Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-05-01

4
or Clarence's.
CHAPTER XII.
Fishing.
They had an afternoon OF 1t. BOD
and Dolly. Bob made himself useful,
IF not agreeable He was willing
though not altogether cheerful slave.
But the girl did not appear to mind
that. She had spirits enough for both
of them and ordered Bob around roy
! elly. She was nice to him. but she
wanted him to know that he was her
property, as much hers as II she mad
bought him at one Of those old human
~auction sales. Only hers was white
slave!
vi she had the grandest time. She
/ made him help her across the stream
Y on number of unnecessary occa-
sions holding the slaves hand 80 that
she wouldn't slip on the slippery
stones. And once she had him carry
her across. She had to, because there
weren't any stones, slippery or other
wise she could avail herslf Of at that
particular spot. It Is true she might
have zone on little farther and
found some slippery stones that would
have served her purpose, but she pre-
tended not to know about them. Be-
aides. what is the use of being des-
Dot and having private slave, all 10
yourself. II you don't use him ana
make him work? Mr.. Bennett wasn't
only a slave either, he was roman
tic hero, as well. and in the books
heroes always carry the herolnes
across streams. Miss Dolly experlenc'
ed a real bookish feeling when BOD
carried her. He fully realized the
popular idea, he had such strong arms.
True. he didn't breathe on her neck,
or in her ear, and he grasped her
rather gingerly, but she found no
fault over that Her great big hero
was a modest hero. But he was very
manly and masculine, too.
He had plunged right in the stream,
shoes and all, in spite Of her sugges-
tion that he had better take them of.
But what cared he for wet feet? Might
cause pneumonia, of course; but pneu-
monia had no terrors for Bob! She
smiled at his precipitancy, while Sc.
cretly approving of it. The act par
took Of a large gallantry. 1t remind
ed her of Sir Walter Raleigh and that
cloak episode. Miss Dolly nestled
very cozily, en- route with a warm
young arm flung carelessly over a
broad masculine shoulder and her eyes
were dreamy, the way heroine's eyes
are in the books. She was not think
ing Of chimneys.
On the other side, she sat down, and
imperiously-mistres Of slaves are
always imperious-bade him take off
her shoes. 1t was doubly exciting to
vary the role of heroine with that Of
capricious slave-mistress. OF course,
she might just as well have taken off
her shoes on the other side and walk
ed over but she never dreamed of do
ing that After the slave had taken
on her shoes. she herself removed her
stockings. while the slave (seemingly
cold and impressive as Angeles marble
Greek slave) looked away. Then she
dabbled her tiny white feet in the cold
stream. She was thinking of that
Undine heroine. Dabbling her feet
also made her feel bookish. Only in
the books the heroes Cor slaves) gazed
adoringly at said feet. Hers were
worth gazing at, but Bob didn't seem
to have eyes. Never mind! She told
herself she liked that cold Anglo
Saxon phlegm what an ugly wordD
IN man. She saw in it foil to her
own temperamental disposition.
Having dabbled briefly, she held out
tiny foot and the slave dried it with
his handkerchief, looking very hand
some as he knelt before her. Then
she put out the other and he repeated
the operation Then she put on her
shoes ans Stockings. Then she re-