Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-27
Evening Story
WHEN THE SHERIFF FAlLEr
BY Clara lnez Deacon

:, Copyright. 1912. by the Associated
Literary Press.)
!. It was such trifling thing that one
would have laughed at the idea that
it would bring such results.
Old Slade, who had been a gardener
at the Films for a decade, gashed his
right hand on an old tomato can hid
den in the grass and had to carry
that arm in sling. There was work
for him to do, but as he couldn't do 1t
one-handed helper was advertised
for and came down from the city.
! The Elms was the home of Ashton,
the broker. There were only two
others in the family-his wife and his
daughter Gertrude. That Miss Ger
trude was engaged to young Mr.. DAY.
export, the novelist, had not excited
| the country to any great extent. He
came down with the father every Sat
urday noon and remained over Sun
day. He had written many tale
where the lover was hero and the
girl heroine, and where romance
and adventure were thicker than rab-
bit tracks on the first winters snow,
/ but the course of their true love had
been almost monotonous.
| They hadn't even been attacked by
la ferocious grasshopper while saun-
tering about the lawn. Theirs was
gentle, everyday cooling, and neither
party suspected that an old tomato
can was going to introduce thrills and
| throbs
Old Slade didn't like his helper, who
gave his name as Griggs. Griggs knew
| his business, but he was vain and
conceited He thought himself Don
Juan. He had read novels in which
chauffeurs, gardeners and stable
boys married the heiress Of the fam
lily, and he was on the lookout for
just such financial transaction. 1t
was his hint to Old Slade that he was
going to win the heart of Miss Ger
trude Ashton within thirty days that
got the old man down on him and
made him rail out:
"You let up on being a conceited
fool and attend to your work, or you
won't last here day longer"
And then, what does Miss Gertrude
do but find out and in spirit OF
mischief seem to encourage the hopes
and aims of Don Juan? Just like
nine girls out OF ten, engaged or not!
She paraded around; she sighed; she
asked questions; she said she wished
and then turned her head away.
She twisted Don Juan into knots in
side of four days, and II he ever
doubted the truth Of those novels ne
came to believe in them now.
shock awaited him just around. the
corner.
Griggs came on a Monday morning
Mr.. Davenport did not come down the
following Saturday. Old Slade could
have dropped a hint the first day
that Miss Gertrude was engaged. as
the matter was public property, but
he was suffering with his hand, and
then it wasn't his business to be
dropping hints. BY Friday of the fol-
lowing week he decided to go to
hospital in the city and have his
hand treated. He would be gone four
or five days, and Grfggs would have
charge.
That wasn't the shock Griggs was
to get: that was the glad hand.
With Old Slade out of the way there
must follow declarations Of love and
an elopement and marriage. One OF
the first things he would do after
the couple had been forgiven and he
had been installed as the sole and
only son-in-law would be to break
SHADES neck and discharge him with
ha! ha! During Saturday fore
noon he was too busy with the lawn
mower to declare his love, and
shortly after lunch Mr.. Ashton and
the lover arrived. The lover was
greeted with such cordially that
Griggs went to the kitchen and
asked the cook:
"Who is that jackanapes that
came down with the boss?"
"What! You speak of Mr.. Day.
export in that manner!" was ex-
claimed.
"Then who is Mr.. Davenport"
"He's what they call the fi-an-say
Of Miss Gertrude, and you'd better
look out what you say about him"
"Do you mean they are engaged?
Sure thing. Going to be married
as soon as her aunt gets back from
Europe. It's a real love notch"
Mr.. Griggs' webbing legs wobbled
him to his room to sit down and
think things over. The cook was a
liar! Miss Gertrude was not in love !
with Mr. Davenport. He, Griggs, had
met up with several young ladies who /
were in love, and they were not sigh
ing and looking friendless. If Miss
Gertrude were engaged, then she had
been forced into 1t by cruel father, !
who was hard up for cash and was
selling her to Davenport. Or the lat
ter young man had caught on to a
crime committed by the broker. and
was demanding his daughters hand
he rrica OP ci1opcn
When he left his room Griggs knew
just what he would do if he got the
chance and ne felt that he was a man
20 whom chances came.
At IL o'clock that night Mr.. Daven-
port strolled in the grounds to smoke J
a cigar before going to his room. !
At about five minutes after the hour,
as he afterward remembered, an
auto stopped for moment in front
Of the gate and then sped onward.
At ten minutes after II. an arm was
thrown around Mr.. Davenport's neck,
a knee was pressed into the small OF
his back, and he was garroted as