Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-10
A NOVELTY IN MYSTERY STORIES
TIFF, SFCRFT OF
SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS
AUTHOR or AVERAGE JONES ETC
or AVERAGE JONES ETC
-oovrisht 1912. The pobbs- Merrill Company.

Nll NJ HNA M
AGE JONES ETC
Robbie Merrill Company
man to speak to one woman IN the
world when he has found her. She
listened, with her eyes on the pictured
face. But when said to her, You,
who have all my heart, and whose
name, even, I have not-is there no
word for me-" she rose, and threw out
her hands In gesture that sent a
chill through me. N, :.
"Oh, no! Mo-" she cried vehement.
ly. "Nothing-except good.by. Oh,
why did you speak,"
stood and watched her 60. At the
end of the garden walk she stopped
and picked q rose with her gloyed
fingers, and as she disappeared in the
thicket at the top Of the hill I thought
she half turned to look. That was five
interminablo days ago. I'have not seen
her since. feel It 10 her will that
shall never see her oEain. And must!
You understand, Kent, you must find
her!
forgot to tell you that when'I was
sketching her I asked If she could
bring something pink to wear; prefer
with string of the most beautiful
rose-topazes I have ever seen. set In
smost curious old gold design. 1t was
that necklace and none other that the
woman with the, bundle wore, half
concealed, when she came here.
Today-it ID yesterday really, since
am finishing this at three a. m
the messenger boy brought me a tele-
gram. It was from my love. 1t had
been sent from Boston, and it read:
Destroy the picture, for my sake.
It tells too much Of both of u.s."
The message was unsigned. have
destroyed the picture. Help me-,
F.S.,
"Am I running q Strangers, Rest
here Francis Sedgwick asked Of
himself when he emerged upon his
porch the morning after Kent's visit.
The occasion Of this. query was q
man stretched nat on the lawn, with
his feet propped up comfortably against
the stone wall. In this recumbent pos
ture he was achieving the somewhat
delicate feat Of smoking long thin
clay pipe. Except for this plebeian
touch he was Of the most unimpeach-
able elegance. His white serge suit
was freshly pressed. His lavender silk
hose, descending without wrinkle
under his buckskin shoes, accorded
with lavender silk tie and laven.
der striped shirt A soft white hat
covered his eyes against the sun glare.
To put a point to this foppishness, a
narrow silken ribbon, also pure white
depending from his lapel buttOnhole,
Sedgwick, who had risen late, hav-
ing returned to his house at daybreak
after delivering his manuscript at
Kent's hotel, regarded this sartorial
marvel with doubt as to whether 1t
might not be a Pigment Of latent
dreams. Making a detour across the
grass, he attained to side view of the
Iinterloper's face. 1t repaid the trouble
It was q remarkable face, both in con-
tour and in coloring From chin to
cheek, the skin was white, with a tint
LOT blue showing beneath; but the cen.
trail parts Of the face were bronzed.
The Jaw was long, lean and bony. The
cheek-bones were high; the mouth was
large, flne-cut, and Arm; the nose,
solid, set like rock.
At the sound Of q foot-step, the man
pushed his hat downward, revealing
q knobby forehead and half-closed
eyes in which there was touch Of
somberness, of brooding. The artist
remembered having sesen that type
of physiogonomy on the Venetian
coins Of tho sixteenth century, the like
nesses In bronze, of men who were Of
iron and gold rulers, and
poets. The eyes of the still face
opened wide, and fixed themselves on
Sedgwick, and the expression OF mel
ancholy vanished.
Good morning" said the artist and
then all but recoiled from the voice
that replied, SO harsh and raucous it
was,
lyon rise late" 1t said.
81 hear your opinion on It," retorted
Sedgwick, bit nettled. Am I to
infer that you have been waiting
for met"
"You wouldn't go far wrong"
"And what can do for you-before
you leave?' said Sedswick significantly
take little walk with me present
|ly," said the man In another voice,
brushing the hat clear Of his face.
"Kent!" exclaimed tn artist.
well, you appear surprised. What
kind OF artist are you, not to recognize
q man simply because he shaves his
beard and affects false voice?"
But you're 80 completely changed.
And why this disguise
"Disguise?" returned the other, as
tonished in his turn. 'I'm not in dis.
guise."
"Your clothes. They're-well. except
for being offensive, I'd call them
foppish."
"Not at ALL" protested the other
warmly. Just because I'm a scienti-
fic man, is it to be assumed that l
ought to be trump? I'm fond Of good
clothes; can AFFORD good clothes; I
wear good clothes. It's a hobby of
mine: but deny that 1t is a weak
mess"
,"Of course not" assented the other
somewhat amused. "By the way.
though your socks and the tie don't