Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-05-04
CHAPTER XII.

I Dickie looked about as amIable as
wind or thunder demon, in front of a
japanese temple That osculatory
performance beneath the kissing
oak as the noble tree was called,
had been almost too much for Dickie.
He seemed to. have trouble in articu-
lating.
you're a nice one. aren't you?" he
managed at length to say. and his
i tones were like the splutter Of de-
! fectiye motor. You ought to be given
leather medal
! Gould help it?" said Bob YEARLY.
"And then because he was too much
iof a gentleman to vouchsafe informa-
j ton discriminating lady: Usual
| place! Customary thing! Blame 1t on
/ the oak! Ha ha!" This wasn't evad-
ing the truth; it was simply facetious-
ness. Might as well meet this trio OF
lodging brigands with smiling face.
Dickie's vocal motor failed to explode,
even spasmodically; that reply seem
ed to have extinguished him. But the
commodore awoke to vivacity. a
/ "Let us try to meet this situation
calmly" he said. red as a turkey cock
i But let us walk as we talk taking
Bob's arm and leading that young
man INTERESTINGLY down path to the
driveway to the village. Il shouldn't
by any chance want to encounter Mrs
Dan just yet" he explained. so II
i you don't mind. we'll get away from
here, while / explain.
i Bob didn't mind. He saw no guile
in the commodore's manner or words.
i Nor did he observe how Clarence look.
ed at Dickie. The twilight shadows
4 were beginning to fall
4. Briefly, went on the commodore
as he steered them out of the woods
4our worst fears have been realized
Negotiations with Gee-gee are in
progress. Divorce papers will prob
ably follow" Clarence On the other
side of Dickie made sound. "All
this is your work The commodore
! seemed about to become savage, but
he restrained himself mo use speak
! ing about that. Also, it is too late fol
us to call the wager of and pay up
Mischief's done now"
why not make a clean breast OF
| everything?" suggested Bob. "Say II
was wager, and
"A truth telling stunt? That would
help a lott Contemptuously.
Dickie muttered: "Bonehead!"
81 mean, you can say there wasn't
any HARM" said Bob desperately
THAT it was all open and innocent
Much good my saying that would
Idol" snorted Dan. "You don't know
Mrs. Dan"
.'Or Mrs. Clarence" said Clarence
weakly.
! Bob hung his head.
4 "We've thought of one little expedi
ent that may help" observed Dan
still speaking with difficulty. while
such influences as We could summon
are at work on the New York end
we've got to square matters here
We've got to account for your-youl
- here the commodore nearly chok
ed xtraordinaEy revelations"
But how" said Bob patiently, "car
you account for them? / suppose
you mean to make me out liar?''
Exactly" from the commodore
coolly.
81 don't mind" returned Bob wear
lily. "as long as it will help you out
and I'm not one. Only / can't say
those things aren't true
|
!, emily. There's an easier way thar
that. No one would believe you, any
way. now
That's true Gloomily.
"All we need went on Dan bright
ening a bit, lis your cooperation"
What can l do?"
You don't 90 anything. We dc
what is to be done. You just come
along"
."We take, you into custody inter
posed Clarence.
Lock you up. exploded Dickie
once more. "And good job"
Lock me up?' Bob gazed at them
; bewildered. Had the temperamenta
little thing "peached." after all? I'm
possible. And yet if she hadn't how
could Dan and Dickie and Clarence
know he was burglar-or rather
that a combination of unlucky circum
/ stances made him seem one? Per
haps that kiss was signal for then
49,