Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-01-26


stairs.
Don't any of them fit?' he asked
regretfully.
go home" she haughtily advised
him.
But you don't understand he
called, running up the stairs after
her Let me explain
The telephone rang again, and the
maid same to Molly.
"Mr. Walters on the telephone
announced Nina.
How apropos!" rejoiced Molly, and
hurried eagerly to answer.
You're quick worker, Molly
complimented Willie Walters. II hear
you've broken your engagement with
Bert Is that right"
"Yes!" Molly enthusiastically in
formed him.
us Sledge authorized to deny it?'
Yes: anybody u.s." she exulted, and
carried her exultation back to Bert.
He tried for solid hour to slip
the largest of the diamonds on her
finger. but was giving up In despair
when Fern came running up the stairs
with the regular home edition Of the
Blade.
The picture of Molly was in the
same ornate frame which 1t had en-
beilished in the noon issue of the
Blade, but, from the panel formerly
occupied by Bert gloomed the funereal
features OF Sledge, and the three-col.
umn announcement had spread until
it now covered the front page, at the
top of which ran an intensely black
line declaring that Sledge denied
Mollys engagement to Bert.
Molly grabbed all six rings and put
them on her fingers.
I'm part of the DEAL Bert" she
exclaimed. "No, you can't kiss mel"
Bert Adds a Few Finishing Touches.
Bert Glider left Molly at the gate
at eleven thirty, in a high state OF
citation because Molly was now heart
and soul with him in the project OF
fooling Sledge.
Don't worry about me, Bert she
assured him. 'Ill enact my part OF
the farce, and in the meantime, see II
you can't figure out some additional
way to get the better of him"
'T'll bring you his goat at the end
of pink ribbon" confidently prom
ised Bert. ct know some secret pas
sages in the big thugs political his
tory which I will pass over to the
Blade, and Willie Walters will do the
rest"
Bert, planning big things in the
way of revenge upon Sledge, for
bringing him into public humiliation,
and, by the way, for Illuminating Mol
ly. and, also. gloating in his triumph,
rode downtown, and staggered into
the Commercial club, where Dicky
Reynolds and Wee Willie Walters
we're Just finishing three-hour team
fight against Paul Herschey and Gill
bert Stokes at billiards, with Phillip
Rosy as referee.
At two o'clock Bert was circum-
spect enough to acknowledge. albeit
with a bright eye, that this was the
saddest night of his life. At two-thir-
ty. he was led to confess that he still
had hopes. At three o'clock, the
world now being his oyster, and ne
possessing knife, he was privately
advising each of his friends in turn
to watch and wait; and at three-thirty,
he was promising invitations to the
great event. which, though deferred.
must certainly transpire. In spite OF
battle. murder, sudden death, or Ben
Sledge.
AS this interesting stage OF his
mourning party occurred in the Occi-
dent saloon, where the little blond
bartender kept yawning watch, and
semi-frowsy midnight loafers drank
limitless beer to moisten their des-
perately important conversation, sew
al of Bert's friends quietly warned him
that he was talking too much, but
Pert protested that he was a free
born American citizen.