Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-15
CHAPTER XVIII
TIL. Weak Link.

planned to 20 with the sloop, and this
wholesale robbery Of her employer
alarmed and terrified as we'll as anger
ed her She had intended to return
all she took, and had soothed her con-
science with the thought that it was
only Borrowing. She was sure OF her
own charms and of Hancock's suscep-
tibility and knew that it was only
question Of days before she would have
thousands with which to repay the IT.
tie she had taken But Joe had no ex-
pectations. He was running away
from the law as 1t was, and that With
the sloop, stealing it deliberately and
with no chance or desire apparently
to return it. !.
In dulled indecisicn. she watched
from the hall window Bates and the
gardener go for the sloop in one of the
motor-boats as tug. She watched them
scramble on board, pull up the anchor
and get back into the motor-boat. She
heard the painting of the engine as the
little boat tugged and strained to get
under way and finally started back to
the wharf. She could have gone out
and stopped them, for she had nothing
to fear herself from anything Joe
could do in retaliation. since the man
she believed to be Todd himself was
In town and aware Of her trickery
But still she hesitated. The law was
after Joe. The sloop was his one
means Of safety and she realized weak
ly that she did not have the strength
to take it from him, besmirched as she
was with her own deceit. Besides
she had asked the boy to forge a
check, and though she was firmly con-
WINGED that he had done so often be-
fore she had asked him and that he
was ready and willing to do it again,
yet he had sinned for her at her insti-
gaticn and she felt as though she was
the one who had done it. She was
responsible for him and could not
stand in his way when he had done
what he had for her
The maid. frightened and nervous,
appeared in the doorway and asked If
she were going to have any breakfast.
Molly nodded and turned YEARLY from
the window, glad to have something
definite to do other than to think. But
she could not eat and simply made a
pretense at doing so before the girl,
who was watching her with round
eyed curiosity, not yet recovered from
the shock of seeing chauffeur turn
master Molly knew that there was 2
torrent of questions behind the rosy
mouth and put on an air Of coldness
that silenced the girl effectually.
If she were going to consent to
Joe's running off with the sloop, the
least she could do was to carry on the
pretense of which she was now hearth
ly sick and make out before the SER
wants that she had ordered the sloop
brought around and that she was going
herself Pushing away her plate, she
rose and went down to the little
wharf where Bates and the gardener
were hard at work, busy and excited
over the change in their work
With the grave air Of the proprie-
tress Molly knew so we'll how to as
sumo. she boarded the small vessel
and went all over it, waving aside
Bates offer as guide on the ground that
she wished the boat made shipshape
as soon as possible and didn't. care to
take him from his task. With house.
wifely instincts, she took all the sheets
and bedding out Of the lockers with
her own hands, to Bees admiration,
and hung them to air on the roof OF
the tiny cabin. A motor-boat pulled
up as she was so occupied and some
one hailed her joyfully.
WHITTIER away, fair LADY,"
Pausing moment, her arms filled
with gaily colored blankets, the wind
whipping the stray locks into her eyes
her cheeks crimson with the unwonted
exercise, she glanuced over the rail
and beheld, Hancock and the unlosable
James in motor-boat below. That
they, like the automobile, had come