Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-08-03
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INSURANCE
A COMEDY RON ANcE
By EARL DERR BIGGER5
1*p w SEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE
A CON EDT AN<


dressed, sat.
Il thought you'd come at me with
the title" said George Harrowby, also
dropping into chair Don't 60, Mr.
MinOt-no secrets here. Allan, you
and your wife must come out and see
us. Got a wife myself-fne girl
she's from Marion, Indiana. And I've
got two of the liveliest little Ameri.
cans you ever saw. Live in little
Chicago suburb-homey house, shady
street, neighbors all from down coun-
try way. Gibson's drawings on the
walls, George AIDES books on the
tables, photograph in the corner with
all of George NJ. Cohan's songs. Whole
family wakes in the morning ready for
a McCutcheon cartoon. My boys talk
about nothing but Cubs and White
Sox all summer. They're going to a
Western university in few years. We
raised 'em on James Whitcomb Riley s
poems. Well, Allan"
( well, George"
Say, what do you imagine would
happen if | went back to home like
that with the news that l was Lord
narrowly, in line to become Earl Of
/ Raybrook. There'd be riot. Wife
would be startled out of her wits.
/, Children would hate me. Be an out
! cast in my own family. Neighbors
would turn up their noses when they
went by our house. Fellows at the
club would guy me. Lord narrowly,
F.; eh! Take off your hats to his ludship,
boys. Business would fall off,
Smilingly George narrowly took a
cigar and lighted it.
mo. Allan,'' he finished. "a lord
wouldn't make hell Of a hit any
where in America, but in Chicago, in
the automobile business-say. I'd be
as lonesome and deserted as the read
ing room of an Elk's club"
81 don't quite understand Allan
began.
NO. said George, turning to meet
Minots smile, ''but this gentleman
does. It ali means, Allan, that there's
nothing doing You are Lord Harrow
by, the next Earl of Raybrook. Take
the title, and God bless you
But, George Allan objected,
legally you can't"
Don't worry, Allan" said the man
from Chicago, there's nothing we
can't do in America, and do legally.
How's this? I've always, been intend
ing to take out naturalization papers.
cago-and then the title is yours. In
the meantime, when you introduce me
to your friends here, We'll just pretend
I've taken them out already"
Allan narrowly got up and laid his
hand affectionately on his brothers
shoulder.
you're a brick, old boy" he said.
you always were. I'm glad you're
to be here for the wedding How did
you happen to Gomez
That's right--you don't know, do
you? I came in response to tele-
gram from Lloyds' of New York"
'From-er asked Allan
blankly.
Eyes, Allan That yacht you came
down here on didn't belong to Martin
Wall. It belonged to me. He made
away with it from North river be-
cause he happened to need it. Walls
crook. my boy"
THE Lileth your ship! My word!".
'It is. l called it the Lady Evelyn.
Allan. Lloyds found out that it had
been stolen and sent me a wire. So
here l am"
"Lloyds found out through me-
Minot explained to the dazed Allan.
"Oh-Tm beginning to see,' said
Allan slowly. by the way, George,
we've another score to settle with
Wall"
He explained briefly how Wall had
acquired Chain Lightning's Collar and
returned a duplicate of paste in its
place. The elder narrowly listened
with serious face.
Its no doubt the collar he was
trailing you for, Allan he said. And
that's how he came to need the yacht.
But when finally he got his eager
fingers on those diamonds, poor old