Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-05-13

labout where Amy went it would
make you laugh" remarked Miss
Brown, as she ladled out generous
portions of clam chowder. "Just as
If folks weren't bound to find out
sooner or later. My sister says that
Jabez told her that Amy Flood HAD
Igone to New York - he sold her a
ticket that morning. She went on
the 1907 train
Arthur Raymond didn't listen tc
1.-THE remainder of the gossip. The
magic words, or numbers, Seven
Iseven," were an inspiration to him
Seven was his lucky number; with
out being superstitious on any other
subject. Arthur stoutly claimed that
the number seven was his mascot
always; all through his life it had
appeared at important periods. He
had even been born on the seventh
day of the seventh month in the year
1877, and once, when he was quite
young, he had declared he wouldn't
marry until he possessed seven thou
sand dollars.
There was a tinge Of irony in the
fact that he now had the seven thou,
sand dollars, but the only girl he
wanted to marry had gone away
without a word OF farewell or ex-
/ PLANTATION.
But Miss Browns news kindled his
expiring hope of finding Amy Flood
The magic numbers seven-sevell
danced before his eyes as he hunted
out timetable and discovered with
Ia thrill that the number of the train
, had been u.
So Amy Flood had left for New
York on train II at 7:07 a. m.
"I'll find her." decided Arthur, and
Z, he made preparations to leave town
on the same train early the next
morning. All Of which might have
been superstitious nonsense, but at
the same time it was very human.
Train n landed Arthur Raymond
! in New York city at noon of hot
July day. In the crowded railroad
station he began to realize what a
task he had set before him, but, cling
| ing obstinately to his magic number
Arthur went to the nearest hotel
and after surprising the room clerk
by requesting room n if it was va,
Icant, he took his key and went up in
the elevator with degree Of salts.
faction.
After lunch he started on his quest
How was he to pick out Amy Flood
from city of countless girls? To
begin with, there were few fields OF
labor that Amy might be fitted for.
She had no commercial training, SO
she would either be working in one
Of the big shops or she would be sew
ing.
"Tll begin with the shops" decided
Arthur, and, having compiled a list
, of the great dry goods firms from
the city directory, he set forth
His first days work was discourag.
ing. He had visited five shops and
not one could boast of the name OF
Amy Flood on its payroll. Amys
there we're in plenty, but none
answered his description. He was
given courteous but not enthusiastic
attention Passing in and out of the
stores he looked wistfully for fair
face framed in hair which was frank.
| ly auburn.
THE second and third days were as
fruitless as the first. Arthur was be-
ginning to lose hops. He even in
serted an advertisement in the per.
sonal column of a morning news
paper, wording it carefully so that no
linquisitive, eye at home might detect
it's authorship.
| The morning of the seventh day
found Arthur starting on his quest
with renewed zest. On this day OF
the magic number something might
|be expected to happen.
| There was big store on Sixth ave
nue. which he had not yet visited, and
another one nearby which had de-
| clined to render him any assistance
or to give him any information what
ever. He would go there again and
Question some of the clerks. No one
who had once seen Amy Flood could
forget her-Arthur felt sure of that
The Sixth avenue store yielded no
returns, so he paid a second visit to
the other one This time he did not
seek the employment department, as
had been his custom; he diligently
visited every sales department Of the
store.
] Red-haircd girls bobbed before him
from behind laces and ribbons, but
not Amy. At last he stood dejectedly
before the jewelry counter. looking
blankly at the glittering array Of
ornaments. Two of the salesgirls
were talking.
Number II is home sick" re
marked one Of them.
/ "She is? I'm sorry for her, if she's
left to old Goggin's care! Once ! was