Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-19

he hadn't had that failing I wouldn't
be-
Miss Norton, her cheeks flushed,
broke in hurriedly.
Mamma, these gentlemen can't be
at all Interested" Deity she turned
! the conversation to generalitieS.
Mr.. Peters at last seated the winter
guests of Baldpate Inn, and opened his
luncheon with soup which he claimed
to have wrested from a can. This news
drew from Professor Bolton learned
discourse on the timed aids to the
hermit of today. He pictured the seek
er for solitude setting out for desert
isle, with canned foods for his body
and canned music for his soul. Rob
! inson Crusoe," he said, should be
rewritten with can-opener in the
talk more practical turn by bringing
up the topic of ptomaine poisoning.
While the conversation drfted on,
Mr.. Magee pondered in silence the
weird mesh in which he had become
involved. What did it all mean?
What brought these people to Bald
pate Christmas week? His eyes
sought the great safe back of the desk,
and stayed there long time. In that
safe. he was sure, lay the answers to
this preposterous riddle. When his
thoughts came back to the table he
found Mr.. Bland eying him narrowly.
There was a troubled look on the
haberdasher's lean face that could
never be ascribed to the cruelty of
Arabella
The lun cheon over, Miss Norton and
her mother prepared to ascend to their
rooms Mr.. Magee maneuvered so as
to meet the girl at the foot of the
stairs.
won't you come back he whis-
pered softly, land explain things to a
poor hermit who is completely at sea?'
What things?" she asked.
What it all means" he whispered.
"Why you wept in the station, why
you invented the story of the actress,
why you came here to brighten my
drab exile-what this whole comedy of
Baldpate Inn amounts to, anyhow?
l assure you | am as innocent of under
standing it as the car Of Russia On his
on his golden throne"
She only looked at him with un-
believing eyes.
"You can hardly expect me to credit
that she said. 81 must go up now
and read mamma into the pleasant
land of thin girlish figures that is her
afternoon siesta. l may come back
and talk to you after while, but |
don't promise to explain"
Come back" pleaded Mr.. Magee.
THAT Is all ask"
"A tiny BOOM she smiled. 81
grant it,"
She followed the generous figure OF
the other woman up the stair and.
casting back a dazzling smile from the
landing. disappeared. Mr.. Magee
turned to find Professor Bolton dis
coursing to Mr.. Bland on some aspect
face was panied.
That's great stuff. Professor" he
said land usually I'd like it. But just
now--I don't seem in the mood, some
how. Would you mind saving it for
me till later?'' ;gs ~. ,t.,- r. 80
"Certainly," sighed the professor.
Mr. Bland slouched into the depths OF
bis chair. Professor Bolton turned his
, disappointed face ceilingward. Laugh
ing. Mr.. Magee sought the solitude of
number seven.
after all, I'm here to work." he
told himself alarms and excursions
and blue eyes must not turn me from
my task. Let's see-what was my
task? A deep heart-searching novel, a
novel devoid of rabid melodrama. It
becomes more difficult every minute
here at Baldpate Inn. But that should
only add more zest to the struggle. l
devote the next two hours to thought
He pulled his chair up before the
blazing hearth. and aazed into the red
depths. But hts thoughts refused to
turn to the masterpiece that was to be
born on Baldpate. They roamed to
far-off broadway: they strolled with
Helen Faulkner--the girl he meant to
marry if he ever got round to 1t
along dignifed Fifth avenue. Then
ioyously they trooped to far more
alluring, more human girl, who pressed
Bit Of cambria to her face in a rail-
way station, while a ginger-hatred
agent peeped through the bars. How
ridiculously small that bit of cambria
had been to hide so much beauty.
Soon Mr.. Magees thoughts were climb
ing Raldpate Mountain, there to wan
der in mystic maze of ghostly fig
ures which appeared from the shad-
ows. holding aloft in triumph gigantic
keys Mr.. Magee bad slept but little
the night before. The quick Deem
Der dusk filed number seven when he
awoke with a start.
He remembered that he asked the
girl to come back to the office. and
berated himself to think that probably
she had done so only to find that he
was not there Hastily Strengthening
his tie. and dashing the traces Of sleep
from his eyes with the aid Of cold
water, he ran downstairs.
The great bare room was in dark
ness save for the faint red of the fire.
Before the fireplace sat the girl of the
station, her hair cleaning with new
splendor in that light. She looked in
mock reproval at Mr.. Magee.
"For shame" she said, ito be late
at the trysting-place."
"a thousand pardons,' Mr.. Magee
replied 81 fell asleep and dreamed
of girl who wept in railway station
and she was so altogether charming
| could not tear myself away"