Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-04-27

whispered the commodore. Find
4 means to communicate with you to-
morrow. Mr. Bennett" Bob didn't re-
sent the formality Of this designation,
which implied to what depths he had
fallen in good old Dams estimation.
lean we get downstairs without any
one hearing us?"
Bob thought they could Anyhow,
they would have to try, so he opened
the door softly and led the way. For
tunately the house was solidly built
and not creaky. They attained down..
stairs safely and at last reached the
side door without causing any distur-
bapce. Bob unfastened the door. the
KEY turned noiselessly and they look
ed out There was no sign of any
living thing on lawn or garden on this
side of the house.
"Out you 60 quickly murmured
Bob glancing apprehensivey over MS
shoulder. His position was not a par
ticularly agreeable one. Suppose one
of the servants, on an investigating
tour as to the cause of doggie's per-
turbation, should chance upon him
| (Bob) showing three men out of the
house in that secret manner at this
time of night?
But before disappearing into the
night. the commodore took time to
whisper: WAS Gee-gee's name men.
! tioned:"
81 fear So" said Bob sadly.
The commodore wasted another Sec
ond or two to tell Bob fercely what
he thought of him and how they would
.sfx' him on the morrow, after which
he sprang out and darted away like a
rabbit
| Bob wanted to cali out that they
were welcome to Elk" him. but he was
afraid that others beside Dan might
hear him. so he closed and locked the
door carefully and stood there alone
in the great hall, in his dressing gown.
Then he sat down in dark corner
and listened Better wait until all was
quiet he told himself, before retrac-
!! ing his steps to his room. The dog
seemed to have stopped barking alto
eether now and soon any persons it
might have awakened would be asleep
again. His trio of visitors must be
we'll on their way to the village by this
time, he thought. And Clarence?
poor Clarence! That last look of his
haunted Bob Anyhow. he was pleas
ed Dickic had. so far. escaped his
(Bob's) devastating touch.
How long he sat there he did not
know. Probably only few moments
A big clock licked nearby, which was
the only sound now to be heard. Sud
denly it occurred to him that he had
better return to his room, and YEARLY
he arose Upstairs it seemed darker
than 1t had been when he had left his
| ho1 hn inn n
great hall below to guide him then.
i Now it was a little more difficult.
However,, after trayersing without
mishap few gloomy corridors he
realized what a big house 1t really
was-he reached, at last, his room
tnear the end of one Of the upper halls
and entered.
u He had vague idea he had left his
door partly ajar, but he wasn't sure;
probably he hadn't. for 1t was now
closed; or may be draft of air had
closed it. Cropping his way in the dark
for his bed, he ran against chair.
This ruffled his temper somewhat as
the sharp edge had come in contact
4 with that sensitive part of the anato-
my, known as the shin-bone. He felt
for his bed, but it wasn't there where
lit ought to be- He must have got turn
ed around coming in His fingers ran
over a dresser. Some of the articles
on it seemed strange to him. He
thought he heard a rustic and stood
STILL with senses alert. experiencing
a regular burglar-feeling at the mo-
ment. He hadn't become so ossified
to emotion as he had supposed. But
everything was now as silent as the
grave. Again his hand swept out, to
;learn where he was, and again his
fingers swept over the dresser What
were all those confounded things? He
didn't know he had left 50 much loose
junk lying around. And where was
that COMPOUNDED switch-button?
! At that moment some one else found
it. for the room become flooded with
light. Bob started back, and as he
did So something fell from the dresser
to the floor. He stared toward the
bed in amazement and horror. Some
one, with the clothes drawn up about
her, was sitting up Bob wasn't the
only one who had surprise that
night. The temperamental, little dark
thing was treated to one, too. Above
the white counterpart, she stared at
Bob.
CHAPTER x.
Into Bondage.
|, She continued to stare for some
moments. while he stood frozen to the
spot. Then the young lady's face
changed. Fear. startled wonder, gave
way to an expression Of growing COM
prehension and into her eyes came
! snch an excited look
"You!" said Miss Dolly in thrill
ing whisper And then-"Pick 1t up,
please
Instead of picking anything up-he
didn't know what-Bob was about to