Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-03

stand, but IL meanS-a future. ! must
have one more try for it. 1t Is such a
little thing to do, signing another's
name, and yet 1t may mean peace and
contentment and rest all my life--if
can manage 1t. While II leave now
she threw out her hands-"it means
the pas to do all over again. only
worse Work, work, work, from morn
ing to night. Pinching and pinching,
until you wonder what you were born
fer, what use there is In living. Marry.
ing a man, If you care to marry, far
beneath you, in the social scale. be.
cause you never have chance to
meet men in your own station of life
mated with a clown or else always
servant by another name! Secretary
or cook. what's the difference. both
underlings? Never a moment or life
of your own, always struggling. the
endless and never-ending treadmill!
But If I succeed! can make it up to
the Todds and they will not have to
suffer. It will simply be as IL had
borrowed little money from them for
a short time"
She laid her hand eagerly, entreat-
ingly on Algernon's. All the audacity
and craftiness had gone from her
face, leaving a childish longing and
pleading in the beautiful eyes and in
the earnest voice. with its soft cad.
ence Of the springtime. All the rest
of my life, ice. no matter which way
this turns out. shall be good. l shall
be good. What is one mistake, one
slip. for a girl of my age? am only
twenty two. shall have nifty. sixty
years in which to live 1t down. to re-
pent. And 1t will be so much easier
for me to repent and be sorry that l
did as did If I am WELDON and happy.
Poverty knocks all repentance out OF
any one You wonder why you didn't
do worse while you we're about 1t and
be successful 1t makes me feel that
way. 1t makes me want to go and DO
It again. II were happy and rich, l
could help the poor and needy.
could do a world of good with the
money that would otherwise lie idle,
for / should understand have been
through the deadly grind. I should
know just how and where to help.
Anything and everything IS forgiven
wealth Molly O'Toole might be a
thief, but Mrs. John Hancock would
be only cleptomaniac, to be pitied.
not blamed. All, Joe, give me one
more chance"
Algernon looked down into the
pleading eyes and slowly shook his
head. 'I don't see how you can man
age 1t. Molly" said he gently. refer
ring to her marriage with Hancock,
rot the check.
81 can, indeed can"
"He would announce the engage
ment"
81 can show him the romance in
secret marriage
Algernon shrugged.
"You will help. Joe, just once more?"'
1--WE don't know Mrs. Todd's sigma
ture."
Eyes. we do. Joe, on all the letters
she writes me-"
"How could we copy it? Carbon
paper isn't any good"
~ can write 1t over. and over un-
til shall be able to make 1t fairly
we'll"
But Algernon shook his head as
ct would have to be perfect. or with
his suspicious already aroused, the
tailor would be able to detect 1t right
away. Maybe If you had Todd's sigma
ture orvwhere, could make try at
it. 1e - tailor receives a letter from
Todd ~~closing check and saying
the Todds do not care to deal with MIN
any longer. it would be effective. more
effective than if coming from the old
lady, and the tailor won't think any
thing. OF Todd's being UP here. Those
wealthy chaps travel all the time. You
can't ever keep track OF them
Molly nodded. and running to a
small table in the corner. caught up a
large fiat hook and hurried back.
Here" said she. "I was looking at
| 1t yesterday She laid the book on
the table and opened it quickly at the
fy-leaf. "See! Algernon must have
given 1t to his father. Here is his
name. know that is not Mrs. Todd's
writing, nor is 1t Mr.. Todd's. His
name was Phineas. have seen it In
some books and it can be read. This
can't be, unless you sort of look at II
quickly and get the meaning by In
SEPARATION"
Algernon studied his original pen
manship sprawled over the page and
hoped that he was not blushing.
"1t is going to be hard to copy.
said the girl pleadingly. "Will you
do it? Will you. Jce?"
Algernon bent hastily and ex
amined his own wr;'ting critically and
with great care. He was, as Bates
admiringly expressed it. "a dead game
sport" and to give up the pleasure Of
winning the girl in the humble capa
lefty of chauffeur, Of driving away
her bitterness and deceit by the power
! Of his love, never entered his head
Molly must be made to love him FOL
himself alone. for his sake embrace
willingly, gladly. that poverty she
hated So He glanced up and the CIR
saw the consent in his eyes.
(To be Continued.)
J Evening Story !