Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-02-06
CHAPTER Xxx.

FRANK Marley OISCOvSTS d 0TSdt cam.
Molly stopped singing as her father
called her into his den She hardly
recognized his voice, and his face was
so drawn and pale that she was
startled.
What's the matter. father? Are
you ill?" she asked, deeply con-
cerned.
Not at ALL" he assured her, ga
slight headache. Molly, I've been
thinking about your future all night,
and l am very much worried about
you Bert has proven himself thor
oughly incapable. His fine old fam
lily blood does not seem to support
him in a crisis"
did you expect anything else of
old family blood?" she demanded,
smiling 81 didn't"
LAS your father, l can not help be-
ing concerned" replied Mr. Marley.
Bert has done nothing but whine
and make weak threats, and stay half
intoxicated ever since Sledge shook
him away from the complacent safety
of his few thousands
1--WE given him two weeks to get
over the shock" she lightly answer
ed. Hell come up all waxed and
curled.'
His times almost up he father
pointed out. molly, think Sledge
proved very good case against Bert.
He called him pinhead"
Molly wanted to smoker, but she
was indignant instead.
That's better than being fat
head" she retorted. That's what
Bert calls Sledge. 1t seems to me
that they're about even."
That's where they stop being
even," declared Marley. "Sledge
threatened to break Bert. and did it.
Bert threatened to expose Sledge, and
Sledge beat him to it,
That's my fault" she half angrily
acknowledged. Il Dragged"
Bert led you to think you might"
he counter-charged. "He even had
me believing that I could defy Sledge;
and it can't be done, Molly. That
mans too big, too decisive and too
fearless. The minute he found that
Bert and, through him, you and l.,
knew that Feeder would prove
Sledge's guilt in the public funds
case, he sent for Feeder knocked him
down. had him beaten half insensible,
and arrested for attempted black.
mail"
s'He isn't just instantaneous-he's
Immediate laughed Molly. ut was
fool thing to do, though. Feeder
has exposed him, and saved us the
trouble. and Sledge probably will go
to the penitentiary, as I told him he
would"
"You have innocent IDEAS" kindly
observed her father. Bert probably
encourages you in them, but 1t is my
duty to warn and protect you. Here
is exactly what will happen: Feeder
will go to the penitentiary for the
crime of not having kept his mouth
shut. Sledge will be indicted by the
grand Jury but the case will never
come to trial He has appointed half
the Judges on the bench, and the
other half are afraid of him. His law
yers will fight from court to court on
one technically after another until
election is over and then the public
will forget all about it. You can't fight
a man like that
II can be the one human being in
the world he can't order around she
smilingly insisted What do you
want me to do--nlarry him."
yes" was the unexpected reply.
Great goodness" laughed Molly
Are you bluffed. too?'
"Worse" he told her, rising and
walking up and down in the few short
PAGES the length of the room allowed
him. He had crumpel newspaper in
his hand, and now he threw it on the
table. do you want to be turned
homeless into the street,"
..In the shivering snow, with little
red shawl over my head?" she gig
gled. NO father; pray heaven, no."
ut isn't joke he insisted, stop
ninr hefnra her. and now the mask of