Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-04-17


la little bit" Anyhow, the evening IN
question had passed innocently, II
frivolously, enough. No harm would
come to Dan in consequence. And
again Bobs interest fiOated elsewhere
He noticed Miss Gwendoline did not
seem exactly averse to letting that fel
low by her side gaze into her eyes
Confound the fellow! He had one OF
those open honest faces, A likable
chap, too! One of the Olympian-game
brand. A weight-putter, or hammer
thrower or something of the kind. Bob
could have heaved considerable of q
sledge himself at that moment.
"Of course, boys will be boys pratt
tied Mrs, Dan at his side, just in the
least stridently. II suppose you sat
down and they just happened along
and sat down too. You couldn't very
well refuse to let them, could you?
That wouldn't have been very potter
She hardly knew what she was saying
herself now. Though conversational
general, on most occasions, her inward
emotion was now running apace. 1t
was almost beating her Judgment in
the race. She tried TO pull herself to.
gether. why. in Paris, doing the
sights at the Jardin or the Moulin
Rouge, or the Casino de Paris, every
one takes it or them-these chance &C
ouaintances - as a matter OF course.
Pour passer lie temps! And why not?'
With shrug and In her sprightliest
manner. 80 the ladies In this instance
as you were saying, came right up, too
and"
She paused That was crude clum-
sy even though she ratified 1t on as II
without thinking, She was losing all
her finesse. But again, to her surprise
the fish took the bait. She did not
know Bob's prsdicament-that he could
not finesss.
Yes they came up" said Bob reluc-
family, though pleased that Mrs. Dan
appeared such q good kind Of fellow.
"Show girls?" asked the lady quick
~.
"Well-ah!-two Of them were"
1.-TWO? And what were the others?'
Bob again regarded the lady appre-
hensively, but her expression was en-
inently reassuring. It went with the
music, the bright flowers and the rest
of the gay scene. Mrs. Dams smile
was one of unauthorized enjoyment;
she didn't seem dlspleased at all. Must
be she wasn't displeased! Perhaps
she was like some Of those model
French wives who aren't averse at all
to having other ladies attentive to
their husbands? Mrs. Dan had lived
In Paris and might have acquired with
a real accent an accompanying broad
mindedness Of character That might
be what made the dear old commodore
act so happy most of the time, and so
juvenile, too! Mrs. Dan looked broad
minded. She had a broad face and her
figure was broad-very! At the mo-
ment she seemed fairly to radiate
broad mindedness and again Bob felt
glad-on the cOmmodore's account. He
had nothing to feel glad about, himself
with that COMPOUNDED hammer throw.
err
"Who were the others, did you say"
repeated Mrs. Dan, in her most broad
minded tone.
She seemed only talking to make
conversation and looked away uncon-
cernedly as she spoke Lucky for Dan
she was broad minded-that they had
once been expatriates together! Even
If she hadn't BEEN however, Bob would
have had to tell the truth.
"Who were the others?' he repeated
absently, one eye on Miss Gerald. "Oh.
they were ponies
'''Ponies,' said the lady giving
slight start and then recovering, II beg
your pardon, but all do you hap
pen to be referring to the horse-show?"
"Not at ALL" answered Bob. "The
ponis / refer to- YEARLY, ARE not
equine" These technical explanations
were tiresome. At that moment he was
more concerned with the hammer
thrower. who had evidently just hurled
a witticism at Miss Gerald, for both
were laughing. Would that Bob could
have caught the silvery sound Of her
voice! Would he had been near enough
Across the table, the little dark thing
threw him few consolatory glances.
He had almost forgotten about her.
Miss Dolly's temperatmental eyes
seemed to say Drink to me only with
thine eyes, and Bob responded reck-
lessly to the invitation. The little
dark thing seemed the only one on
earth who was good to him. He drank
to her with his eyes-without becom'
ing intoxicated Then she held a glass
to her lips and gazed at him over it.
He held one to his and did likewise.
He should have become doubly intox.
icated, but he didn't He set down his
glass mournfully. Miss Gerald MOTTO
ed this sentimental little byplay, but
what Bob did was. of course, of no mo-
ment to her.
Ponies, Mr.. Bennett? And not
equine?" Mrs. Dan with difficulty sue
ceeded in again riveting Bob's wander
ing attention. "Ah, of Counsel" Her
accents rising frivolously. How stup-
i'd of mel" Gaily "You mean the kind
that do the dancing in the musical
shows" And Mrs Dan glanced little
furtively at her right.
But on that side the good bishop
was still expounding earnestly to the
lady he had brought in. He was not in
the le2st interested in what Mrs. Dan
and Ts0h ware saving He Was tOO