Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-11


He found initials almost concealed by
the label OF hotel in Dresden.
IF. b." he said half aloud, that
must signify either Flora or Fanny
unless phonetic spelling would make
1t Phyllis or Phoebe" He laughed
with a degree of real happiness and
felt already that his bedroom was
vanishing. "We--my motor, suit.
case and hatbox-will follow Fanny
wherever fancy has taken her. And,
we start tonight"
Dorian decided, with whimsical
abandon to amusement that he would
close his eyes and touch the hatbox.
Whatever label his finger rested on
would mediate his first move.
ITO Paris, via New Haven and
Deippe. 1t Isl" he cried moment
later, and called Parker to book him
through on the Continental Express.
On second thought Dorian decided
to leave his motor In London as his
visits to each and all of the cities
which Fanny had gone to would of
necessity be short. Parker took him
to the Victoria and left him in a first
class railway carriage with his suit
case. Dorian sighed when Fanny's
hat box went to the baggage coach.
Il believe it has personality" he
told himself, and began to weave
fanciful tales around the probable
character of it's late owner. He fig
ured that she was not tourist, nor
even one who took yearly vacation.
Tourists never take more than one
hat and people who can travel on
vacations are limited to time.
Fanny seems to have travelled at
all times of the year." he decided, re.
Numbering numerous dates on the
steamer labels. He suddenly realized
that had he looked more carefully he
would have seen the girls name on
those same labels. Also he could
have traced her in the hotel regis.
tiers. Scotland Yard would probably
employ me- he laughed, II am one
Sherlock Holmes"
From Paris Dorian went to Bremen
and then to Dresden. After that he
spent several days seeing Holland,
and from there he travelled to Switz.
erland, seeing Lucerne, and then on
to the Austrian Tyrol.
1t seemed as If with each step of
the journey, he grew to know Fanny
Blake. Perhaps the knowledge that
he was stopping at each hotel she
had visited, and that his suitcase was
beginning to wear the same evidences
of travel with which her hat box was
already CARRIED helped the illusion.
Whatever the reason, Dorian found
the hat box to be never-ending
source of speculation and amusement
Nor did he feel one bit conspicuous
that he was carrying about a lady 8
receptacle for millinery.
Later he crossed the channel again,
went into Devonshire and Wales,
then up through the English lake
district, and from there up to the
lochs of Scotland.
Before signing his own name In the
hotel registers Dorian always looked
far back through the book until he
mad found the now familiar writing
of Fanny Blake. Sometimes the mum
Der of her room gave him the chance
of occupying the same one. II
pleased him to feel that he was gaz
ing out over Loeb Lomond through
the identical window that her eyes
had looked through.
Then came the day when he sailed
back to New York. Fanny had gone
back by the Anchor line; Dorian, too,
sailed on the same ship after writing
detailed instructions to Parker about
taking the gray motor over by way
of Liverpool.
1t was, perhaps, a month or two
later that Dorian was blocked by the
traffic on Broadway. On the back
OF his car Fanny's hat box held 1t s
position firmly
Suddenly, and as II from a cloud,
came feminine person who opened
the door of his car and sat down
beside him. Her eyes were flashing
and mutinous and her voice tripped
itself in a rush of words.
THAT Is my own precious hat box
on the back Of your car. 1t was
stolen some months ago when had
stored 1T In the basement of our
apartment house!" She was quito
breathless now, and Dorian had time
to admire Fanny Blake. II followed
you on mad run for two blocks
down Broadway, and now I have
you!"
you most certainly have" NUT
tered Dorian, while aloud he said
with his whimsical smile playing into
Fanny's eyes, II picked up this box
in London, Church street, to be cor
rect, and have followed it's lead
wherever it suggested" he sighed.
1T has been great pleasure. shall
hate to part with it even though the
number of labels on it are dis
grace" Dorian enjoyed the blush in