Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-16
Evening Story
THE LONG LANE.
(By Catharine Creamery

(By Catharine Creamery
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.
Tom Whiteford, once known among
his friends as the gay and light heart-
ed, began to feel that his way or lie
lay through the proverbial long lane
that has no turning. Furthermore, IL
! seemed that behind every mile post by
the roadside there lurked some form OF
hard luck. Just at the time when his
business prospects seemed to justify his
proposing to the dearest girl In the
world otherwise known as Betty I'm
derwood, the war scare Knocked MIN
out Of two Of his biggest advertising
| contracts: big firm at the last MIN
ute switched it's contract to his least
suspected competitor, and just as ne
had cinched the contract for gigantic
mail order campaign for another firm
there came out a wordy postal ruling
king 1t impossible to use postage
stamps for the double purpose Of
stamping and sealing, without which
Toms unique mailing proposition lost
one of its chief charms and he could
not interest the firm in any of his nu-
merous suggestions for substitute
Soon after all these business mis-
haps he went for week end house
party at Hillcrest Lodge, the home or
Betty's bachelor uncle, George wilson.
There he was thrown still deeper into
despair by seeing Betty accept with
evident willingness the chivalr1c atten-
tons of one Charles Arthur Mowbray,
a tall, dark, dreamy eyed young man.
said to have returned but recently from
I, long stay in the orient. AS the son Of
her uncle's old college chum, he was In
vited to Hillcrest Lodge. where his de
lineation Of the legends Of the orient
was a chief entertainment feature Tor
Betty and some of the other girls In
the house party. Added to this young
mans charm Of appearance and con-
versation was the appealing way in
which he occasionally made reference
between heavy signs to q tragic ro-
nance in his own life while in the
orient.
Another legend, I have no doubt,
thought Tom when he heard the story.
when a good-looking chap backs up
his own tale Of woe with lot Of ro-
mantle stuff about some faraway land
it puts halo around his head for every
girl who listens to him. .
The morose mood brought on by such
reflections did not enable Tom to shine
In comparison with the easy suave,
flattering chivalry Of Mowbray. And
Betty, being young and pretty and
fond Of novelty and Of flattery, was
visibly impressed. It seemed to Tom
that no matter where he turned he
found this man with Betty-sitting out
dances with her in the evening, walking
in the garden with her in the morning,
sitting beside her at luncheon, and at
all times pouring out in that deep but
subdued voice legends, legends, legends.
"T'll bet he's a crook for sure" said
Jack Chisholm as they packed their
suitcases Sunday night preparatory to
returning to town. when a fellow
purrs like a cat I always look out for
cats claws to show themselves sooner
or later"
Tom refrained from the profane ac-
not be surprised
He had made up his mind to have a
few minutes alone with Betty before
he left and he hurried downstairs after
his packing to ind her one Of an inter-
ested group listening to yet another
legend Of Mowbray's. When the story
ended the talker was drawn into a
lost no time in capturing Betty.
I've scarcely had glimpse Of you,
Betty" he said. May steal you away
from the others long enough to show
you the prettiest October moon on rec
ord?' Out on the broad porch Betty
clappef her hands rapturously as she
saw the great golden disk hanging
Just above the horizon and throwing
weird shadows through the bare trees
"Oh. isn't it lovely?" she exclaimed
Lovely enough to have an oriental
setting instead Of commonplace mod
ern landscape gardening and architec-
ture." -
Commonplace! Gee whiz, Betty
protested Tom, Look at that sweep
Of brown fields on the left and that
mass Of tree-studded hills on the right,
and this big. comfy home on the high
est hill Of them ALL Anything common
place about 1t all?"
There is certain rugged beauty
about it," agreed Betty, "but 1t doesn't
suggest romantic legends like oriental
lands must do
"Oh, I don't know" said Tom, who
had learned from his advertising work
not to let any personal anger get in the
way Of landing cOntract-and he re-
allied that he was now trying for the
most important contract he ever hoped
to land Cant you imagine some
Iroquois maiden and her heap big
hunter TRUSTING hereabOut when It was
the land Of the red man? You know,
we're too busy leading lives today to
concern ourselves much with Legendary,
but in it's own good time our land will
have its legends"
But isn't 1t pity that ours Is such
prosy age?" asked Betty.
"Prosy? But is It? Modern men are
fighting dragons and conquering diff
culties as never before" 49,
Betty did not reply and moment
later Tom continued. "The same old
moon that shines on those faraway
lands condescends to shine on ours, and
not quite the same, put a better sort
Of love grows up In the hearts Of our
men for our women. Betty I hadn't
meant to tell you yet, but my heart Is
bursting with love for you I'm fighting
dragons for you every day. When I've
conquered enough Of them to take care
Of you safely, will you let me claim
your
Betty's eyes were dreamy and her
hands were unresisting as Tom took
them in his own, but just as she be-
gan to lift her eyes to meet Toms de-
vouring gaze the hall door opened and
the tall slendert figure OF MOwbray