rem
der them happy In that way should
stand in the path Of our making our
solves happy In our own way. You
can make II disagrseable for us, but
IN the end youth have to give In" no
said confidently. and before the red
vfsaEed man at the desk could utter q
word the luckless suitor took his de-
Mr.. sellew pounded his desk hercely.
NevAr!" he sputtered. "Why. i mar
ried for money. and look at me-"
He saw his reflection In the opposite
mirror and his look Of self satisfaction
faded. y@
II was anything but happy face
that confronted him. faded and worn,
with hard little lines running away
from mouth and eyes. his coalnten-
ance betrayed the strain under which
he had labored.
Jacob sellew did not understand
himself. He had forgotten that he
had married for love but that money
happened to come with It. He had
a daughter and he loved her, but Il
OF way that he dtdn't recognize the
sentiment.
Money was his $love--so he said.
There was no one except Alice his
daughter and himself to occupy the
handsome homo. Hls wife. who had
never suessed she was an un3Ovsd
bride and who wouldn't have be-
lieved II II he had told her 20. had gone
on before.
At last Mr.. seilew pushed the but,
ton Ask Miss Alice to come here"
he m Ia In the servant
Alice came. tall and dark and slen-
der. with dusky hair and scarlet lips.
Her lovely, eyes looked calmly at the
face OF her psrturbed parent.
Jack has told me, father" she
said at once.
"Impudent puppy" stormed Jacob
SeIlew.
Please don't. don't set excited, fath-
er. dear demonstrated Alice. I'm
sure Jack isn't any, Of the things you
want to call him. You know he's Q
dear only you and old Mr.. Kendrick
are sworn enemies-of course, II you
think stocks and bonds and business
rivalry are more to be considered than
my happi.less. why discuss the mat
did you know old Hendricks says
Alice-if his sons happiness 10 a.
stalker
She nodded. Jack told me-"
II ordered tho puppy out---and I've
told Deems not to admit him again.
/ don't have to say anything moro to
you, daughterT' He looked keenly
at her.
do anything In opposition to your
to my happiness" Her voice was
cautiously like .hissown as she spoke.
You mean that you will elope with
him ?"
"oh, no: some day you will give
your consent" 5
Never. declared Jacob as he picked
up his Newspaper. by the way,
Alice, you We invite. a lot Of people
down to Edscbank for the Fourth,
haven't you?''
Yes will you please order the
fireworks, father? We want a display
for the evening after the bic. dinner
Very WE'LL. I'll attend tostit my
SELF" VI
II, was the very night before the
Fourth. when Jacob Sellew remem-
bered the fireworkers. His daughter
and the servants had already gone
down to the country house. and he
was stopping at a hotel There was
"a new motor car to 60 down. too,
and he had decided to drive 1t himself
as he was q skilled operator and the
roads were perfect.
He ordered the fireworks by tele-
phone and stopped for them with
the new car. for Alice had sent In an
urgent reminder Of their need. "A
few minutes afterward ne went on
his way, the tonneau Of the car and
every, available inch Of room in the
seat beside him being filled with ex-
plosiVeD
Rockets and Roman candles. red
and green fire, set pieces and cannon
crackers made up tho assOEtnsnt
jacob Sel1sw made an annual SEC
riace Of sunpowder to show his pa
His trip across the ferry and along
tho suburban roads was uneventfuI
Things did not really begin to hap
pen until he reached tho turnpike and
speeded little.
The new car worked like clock
a well -oiled, smoothly running clock.
The moon rose and made the road
white and clear. There were still Ave
miles between him and his home.
He decided to smoke. He forgot that
he carried load OF explosives.
He lighted a cigar and hummed q
little tune. Something went wrong
and the machine wabbled. It would
not respond to the steering wheel,
and Just as he. reached the curve OF
the road that bordered Cyrus Ken
bricks estate the machine swung
into the ell travelled roadway and
entered the grounds Of Jacob Sell
LEWIS bitter business enemy,
To describe Mr.. Sellew's anger
would be painful. He swore as he
tossed his cigar aside and TANNED
all the levers and turned the wheel
this way and that
In, his chagrin at the situation he
lost his nerve and sat helplessly as
tine machine wahbled up the avenue,
freakishly turned aside to cross the
lawn. only to staSger to . standstill
in the midst Of rose garden In front
Of the big house.
There were people sitting in the
veranda and he heard ordinations
and "a mans shout.
Then the real performance began.
A rocket Kissed from behind him and
shot horizontally across the park. 1t
burst its flaming way through a
handsome spruce tree and left de-
struction in Its wake. Other rockets
shotiforth In the most Independent
ma nner. Fortunately most OF them
were headed away from the house
Roman candles pouted, red fire
blazed luridly and the cannon crackers
roared as they wrecked the new auto
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