Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-28
Evening Story
FOR BUSINESS REASONS.
BY Keith Kenyon.
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.

|
/ Evidently Jack Elliott is getting
serious in his attentions to that old
brewers young widow" said Mrs.
Morehouse, as she looked out from her
comfortable porch rocker across the
golf links where Jack and young Mrs.
Ward were approaching the clubhouse.
! 1T does look that way" replied Mrs.
Atwater, between sups Of tea, land
just as everybody had concluded that
he and Dorothy Winters would make
match OF it."
Some say the widows fortune looks
/ good to Jack; but wonder what Dor
othy thinks Of it? Knowing that Mrs.
Atwater was on cordial terms with the
rather exclusive Winters family, Mrs.
Morchouse hoped to CLEAN some inter
esting details.
I'm sure don't know" said Mrs.
Atwater shortly. II notice her out with
Chester Hill lot lately.
$50 far as fortunes go, Chester's will
more than equal Mrs. Wards, l sup
pose. Why, bless my soul" and Mrs.
Morehouse opened her narrow eyes to
theic limit ''if there isn't Dorothy
this minute with Chester In his new
CARL
! A moment later slender, auburn
haired girl in q brown corduroy suit
and soft hat came swinging easily
up the porch steps and beside her
pulled fat, ford man of perhaps
forty dressed In faultlessly tailored
motoring toys. They gave nod of
greeting to the two observant women
and passed around to the other side Of
the porch.
Until month before that, Jack and
! Dorothy had been together so often
and were 50 obviously happy when to-
gether that an engagement had been
expected as natural outcome, but one
evening when he was to escort her to
a dinner dance at an exclusive club she
received at the last minute q brief note
from him telling that an annoying
business associate had made 1t impos-
sible to get away without giving Of
! tense that would endanger his hard
won chances of being taken into the
firm. He was sending Larry Morton
to take care of Dorothy that evening,
and he begged her to accept his alb
breviated explanation and his willing
substitute until he could arrive and ex-
plain in full But the evenig had pass.
ed without his arrival.
Percy Arson shook a plump, pink
finger at Dorothy as she passed out of
the dressing room on her way home,
and whispered something about the
necessity of her keeping watch on
Jack Elliott, whom he had seen at the
Dinsmore hotel at O'Clock with a rip
ping sort Of blond woman" Dorothy
blushingly wondered whether any one
who heard that stage whisper knew of
Jack sending a substitute to take his
place as her escort that evening, but
just then good natured Larry came anc
gently pushed her along to the waiting
taxicab She tried to be cordial as
they drove home, but bare civ1lity was
all she could accomplish, for her mind
was busy trying to reconcile Jacks ex-
planatory note, which had not explain
ed, with the chance impertinence of
Percy Arson, which had explained.
Larry had to hurry away to catch
train for a business trip south, which
was agreeable to Dorothy, who longed
to be left alone.
After she went to bed she planned
one minute to avoid meeting Jack, to
give him an opportunity to simplify his
false explanation, and the next minute
she reproached herself for letting a
foolish remark from cosby clubman
make her doubt that some good ex-
PLANTATION would be given for what un-
questionably did look like bad. Then
she reflected that Jacks failure to
come before the end of the dance, as
he had intimated he would, might
mean that his full explanation would
- ~ in oil, -
sleepless night night she went down to
breakfast with gloomy determine
| ton to be perfectly Indifferent to any
explanation Jack might make Which
meant that she was going to be I'M
reasonable, no matter what his explain
alton.
Al nine o'clock the telephone rang.
Although Dorothy sat almost within
reach of it, and although she felt sure
! that Jack was at the other end of the
wire, she sat apparently absorbed in
the morning paper while the maid
answered the call and informed her
that it was for her.
Good morning, Merry Sunshine!"
called Jack not aware of the clouded
atmosphere he was trying to penetrate.
IAN going to be forgiven for my sins
of omission?"
Good morning. answered coldly
calm voice. Have I had the full ex-
PLANTATION of your sins of OMISSION"
Really Dot" pleaded Jack, there
are lot Of people in earshot which
makes it awkward to explain in full.
/; Can't come out this evening and do
that?"
I'm dining out this evening she re-
piled coldly. "but happened to hear
enough last night to know that there is
good deal to explain, so much in fact,
that it win be quite satisfactory to me
if you postpone the explanation indef-
nitely."
well, that won't be satisfactory to
me-" retorted Jack, "and It's not fair
to deny me an opportunity to explain,
You certainly know, Dorothy, how
much it means to me - to us. had
hoped = to have me get into the firm
and -"