Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-06-26

All young lawyers are referred to
In stories as rising young lawyers.
This doesn't do us outsiders any
harm, and 10 taken a. q compliment
by the profession.
Mr.. Burt WildeFs, twenty-three
years old, was rising young lawyer.
Most rising young lawyers have at
least one uncle. Mr.. Burt Wilders
had one. That 10, he did have one.
He had just gone to his reward. He
probably got It hot and heavy, for he
had toted q crouch Of some kind or
other around all his life. He was
mad ct the whole world, himself in
cluded. He was mad that he was
aliYe. and he was mad that he must
die some day.
That uncle would have had no
trouble picking out . dozen relatives
to leave his money to, but he selected
full II 1t was Of love or affection. It
was more than probable that he hated
Burt little less than he did the
others.
Two years before he died the
uncle bought a bear. He didn't
want that bear any more than a
rooster wants two kinds Of crows.
but he bought him and he kept him
Just to be mean. For tho same
reason he'd have bought rattle
snakes had the occasion offered.
The bear was kept In . cage In the
wobdshed. and he tried to be a.
mean % his master.
Il was only week before his
death, and while making his Will
that the gro.lchy old man saw just
how he could make that bear q
source OF annoyance to, others. He
would leave his money to his
nephew Burt, but he would also
leave him the bear. No bear, no
money.
The rising young lawyer accepted
the legacies. The money he de-
posted In bank, and the bear he
deposited with . fsrmer at 20 much
a week for his board. The will
didn't say that the beneficiary had
to keep bruin in his bedroom. He
must not part with him for three
years.
A bear In any sort Of cage has
only to keep on gnawing and
wrenching year after year to gain
his liberty. One morning the
farmer who had charge Of the
Wilders bear went out to feed him
and make up faces at him and call
him bad names. as was his usual
custom, and great was his surprise
and CONSERVATION to hnd Bruin
gone. Later on he found two Of
his sheep and q calf dead
The obvious thing to do was to
give an alarm and get men after the
beast, and the farmer did It. The
escaper, 70 far - his pursuers could
Judge, had gone In for high old
time. He killed other sheep and
calves. He was pursued all day
long, but not overtaken.
At 8 O'Clock one morning Miss Dora
Lansing set ont from the manor
E1use on the hill with fishing tackle
- visit Gem Lake, half mile away
over the meadow and through the
woods. She did not expect to catch
any fish. She did not even intend
to try to- She would sit down on a
NOISY bank and listen to the chatter
of the squirrels and the songs OF the
birds, and think and think. She
would be In love some day. Love
would lead to marriage, and mar
riake to q home
Mercy, but what IL that1'
Il was what might be called mob
of mems voices trying to sing "Old
Black joe" It was, In fact, seven
tramps camped in thicket twenty
rods of, making as much harmony
as they could without being paid for
it. They had breakfasted and were
ready to move on.
my soul, but what shall do?"
she asked herself AZ she reached her
feet.
II she retreated 1t must be across
the meadow in plain view, and she
was looking around for q hiding
place when the shouts Of glee changed
to yells OF alarm. Breaking out Of
the bushes each one yelling his own
particular yell, the seven tramps
came within thirty feet Of her and
started to cross the meadow. Lumber
ing along behind them, and not far
from the hindmost, came big black
bear, growing and showing his
teeth. It was the escaped captive.
He wasn't hungry, but the sort Of
singing he had heard had reused his
anger. He stopped for a moment TO
survey the girl, and then passed on
Perhaps Miss Dora should have
jumped into the lake or taken to her
heels with a prayer to heaven to give
her the wings Of gazelle, but she
stood stock still instead.
How far that bear chased those
tramps and how many of them felt
his teeth, has not been recorded. It
Is sufficient to say that he soon
returned to the girl with trousers
patches in In his mouth, and that he
had no evident intention Of eating
her. for breakfast. In fact. after
five minutes advanced to have his
head patted and to be called fond
names He liked 1t. That farmer
had, called him names and hurt his
feelings till the change seemed q
heavenly one.
When the girl saw that she was
not to be harmed she turned to
making friends with Bruin, and they
were getting along very we'll when
there came from the direction OF
tie highway more shouting, and a
Young man on horseback appeared.