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

He began with the bishop. Sus-
picion, of course, could not point in
that direction. Still, there was that
play, Deacon Brodie "a very good man
was q thief In it. But deacon wasn't
. bishop. Besides, Bob had great re-
spect for the cloth He dismissed the
bishop with an inward apology. He
next considered the judge, but the
Judge was too portly for those agile
sleight-of-hand feats and the deft foot
work required He passed on to the
doctor. The doctor had delicate little
hands, adapted for filching work, but
he was too much absorbed in cutting
up little dogs and cats to care for
such insensible trifles as glittering
gee-gaws. The doctor might be ca
pable Of absconding with, Fido or
somebody's pet Meow, but an mani
mate Kooh-i-nor would hold for him no
temptations. So from Doc, Bob pass
ed on to Mrs. Van. But she wouldn't
surreptiously appropriate her own
brooch. He even considered the tenn.
peramental young thing whose inter.
est in crime and criminals was really
shocking.
He had got about this far in thrash.
ing things over in his mind when a
rather startling realization that he
wasn't alone in the room smote him
Some one was over there-at the win
dow. and that some one had softly
crossed the room. Bob made an In
voluntary movement, turning in bed
to see palmer, when with a slight
sound Of suppressed surprise, the some
IL mir 1fso
Bob couldn't tell whether he had gone
out OF the window, or had sprung back
into the room and was now conceal
ing himself behind the heavy curtains
The young man made sudden rush
for the window and grabbed for the
curtain only to discover there was nc
one there. nor could he see any one
on the balcony, or climbing down. He
did see below, however, a skulkins
figure fast vanishing among the shrub
berry. A moment, the thought of the
commodore insinuated itself in the
young mans bewildered brain, but the
commodore would not again be trying
to see him (Bob) here, for the very
good reason that Dan could not know
Bob was here. No one yet knew Bob
had returned to Mrs. Ralston's house
The commodore and Clarence nc
doubt still believed Bob to be shut ur
IN q cute little cubby-hole with bars
The skulking figure below. then
could be disassociated from the com
plicated domestic tangle; his proper
place was in that other silent drama
dealing with mysterious peculations
Should Bob climb down, follow and
attempt to capture him? Bob had on
only his pajamas and already the tel
low was far away. He would lead any
one fine chase and Bob hadn't any
special desire to 60 romping over hills
In his present attire. or want of attire
II any one caught him doing it, what
excuse could he make? That he was
chasing an accomplice of a thief in
side the house who had probably drop
ped his glittering booty for his pal to
take away? But he (Bob). was suppos
ed to be that inside operator himself
and he wouldn't be chasing his own
pal. Or again, if he were detected in
that sprinting performance by those
who didn't know be was supposed to
be an inside operator, but who thought
him only plain crazy man, wouldn't
the necessity/for his reincarnation be
but emphasized? Maybe this latter
contingent of his enemies would con-
slider q plain, public insane asylum,
without flowers in the window, good
enough for him. They. undoubtedly,
would SO conclude if they knew the
state of Bob's private fortune, which
certainly did not justify private insti.
tutions.
A slight noise behind him drove all
these considerations from Bob's mind.
He dove at once in the direction OF
the sound, only to fall over his grip,
and as he sprawled, not heroically, in
the dark, his door was opened ana
closed ALMOST noiselessly Exasper,
ated. he g1&1ed himself together and