Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-10-29

The time had come when Anne felt
1t incumbent upon her to find way of
increasing her meager income. Her
father had left her practically penni-
less. and Anne was in no position to
face the world alone. However, she
strove to rise above her burden of
erief-she had loved her father dearly
and seek employment.
81 cannot possibly go into an office, y
she decided and smiled ruefully at
her lack of training. Besides,
want my day hours for writing. II
| once got start in the magazines
would not have to work 1t was
evident from Anne's decision that she
did not consider writer's toilers OF the
earth.
She glanced around the scantily fur
nished room and her eyes grew dim.
They had rested upon the telescope
that stood close by the window; its
brasses were polished and it's great
glass eyes sparkled like jewels. Anne
could almost see her father peering
through it up into the heavens. 1t had
been his hobby to star-gaze through
many night when Anne had been
tucked snugly in her bed.
Had Anne wanted to part with this
treasure of her fathers, she might
have realized a sum that would have
run it to the thousand mark, but she
would not
IF the worst comes to the worst, I"
he had once laughingly suggested,
I'VE can open an astronomical insti-
tute and charge ten cents a look at the
moon, Jupiter or Saturn. Pay your
money and take your choice. How
would that be, Anne?"
Capital idea, Daddy" Anne had
returned.
Capital idea. The words kept re-
peating themselves in Anne's brain.
And now it seemed as if the big
telescope were reckoning her some
where, to some goal. It's glass eye
blinked in the sunlight, and Anne
strove to fathom the lure it seemed
to hold out to. her.
PAY your money and take your
choice sang Anne. There! have
it. l can get license to stand out
there on the board walk with Daddy's
telescope and offer to passersby a
look at the moon or stars!" Anne
smiled. She had solved her problem
of work, and she would not be COM
PEELED to forfeit her days. She was
elated over the scheme, and she knew
that much material might be gained
while she stood beside the telescope
on the crowded board walk. Besides,
there was the ever constant song of
the ocean as the waves rolled in over
the white sand. Anne had no friends
in Asbury Park, SO there was not
a chance of recognition.
II wouldn't mind anyway" she
told herself, with toss of her indie
pendent little head.
Thus it grew that few nights
later the endless chain of pedestrians
on the board walk saw new sign to
attract the unwary.
Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars;
have look at the planets and stars"
they read, and many stopped half in
the interest of astronomy and half
in curiosity.
Anne presented more or less uni
que appearance there in the semi.
gloom. Her coat was long and almost
covered her; soft hat was pulled low
on her head and the great white Rus
sian wolf hound that guarded her
seemed to attract observation rather
than to repel Anne prided herself on
her sense of advertising.
The boy who carried her telescope
to and from the tiny cottage looked
up at her as they made their way
home after the first evening.
Gee! l didn't think all Them
guys would pay ten cents to look at
the stars! Amt it funny?'
ut is delightful" returned Anne
and jingled the many dimes in her
pockets.
1t was on the third evening of her
new work that Ben Huyler stopped to
stroke the great wolf hounds head.
A second later he looked at the figure
beside the telescope and whistled in
wardly. Another second and his eyes
had met Anne's under their shading
of soft hat and wind-tossed hair.
II will have look, he said quick
~, and produced a dime.
Ben Huyler had never taken the
slightest interest either in moon or
stars, but he seemed suddenly pos
sessed of a wild longing to learn all
there was to know about them. In
a most professional way Anne told
him the few bits of information she
had gained from her father. Whether
Huyler heard or not is matter of
opinion. He learned, however, that
Anne's voice was melodious and that
her eyes were like twin sapphires in
the light of the moon.
When he had fingered as long as
convention allowed he strolled off and
dropped into nearby bench. Whether
or not Anne noticed him was another
matter for conjecture. She only knew
that she rather liked her latest star
gazer.
81 liked his personality" she con-
fided to her telescope, and her slim
fingers caressed the shining brasses.
VOLTS faithful eyes had followed Huy
Ter and fingered there.
Anne turned to greet the serious
eyes of the man who had been study
ing the planets each night that she
had been there.
81 would buy your telescope tomor-
row if you would sell it." he said after
he had greeted Anne. But when Anne
shook her head he Only nodded and