Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-06


theresa chance for devilment.'
Nina knocked at the door.
Miss Peters," announced Nina
gloating once more over her handi
work as she surveyed the handsome
Molly and the pretty Fern.
"Have her come right up" directed
Molly. Frightening, and waited with
an expectant smile, which changed
ito look of concern when she saw
the poorly concealed traces of tears
in Jessie's eyes.
whats the matter. Jessie?' she
asked. stepping hastily forward, and
Jessie. forgetting, or not seeing, that
painfully fluffy wedding gown, threw
herself dismally into Mollys arms.
They didn't want me to come"
she gulped. But l had promised you
and Dicky said might
| "Where is Dicky?" asked Molly.
"He went on down town on an err
rand. He'll be back after me in half
an hour"
"Why didn't they want you to
came?' asked Molly anyiously.
ION account of your father"
Father" gasped Molly. What
about him."
Don't you know" wondered Jessie,
half crying again.
why, no. child" worried Molly.
What is it? Tell me- and she heard
Fern slipping quietly out of the room.
She led Jessie over to the couch, and
all forgetful of her shimmerng satin,
with it's beautifully increased folds,
sat down.
ITS the street car stock" Jessie ex-
planned. "Dicky just came out to the
house with the news. There Is to be
no consolidation The old tracks are
to be torn up three years from now,
and nobody would have the stock for
gift. And it's Thanksgiving day.
That's only some wild rumor,"
Molly assured her, wondering. never
theleJs. at this new and strange turn
of financial gossip. Even if it were
true. though, how is father to blame?"
81 don't know, except that my faith
er's like maniac about it all, and
forbade me to come near this house.
Molly drew her closer.
'Dicky brought me, though. He said
that he didn't think Mr.. Marley was
the thief. and that if he was. you
weren't: and that if I wanted to come
l was coming. He's a good Dicky,
Molly" and here Jessie cried little
more. just on account of Dicky's good
ness. 2 - '''*@i -'@
1T isn't fathers fault. it's mine
confessed Molly, aghast, as she began
for the first time to fully realize the
hundreds of real sufferers in this high
handed game which she and Siedge
had played Mr. Sledge wanted to
marry me. and was engaged to Bert.
He broke Bert. Then father said he
had enough money for all Of us; so
Sledge tried to break father. and
don't know how many people besides
us have had to suffer for that. It's
Sledge and !. Jessie-not father
"Sledge is beast charged Jessie
vehemently He is the most cruel
and vicious man in the world, / think.
Dicky says he should be killed"
He isn't really SO bad" declared
Molly, trying to be just. "E'e's like
other strong people. He doesn't know
how badly he hurts. He's like foot
ball player shaking hands with you.
He is a brute!' shuddered Jessie.
81 stood by him in Maberly's candy
store yesterday, and I was actually
afraid of him for fear l would annoy
him by being in his way, and he might
turn around and be rough to me-
Molly laughed softly at the idea OF
Sledge's being rough to little Jessie
Peters.
why, he'd be SO gentle to you as to
be ridiculous,'' she said "Not even
Dicky could be more gentle.
Jessie Strengthened Immediately.
How absurd" she laughed. You
don't know Dichy, Molly He isn't like
other men. Why. when we found
that we had lost every cent we had
in the world, and would be in debt
besides and would even lose our nome,
father blamed mother for signing the
and has been cross with
her ever since he got into difficulties;
and there isn't a better father than
mine. But Dicky, Why, when the
West End bank failed, because 1t held
too many street railway securities,
and Dicky lost the six thousand dol
lars he'd saved to buy us home, DO
you know what he did? He took me
to the theater, and patted my hand
all through the show, and told me now
young we were, and how much mon
ey we were going to make, and how
happy we'd be even If we didn't; and
he wouldn't hear to fathers having us
postpone our wedding for minute.
Why, Molly, he can't do without me,
and | can't do without him. It's won
derful.'
Molly patted Jessie's shoulder
Il guess you and Dicky love each
other very much" she suggested.
q don't know how to tell it, con-
fessed Jessie shyly. Love is such
tremendous thing, Molly. 1t cries
Molly was startled into silence.
What was this thing that she was do
ing? She was entering on the most
serious relationship in life as the ter
mination of a game, in which love,
such as Jessie knew, had had no part;
in which even romance, to which ev.
cry girl is entitled at least once, had
been made subservient to business,
to stock manipulations, to real estate
deals and to stubborness. The only