Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-02-20
CHAPTER XVII. (Continued.)

CHAPTER XVII. (Continued.)
LIAR" denied Timbers indignant
ly. Hell! There's old Grand Larceny
Skinner of Glazeton. He's got chill
blains on his soul, and icicles on his
heart"
"And w. w. Wakefield of Tyoga,'
added Bozzam. sitting up straight. 81
wonder what all these street car PEG.
ploe are doing down here. l saw Nor.
ton Manners of Hartley in silk hat
and beech-nut-brown cutaway, about
an hour ago.
Timbers looked at him hopefully.
"Got an idea?" he demanded.
Bozzam's only reply to that imper-
Thence was a whitening glance. Daily,
for weeks, had the avowedly empty.
headed Timbers demanded this bone;
and the cupboard was bare.
There's one cinch; there's some
thing doing in the street car line"
volunteered Timbers, by way Of help
Ing the thinking partner you might
scout around little on that"
"This doesn't look like a good day
for scouting" objected Bozzam,
whose encouragement had got on his
own nerves.
"There's sledge,' Timbers pointed
out. He'd know"
"rd as lief start anything with him
as to go to sleep in bed full of raz-
ors," stated Bozzam, with quiet con-
viction.
That's what you said two weeks
ago, but he hasn't bothered us any"
you'll notice we haven't thrown
anything at him." Bozzam reminded
him. "They say that, while he never
forgets his friends, he remembers his
enemies twice as long"
1--WE never were enemies" protest
ed Timbers. "The day he soaked
Moodson he just wagged his ears at
us. Go pump the old boy"
Bozzam laughed outright.
CLEARING ideal" he applauded. "Sup-
pose you try 1t yourself"
"All right, WILL bravely decided
Timbers, and, to Bozzam's surprise
and CONSERVATION, he walked across
the floor to do it.
Sledge was standing directly be-
meath the big dome light, listening vo'
lubly to a street car magnate from
the most important edge Of the state,
when fat little Timbers sided up to
him with his most engaging smile.
"Hello, Chief" hailed Timbers con-
fdently.
sledge turned so slowly that some
how he reminded Timbers of draw
bridge, and he took long cold look;
then. without even an apology to the
man from the edge, he walked across
to the telephone booths.
abrupt chap" observed Timbers
genially to the magnate. "A streak
Of lightning can hardly make up Its
mind alongside Of him. and he laugh
ed contentedly. That was a neat
comparison.
The magnate from the important
edge looked at him with lackluster
eyes.
called to a passing gentleman, and
taking that visiting brothers arm.
walked away with him.
Timbers glanced up at the glittering
electric-light dome which was keeping
him company. He had ten feet OF
clear tiled space around him in every
direction. and it was enclosed by
ring OF mosaic posies. 1t was quite
lonesome in there, and he went back
to Bozzam.
"Wen. did you pump him." snick-
cred BoZzam.
"Handle broke" confessed Timbers.
endeayoring to be light and gay about
1t.
what did you say to him."
Gust Hello, Chief
"He's calling the wagon" decided
Bozzam. IF you get sent up for ten
years, solitary, don't blame me-"
"Ha, ha, hal" laughed Timbers, in
three separate and distinct syllables.
"This isn't Russia, you know
Ten minutes later, two six-foot, red.
faced, ham-shouldered gentlemen, who
looked strange without blue helmets,
stopped in front of them, and the one
with the sandy mustache leaned down
confdentially.
"Say youse!" he husked from one
corner of his mouth; "pack up!'
what do YOU mean?" demanded
Timbers, thrusting out his chest.
The one with the purple cheek
bones also leaned confidentially down.
"Now.. don't you start anything in
here he half whispered, in bass
rumble which seemed to shake the
floor. "This is decent dump. Come
along, or we'll carry you"
Bozzam arose, with the nonchalant
air of a man who was tired of sitting.
Boys, let's go up to my rooms and
have little drink he suggested. and
led the way carelessly to the elevator,
Timbers trying to bring up the rear,
but finding the bass-voiced one per-
sistently behind him.
"Now, what is this?' demanded
Bozzam as soon as they had stepped
out of the elevator. "A pinch?'
Nothing like it," replied the sandy
mustached one kindly, but huskily
But your trains due"
.1r1,,,;a is q free country" defied
Timbers, stiffening his neck.
shut up" ordered Bozzam. This
is free country if you can keep out
Of jail"
'.Sledge can't prove any charge
against u.s. argued Timbers, who had