Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-19

| Newspaper Syndicate.)
! After a residence of twenty-nine
years in New York, Weldon prided
himself upon his utter lack of senti,
ment. He lived on West End avenue,
| with his mother and two sisters. He
mad succeeded to his fathers place
in the firm at the latters death, and
was always alluded to as Junior
! Weldon. He had never known want
or worry. He was rather stolid,
clean-shaven healthy young fellow
with sense of humor and no enemies.
/, Every. evening after dinner 1t was
his custom to take short stroll with
his two blue ribbon terriers along
Riverside drive. 1t was somewhat
deserted at this hour, and he liked
the first fall of gray twilight over the
Palisades and the river. The whole
seeting soothed his complacency. he
felt like young prince on the castles
parapet, surveying his domain, AND
into this quiet hour, one night IN NC,
tober. there intruded the scream OF
a woman.
Weldon stopped and waited. 1t had
come from the strip Of park below the
drive. Almost Immediately he saw a
girl running along the path, and as
he looked she be ckoned to him family
The stairs were at 102nd street. with
the dogs at his heels, he sprinted BACK
and reached her side as she STOOD
leaning against a tree, white as deatn
and half unconscious.
whats the matter?' he demanded
INV father" she breathed. an
afraid he is dead"
Weldon did not quite realize tha'
he was supporting her as ne leu nel
back to the seat half hidden by the
tall shrubbery. Some way, too, ne
was catching her broken WORDS
there had been no work, they were
without food or money, ner lalne'
had been very i'll, he wished to die:
Don't worry" he told her. II
look after everything
Which, after all, was only his IN
stinct of efficiency. He was useo :.
looking out for everything, ana Iel'
that he could handle any sltuation
oven this. But as he stood over the
old man, with his handsome nlsn
bred face and closed eyes, he had ms
first lesson in what life may 90 70 It's
children.
"He's not dead" he assured her
listening to the faint heartbeats. It's
exhaustion
starvation" the girl insisted bit
terly.
Weldon saw policeman approach
! INC lust how he did it he never
nu;te remembered, but taxi was
hailed and he had both of them, the
i yirl and her father, placed In It, anc
Took them straight to his home. !
; was an adventure, the first ne nae
ever run into, and 1t interested MN
! keenly. Even then, he said to MI
), mother. it was only the mans fac'
that made him do it, but she smiled
| silently and was kind to the girl.
Viola Mclean. she told them mel
name was. They had lost their home
IN MARYLAND and had come north
thinking to find some sort OF employ
ment Her father had been me
chanical draughtsman. His healtr
had failed. and she could not leave
| him. ~. !,
"You should have placed him II
| soma institution and gone to work
nv dear, began Mrs. Weldon.
! "Oh nonsense, mother, dear. ,Tna'
nov 10 common sense, but of course
che couldn't do that from sentiment.
internosed Junior" And so senti
ment found footing in his heart
,rora than footing. He granted 1t
INV shrine in a far corner, but the
light that burned on 1t was !oVe, ano
J II illumined the whole temple.
| While her father was slowly gaming
his health in an upper chamber, VIII
= good trained nurse to care lot nun
Viola tried to make herself uselul y
Mrs. Weldon. The two daughteIs
were in college, and gradually the olo
lady began to rely on her. junior
saw. and smiled to himself. Ana tne
DAYS drifted by for a month unti
one evening, as he was ready for ms
walk. she followed him out into the
J wide entrance hail. dressed for walk
/ ing.
MAY 1 go with you?"
Rather" He held the door open
and they went out together. would
YOU like to walk or driver"
"Oh, walk. l don't want to drive
II only wanted a chance to speak to
you-seriously."
| Go ahead" His eyes rested on he1
amusedly. 80 1t was an unacceptable
moment, he knew, and he had pre-
pared himself for,it.
IT want to know where can get
work. You have been SO good to me
and to father, but must work and
pay it back. I'm strong now, you
know, and l want to. He worries
constantly for the south and his
home there and friends. I'm hoping
somehow l can get him back"
III you remained here and worked
who would he go to-"
His sister-my Aunt Catherine
She has tiny place near Belair, and
he would be quite contented with her.
II could send him money"
| What would you do here?"
Don't you think l would make a
good social secretary? Of course, I'd
DO anything l could; but would like
that. l asked your mother"
What did she tell you?"
ITO ask YOU"