Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-05-29

Ho! ho!"
But the laughter faded suddenly
from Bob's lips. At that moment the
hammer thrower CHANGED to put his
fingers in his waistcoat pocket Then
he gave slight start and glanced to-
ward the temperamental little thing;
peared to mediate. Bob knew there
must be. murder in his heart. Just
then from across the room Bob saw
the monocle man approaching the
hammer thrower.
The latter cast swift looktoward
him of the monocle. 1t was the look
Of man who for the first time, per-
haps, realizes, or begins to realize GER
tain unexpected forces arrayed against
him. He now had the ring and he
dared not keep it. If he had never
. entertained any suspicious regarding
the monocle mans identity before,
there was something about the other
now that awoke sudden and secret
misgivings The monocle man didn't
make much of point of Disgusting
his watchfulness at the present time.
That was odd-unless he didn't great
lily care just now whether any one
guessed his identity or not. Possibly
the psychological moment was ap-
preaching.
The hammer thrower thought, no
doubt. that Bob had told the tempera-
mental little thing that he (the ham
mer mani had taken the ring from
Miss ,Geralds room and Miss Dolly
had offered to return it to the ham,
mer thrower. And she had found a
way to do so. 1t was clever. But the
hammer thrower was not in mood
to appreciate the grim jest. Now that
the tables were turned, Bob and Miss
Dolly would make it their business to
see that the glittering trif1e was
found in his possession. The ham
mer thrower couldn't dispose Of it
under the circumstances; he was in
exactly the same predicament Bob
had been in. Suddenly he seemed to
make up his mind what to do; he
adopted the most daring expedient.
In those few moments he had done
some very rapid thinking. He STEP
ped toward Miss Gerald now, MS race
wearing it's most reliable expression.
Honesty fairly radiated from his
square solid countenance.
miss Gerald" he said, may I speak
with you privately?'
SIS it important" she asked.
"Very," in his most serious manner.
She complied with his request. and
they withdrew from the hearing of
others.
Miss Gerald" he began abruptly,
"have you lost ring?"
"She gazed at him in surprise.
81 have"
"Is this it? I believe I recognize
it as one you have worm
1T u.s." Gwendoline's look swerv-
ed toward Bob But" she began.
"You do not understand how it came
in my possession" he asked, in an
even monotonous tone.
81 certainly did not think that
you"
"You didn't think I had it," seri-
ously.
81 did not" And again she looked
toward Bob.
81 did not know I had it myself"
he observed gravely, until this min
ute. You believe me, l trust?"
"Yes," she said slowly, Il believe
YOU. But how" Again she paused.
did | come by it? A certain young
lady I danced with just now placed it
in my waistcoat pocket
The hammer thrower held himself
squarely, with a poise that expressed
rectitude. He was rather we'll salts
fed with what he had done. He ar
gued that his action from Miss Ger
AIDS point of view must be that of
an innocent man. If he (the hammer
thrower) had taken the ring it wasn't
likely he would step up to Miss Ger
aid and offer it back to her. His bold
move complicated the issue; but he
did not doubt, however, that he would
emerge from the affair with credit.
"of course, l am aware that it is