Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-01
"A NOVELTY IN MYSTERY STORIES
THE SECRET OF
LONESOME .llE s. COVE
SAMUEL HOPkINS ADAMS
AUTHOR OF AVERAGE JONES ETC

| AUTHOR OF AVER
copyrisht. 1919. The
CHAPTER XIX Continued.
"This Astraea affair looked good
from the first," so began Preston Jax's
confession, as beheaded and stripped
down by it's editor. 1t looked like one of
the best. You could smell money In
lit with half nose. She bit first on
one Of the occult ads-the number
four OF the old series, a double-column
with display In heavy-faced italics and
loaded out strong. That ad always
was good woman-fetcher. Her first
letter came in on Monday. recollect.
It was a big mail. There we're lot
OF. Curiosity and couple Of Suspici-
ouses, and this was one OF half doz-
en- in the True Believers pile. Irene,
my assistant, had put the red pencil
on 1t. when she sorted out the mail,
to show 1t was something special But
don't get her into this, Professor Kent.
| If you do It's all OF, jewels and all.
Irene has always been for the straight
star business and forecast game, and
no extras or side lines. Besides, we
were married last week.
'SWhat attracted Irenes red pencil,
and caught me right away, was the
style of the thing. The handwriting
was classy. The paper was elegant.
There was something rich about 1t
all. This was no Biddy, pinching out
the missis' stationery to make a play
with. She quoted poetry, swell poetry.
First off she signed herself An Adept.
gave her the personal, No. 3, and fol-
lowed it up with the special friendly,
No. s. Irene never liked that No. 5.
She says it's spoony. Just the same,
LIT fetches them But not this one.
She began to get personal and warm
hearted, all right, and answered up
with the kindred-soul racket. But
come to Boston? Not move! Said
she couldn't. There were reasons. It
looked like the old game-fitter-headed
wife and Jealous husband. Nothing IN
that game, unless you go in for the
straight holdup. And blackmail was
always too strong for my taste. SO
Ibid the natural thing; gave her special
readings and doubled on the price.
She paid like lamb.
"Then, blame II 1t didn't slip out
she wasn't married at all! lost that
letter. 1t was kind OF endearing'
Irene put up howl. 1t was getting
too personal for her taste. told her
Ii would cut it out Then gave my
swell lady another address and wrote
her for a picture. Nothing doing
But she began to hint around at 9
meeting. One day letter came with
a hundred-dollar bill in it. Loose, too
lust like you or me might send two
Icent stamp. For expenses, she wrote
and was to come at once. Our souls
had returned to recognize and joir
each other, she said. Here is the only
part Of the letter I could dig up from
the waste basket:
Here the specimen of handwriting
THAT had caught Kent's eye was pasted
upon the document.
"'You have pointed out to me that
our stars, swinging In mighty circles
are rushing on to joint climax. TO
gether we may force open the doors tc
the past, and sway the world as We
sought to do in bygone days.
"And so on and cetera," continued
the narrative. "Well, Of course, she
was nutty, that is, about the star bust
ness. But that don't prove anything. The
dippiest star-chaser ever worked was
the head Of department in one of the
big stores, and the fiercest little bust
ness woman in business hours. you
ever knew. It's the romantic in the
sex that sets them skidding when II
comes to stars, and such like. And
Astraea was not patch on some o.
them that has been paving me good
sane money for years. That was the
letter she first called me Hermann
in and signed Astraea to. Said there
was no use pretending to conceal hel
Identity any longer from me. Seemed
to think knew all about it. That
Jared me some. And, with the change
OF writing in the signature, it al
looked pretty queer. You remember
the last letter with the copperplate
writing name at the bottom? Well
they all came that way after this;
the body Of the letter very bold and
careless; signature written in an en-
|tirely different hand. took 1t tc
| Chorio, the character-reader, and ne
said So too. What's more, he advised
me to quit the game. Said there was
trouble back Of that handwriting
Those character fellows amt such
fools, either!
"But hundred-dollar bills loose in
letters mean a big mistake. I wrote
her would come, and signed 1t Her
mann Just to play up to her lead
Irene got on and threw fit. She said
her woman's intuition told her there
was danger in It. Truth is, she was
stuck on me herself. and was on her;
| but we did not find it out until after
the crash So I was all for pryine
Astraea loose from her money, II
had to marry her to do it. She wrote
some slush about the one desperate
plunge together and then the glory
that was to be ours. That looked like
marriage to me.
you saw the last letter. 1t had
me ratified, but not ratified enough te
quit. There was a map In 1t Of the
Iplace for the meeting. That was plain
enough. But the our and we busi
ness in It bothered me. It looked q
bit like third person. What is more
I did not have any use for third per
\ -. &I&S I,,,o{voSc Tho ctar1 fOr