Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-05-18
CHAPTER XVI. Continued. J
5PETEY

But when they entered they saw 1t
was tho man with the monocle who
sat 1T the big, wonderfully carved
piano. His fingers were fairly flying;
his face was a bit more twisted up to
keep the monocle from falling Off
while he was fiinging his hands about
over the keys. At sight of him, the
temperamentAl little thing breathed
quickly and would have drawn back,
but Bob drew her forward The mon.
Dcle mans face did not change as he
glanced over his shoulder to regard
them; he had a faculty for hitting the
right keys without looking Bob put
. big reassuring arm about a slim
waist He tangoed only to show the
temperamental little thing that he for
gave her. But her feet were not SO
light az ordinarily and the dance rath.
or dragged Once Bob looked down ;
why, she wasn't much bigger than a
child.
'Friends?" he asked.
Her little hand clutched tighter for
answer. and the monocle man played
more madly. It was as If he were
making the puppets fly around while
he pulled the strings. He seemed hav-
Ing the best kind of a time. There
was now whimsical look in his eyes
as they followed Bob.
That was one OF the longest days
Bob ever knew. The temperamental
thing had told him they were coming
to arrest him. Well, why didn't they ?
His appearing unexpectedly on the
spot like that may have caused them
to change their minds. He included
in the them Mrs. Ralston and her
niece and he could only conclude they
all meant to daily with him, in Miss
Dolly's phraseology. little longer.
But surely they had enough evidence
to 60 right ahead and let justice ca
take its course What the tempera-
mental little thing had confessed
would be quite sufficient in itself for
their purpose.
Bob began to get impatient: he
didn't like being "dallied" with. In
his desperate mood, he desired to meet
the issue at once and since 1T was
bound to happen. he wanted 1t to hap
pen right OF. Then he would robustly
proclaim his innocence-aye, and
fight for 1t with all his might. He
was in fighting mood.
Mrs. Ralston's demeanor toward
him-when in the natural order OF
things he was obliged to meet that
lady-added to his feeling of utter
helplessness She, like the monocle
man, acted rs II nothing had happen
ed, seeming to gee nothing extraordin-
airy or surprising in his being there.
She treated him just as II he hadn't
been away and talked in the most ma
5tural manner about the weather or
other commonplace topics. She was
graciousness itself, even demanding
playfully If he hadn't thought of any
more French compliments?
Bob stammered he had not The
fact that Miss Gerald was near and
overheard all they said didn't add to
his mental composure. Gwendoline's
violet eyes had such a peculiar look.
Bob hoped and prayed she would pre-
serve that manner Of cold and
naughty aloofness. He wouldn't have
exchanged word with her now for
all the world, if he had any choice in
the matter. Did she divine his in
ward shrinking from any further talk
with her? Did she realize she was
the one especial person Bob didn't
want to converse with, under the cir
cumstances? 1t may be she did so
realize; also, that she deliberately
sought to add to his discontinue.
Possibly, she felt no punishment could
be too great for one who had sunk so
low as he had.
At any rate, the day was yet young
when. like proud princess, she stood
suddenly before him. Bob had taken
refuge in that summer house where
she had proposed Cha! ha!) to him.
He had been noting that Mrs. Raj
ston seemed to have several new gar
deners working for her and it had
Aaahed across his mind that these