Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-17
\ Done To A Turn
UPPER crust
n N ~ By the Author of
z!G, HE COMES Up SMILING.
- CHARLES SHERMAN"
=-s@.sszaes e..vs.s 49, nos..r.,-, COMPANY,
conrr;rs.. 20 rohh.-a.errl Company.

Holmes shrugged That's all right,
said he carelessly, forgetful of James.
Its my yacht, you know. Mamma
won't care
Round, fat James was staring with
open mouth. He started to speak. re.
membered that he was stranger to
the Todds and resolutely closed his
mouth and turned away that he might
not hear what was going on. Hancock
stared duly. frankly curious.
Molly nodded, thinking of Joe and
determined to keep the sloop for him
if she could. She would distract
Holmes attention from the boat in the
hopc that Joe would return with the
provisions and possibly the strange &C.
complete, and taking them directly to
the sloop, sail without returning to the
house. 81 know it is yours and you
can do as you want, but the boat has
not been used all summer and I do not
believe it can be put in order in one
day"
81 didn't say ! was going today,
said Holmes coldly.
NO, said Molly. flushing angrily at
the insolence in the mans tones for
his servant, mo, l understand that,
but thought you probably wanted to
60 today
II wanted to go yesterday for that
matter said Holmes with a weary lit
of his shoulders.
81 do not see how you can take
the Todd's yacht without asking them,
said Hancock, driven to speak by intol-
cradle suspense. Could this man be
Todd?
Holmes glanced at him and then
away indifferently. II am Todd" said
he, and suddenly rendering James
presence with sickening fear, he wink
ed at him as though to include him in
the joke he was playing on his friend
Hancock. James was staring at him
with great round eyes and the wink
relieved the congestion in his head.
Surely it was a joke. Holmes was al
ways a humorous fellow. ever ready
for joke. If Algernon wished to mas
querade as Holmes. there was no reas-
on that James could see why Holmes
shouldn't masquerade as ,Algernon.
The whole affair was beyond his COM
prehension anyway, beyond any sane
persons comprehension, and James,
Will ASllCl lAoL AO "0S
a stranger to the Todds dismissed the
solution of the riddle with hopeless
sigh.
"Todd?' questioned Hancock, glanc-
ing at Molly.
The girl nodded and tried to laugh.
"He pretended to be Patterson to help
me out" said she, while James with
drew to the terrace, feeling that he
could not remain calm and aloof while
Holmes and Patterson and Todd were
all one and no one.
Holmes explained, magnanimously
waving aside any praise. my car
broke down as was passing through
on my way north. was a bit surpris-
ed to find mama's place taken, but
saw the joke and as Miss O'Toole has
been a most estimable housekeeper, /
didn't see any harm in letting 1t 60 on.
as expected to leave any day for the
north and din't want my trip interfered
with by domestic difficulties"
81 see,'' said Hancock coldly, not
looking at the girl, feeling for her
the shame he knew she felt at this
frank way of stating the case and her
position.
Where's that young fellow you have
around as chauffeur" asked Holmes,
turning to Molly. II do not see why,
with his help the boat couldn't be put
in 6rst-class order and provisioned SO
could sail early tomorrow"
81 don't see why not" agreed Molly
readily. Joe went to the village for
me on an Grand He will be back
soon Why don't you come into the
library and wait for him." The library
was back of the hall and car coming
up the drive could not be so clearly
heard.
II believe I SHALL" said Holmes. The
library was away from the front Of
the house and would allow one to slip
out in case some one came to the
front door unforeseen. 81 can make out
a list of things we shall need. Really,
I wonder l didn't think of the boat
before
He led the way into the library and
Molly followed him, not caring to let
him out Of her sight, and Hancock fol-
lowed Molly.
Holmes went to the great desk, sat
down, and taking sheet of Mrs.
Todd's crested paper. began to make
out list, consulting Hancock now and
then as to the different items. Han
cock became interested and both were
soon absorbed recounting this and that
adventure with pleasure and slight ex-
aggerations, not to spoil good story.
Holmes had kicked around the world
all his life and if he changed his ad-
ventures from cattle steamers on the
Great Lakes and tramp schooners beat
ing around the Horn to yachts owned
by himself and friends, no one was the
wiser, and the stories were as good as
those Hancock told and as true.
Molly, listening anxiously for the re-
turning car, heard a team drive up and
stop, heard some one ring the bell
which was cunningly concealed be-
meath an old fashioned knocker, heard
the maid go to the door and some one
ask if Joseph Holmes worked there.
The maid said yes, but he had gone to
the village for Mrs. Todd. Did the man
want to see him? Yes.
Come in and wait for him. said
the girl nervously. Was Joe a chat
feur or was he not? If he was, the
man should go to the side door to wait.
If he wasn't, she could with all prop