Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-04-29

OITUMWA
this morning." he observed jocularly
mo, not over-peckish," answered
Bob.
why not? You look--aw-at
enough" Reaching for one of those
racks for unbuttered toast which Mrs
Ralston had brought home with hel
from London.
Headache, for one thing" returned
Bob. It was the truth, or part Of the
truth. No one looked sympathetic
however. In fact, with the exception
of the monocle man (Mrs. Ralston
hadn't yet come DOWN, every one In
there made it apparent he or she de-
sired as little as possible of Mr. Ben.
nett's society. Bob soon got up. cast
ing last bitter glance at Miss Gerald
who seemed quite contented with her
stalwart, honest-looking hammer.
thrower. And why not? His charac'
ter, Bob reflected, was unimpeachable.
He looked so good and honest and so
utterly wholesome that Bob, who him
self was tainted with suspicion. want
ed to get out of his presence. So Bob
went out to the porch to hunt up
Dickie and ascertain what was the
matter with him?
1t didn't take Bob long to learn what
was worrying Dickie. He was carry
ing the weight of new and tremen-
dous responsibility. He had now be-
come an emissary, a friend in need, TO
Clarence and the commodore, who
certainly needed one at this moment.
It seemed that Mrs Clarence and Mrs.
Dan had set detectives searching for
Gee-gee and Gid-up and they had sue
ceeded in locating one of the pair,
partly by a freckle and turned-up
nose. The detectives must have work
ed fast They were assisted by the
fact that foolish Clarence had kept up
an innocent and Platonic friendship
with "Gee-gees chum, after that mo-
mentous evening when Bob mad Deen
along Now when young man pc
gins to hang around the vicinity OF q
stage door in big car. he is apt to
make himself a subject for remark
and to become known especially 10
the doorkeeper who takes a fatherly
interest in his Shetland herd. AS Gid
up and Gee-gee were inseparable, II
was but step to place one by the
other.
Detectives, Dickie informed Bob. had
already interviewed the ladies'. Tney
NAV have offered them money in ex-
change for information. Mrs. Dan
was very rich in her own name. She
could outbid the commodore. Gid-up
might hesitate or refuse to supply or
manufacture information for filthy
lucre. but Gee-gee was known TO De
ambitious. She longed to soar. Ana
here was means to that end. quite
a legitimate and customary one.
"Why. that girl would do anything
to get herself talked about, salo
pickle sadly. thinking Of Dan, and in
cidentally, too, of Clarence. Shed
manufacture information by the car
load, Out Of little, teeny-weeny rem
nant Of truth, she'd build a magnifi-
cent divorce case. Think of the glorl-
Gus publicity! Why. Gee-gee and one
Of the manager chaps would sit up
nights to see how many columns they
could Ali each day in the press. They>d
make moor Dan out worse than Nero.
THEY'D picture him as monster
They'd give him claws. And Clarence
would come crawling after him like a
slimy snake. Incidentally. they q
throw in few weeps for Gee-gee: ana
then some more for Gid-up! why,
man. when l think Of the mlscnle1
you've done
by this pathetic picture
pickle had drawn. But it wasn't |. 1t
was Truth" Dickie snorted. What
do YOU want me to do? Commit sui
eide? Annihilate truth? That would
he one way Of doing it. I'm sure
shouldn't much mind. Shall poison
Truth or blow it's brains out? or
shall I take it down to the lake and
lump in with it? Do you think 1t has
made me very happy? What am !?
What have become? Where is my
good name?" He was thinking of what
the temperamental little thing consid-
cred him. "Say, do look like a Grim
inal?" he demanded. confronting
Dickie. The latter stared, then shrug-
ged. OF course, If Bob wanted to rave
-? cor crazy man? Do LOOK
crazy?" he continued almost fercely.
"Well, there are people in there in
dicating the house. "who think | am.
Dickie started slightly and looked
thoughtful. "You ask the Judge, or
the doctor, ora lot of others. ASK
Miss Gwendoline Gerald" he conclud-
ed bitterly.
Dickie shifted a leg 1T might not
he a bad idea," he said in q peculiar
tono whose accent Bob didn't notice,
however. For some moments the Two
young men sat modify ana silently
side by side.
'Where are Dan and Clarence
now" asked Bob in a dull tone, after
while.
(To be continued.)