Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-02-04
The Best of Chester
a TALE OF RED ROSES
BY George Randolph Chester
Author q ess. R,cA Quick Wa'1ssfsrd, Etc.
cop,vishesd. BssbsMessm compssy
CHAPTER XVIII.


members of the Good morning, Ben
brigade fell away from him like bal
flies from a cake of ice. Even Dot
Turner, waiting the daily advent OF the
boss. met with the rebuff Of stony 81
lence, and sat down in his favorite
newspaper corner with his crustec
brown derby jammed down to his ears
and his inch-long stub of cigar quicker
ed tightly in at the corner of his wrin
kled lips, where it looked, at distance
like a speck of black rot in dusty pc
tato. Doc had digested, condensed .anc
puryeyed the news to the big chief sc
Ions. tina. he felt a proprietorship In
thai department. and was justly offend
ed when Tom Bendix came n la re"
minutes later.
whats the matter with Sledge this
morning." snarled Doc.
How do know" Immediately
snarled Bendix. 81 don't sleep with
him.
Hes got crouch on him foot
thick" complained Doc. "He gave me
4 cold rundown. Walked straight
through me, without even grunt.
.I,ll tell Sledge he'd better be care:
II full" sarcastically commented BendlX
81
Schooner Kelly, who was afflicted
with pink whiskers and a perennial
thirst, stopped scratching.
1.-TWO bits" he stated with admirable
clarity. whats the matter with Big
Benz
Hes teething." replied BendiX, pro-
ducing the desired two bits, without
which Schooner Kelly would be a
nuisance for hours to come.
A low browed thug, with long and
wide scar sunk in one cheek, drew
Bendix n,ysterously aside.
"The Du4c.lnan down in the eighth
ward has rented his back room to the
Hazlent Club he stated.
.Wello" incurred Bendix.
s.Well. tie FIazlenut club has Charley
( Atwood fer is president, and Charley
I is brother-inlaw of Purcell
81 see" said Bendix. Il suppose
Dutch Klein knew this?'
"The Cameron pictures down off his
3 back bar
.Tell bin YOU told me-" advised Ben
i dix, weighing the matter carefully, for
Of such trines was political control
constructed.
is that the worst news l can car
ry?" demanded the other, disappointed.
v IF there's any worse. we'll send 1t
out when the wagon backs up" re:
sponded Bendix dryly.
"All right, captain" agreed the tale
bearer. Say, can you slip me an ace?'
VI Bendix slipped him an ace, from a
fund provided for that purpose.
Thanks" said the thug. "Say,
what's the matter with Sledge?"
None of your business!" snapped
Bendiy. with a wondering glance at the
back room, and he waded through the
usual morning lineup with that wonder
growing on him. The actions and bear
ing of Sledge varied by SO thin hairs
breadth from day to day. that notable
variation meant something.
He found Sledge standing up, and
then he knew that there was some
thing in the wind.
Get Bozzam!" directed Sledge, and
Bendix went straight out to the tele-
phone.
''Get Davis" directed Sledge, when
I Bendix came back; and Bendix vague
ly plying somebody, hurried out to the
telephone again.
/ Get FEEDER" was the next order.
y Bendix almost whistled as he hurried
out to locate, by telephone, the ex-
county treasurer, who, for two years,
4 had been drawing handsome salary
from Sledge, for keeping his mouth
shut about the public funds scandal.
"Get Gally!" rumbled Sledge, who
had not moved from his contemplative
post by the window, and Bendix, keep.
ing his growing wonder to himself, and
replying with shrug to the soberly
, questioning glance Of the concerned
Phil, telephoned for the Sledge leader
in the city council.
Sledge, having sent for everybody he
needed. was sitting more quietly in his
accustomed chair when Bendix return
ed from his last trip and was looking
with his usual stolidness out of the
window after having donned the fresh
4 red rose, which he had put on religious
" three times a day since he had met
Molly Marley.
Council meeting this afternoon"
\ he asked.
"Two-thirty," answered Bendix.
"How much of the stock is subscrib-
ed in the reorganized street railway"
Hundred and eighty-flve thousand.
/ got the report just before ! came
over"
Get ours on the market. Gum shoe
sales, but do it quick"
who's to be soaked-Marley?"
guessed Bendix.
1.-THE limit" assented Sledge. Ben
dix, what's the worst they could hand
h me on that public funds case?"
1.-TWO or three years, if they got you
going" judged Bendix. That's dead
now, however"
"It's back"
HAS Feeder been talking?"
Sledge nodded.
who knows anything?"
"Glider-Marley."
"Hunh!" grunted Bendix, in uncon-
scious imitation Of Sledge. What are
you going to do?"
Call It,"
You don't mean to bring it to a
Showdown" protested Bendix. 1--WE
can't afford it, with Lansdale and Blake
on the bench. Judge Lansdale espe,