Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-09-11
"All right, am" Courtlandt

"All right, am" Courtlandt
laughed. Come or over to the Souf-
fet and have drink with me-
Pm not drinking today" tersely.
There's too much ahead for me to
do"
Going to start out to find her? Oh,
Sir Galahad!" ironically. ABBY. you
used to be sport. I'll wager hun
dred against bottle of pop that to-
morrow or next day she'll turn up
serenely, with statement that she
was indisposed. sorry not to have mott
fled the directors, and all that. They
do 1t repeatedly every season."
But an errand of mercy, the
strange automobile which cannot be
found? The engagement to dine with
the baron? Celeste Fournier's state
ment? You can't get around these
things. tell you, Nora isn't that
kind. She's too big in heart and mind
to stoop to any such Devices" vehe-
mently.
Nora! That looks pretty serious,
Abby. You haven't gone and made q
fool Of yourself. have you?"
What do you call making a fool Of
myself" truculently.
you aren't sutton, are you? An
accepted suitor? unruffled. rather
kindly.
mo, but | would to heaven that l
were!" Abbott damned the newspa-
per into his pocket and slung the stool
over his arm. Come on over to the
studio until l get some money"
you are really going to start .
search?"
II really am. I'd start one just as
quickly for you, II heard that you
had vanished under mysterious cir
cumstances"
Il believe you honestly would"
you are an old misanthrope. I
hope some woman puts the hook into
you some day. Where did you pick up
the crouch? Some Of your dusky
princesses give you the go-by?"
you, too, Abby?"
ooh, rot! OF course never be.
lieved any Of that twaddle. Only. I've
got sore head today. II you knew
Nora as well as l do, you'd under.
stand"
Courtlandt continued toward the
exit, his head forward, his gaze bent
on the path. He had the air Of man
deep in thought, philosophic thought
which leaves the brows unmarried by
those corrugations known as frowns
Yet his thoughts were far from philo
sophie. Indeed, his soul was in mad
turmoil. He could have thrown his
arms toward the blue sky and cursed
aloud the fates that had set this new
tangle at his feet. He longed for the
jungles and some mad beast to vent
his wrath upon. But he gave no sign
He had returned with a purpose az
hard and grim as iron; and no OBJ
stacle, less powerful than death
should divert or control him. Abduc
ton? Let the public believe what II
might; he held the key to the mys
terry. She was afraid, and had taken
| fight. So be it,
Il say, Ted" called out the artist
what did you mean by saying thai
you were Dutchman?"
Courtlandt paused SO that Abbott
might catch up to him. Il said that |
was Dutchman?"
Yes. And it has Just occurred to
me that you meant something"
"Oh. yes. You were talking of Da
Toscana? Let's call her Harrigan II
will save time, and no one will know
to whom we refer. You said she was
irish. and that when she said thine
she meant 1t. My boy, the Irish are
notorious for claiming that. They
often say 1t before they see clearly
Now, we Dutchmen-it takes a lone
time for us to make up our minds
but when we do, something has got to
bend or break"
you don't mean to say that you are
going to settle down and get mar
ried?"
I'm not going to settle down and
| get married, II that will ease your
mind any"
Man. l was hoping!"
Three meals day In the same
| house, with the same woman. never
| appealed to me-"
What do you want. one for each
meal?"
(rO BE CONTINUED.)