Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-07-08
A CON EDT RON ANCE
r. EARL DERR BIGGERS
Au9%oR SEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE
r ON ANC e
Corys1cHrEp THE Bonss- MERRILL COMPANY

Mostly hints, you know. Several ref.
erences this morning to our proud and
naughty friend, Lord Harrowby For
example, Madame On Dit, writing in
her column on page one, has this to
say: The impecunious but titled
Englishman who has arrived in our
midst recently with the idea of con-
Meeting with certain American dollars
has an interesting time ahead of him,
If rumor speaks true. The little Incl
dent in the lobby of local hotel the
other evening-which was duly re-
ported in this column at the time-was
but mild beginning. The gentleman
in charge of the claimant to the title
held so jealousy by our British friend
promises immediate developments
which will be rich, rare and racy.'
Rich. rare. and racy," repeated Min
OF thoughtfully. "Ah, yes-we were
to watch Mr.. Trimmer. I had almost
forgot him in the excitement of last
evening. BY the way, does the Mail
know anything about the disappear
ance Of Chain Lightnings Collar?"
mot as yet" smiled Mr.. Paddock,
although Madame on Dit claims to
have been guest at the dinner. BY
the way, what do you make of last
nights melodramatic farce?"
II don't know what to make Of it,"
answered Minot truthfully. He was
suddenly conscious of the necklace In
his inside coat pcIket.
Then all cesn say, my dear Wat
son. replied Mr.. Paddock with bur
lesque seriousness. lis that you are
Enthusiastically lacking in my powers
of deduction Give me cigarette
and I'll tell you the name of the man
who is gloating over those. diamonds
today"
"All right" smiled Minot. go
ahead"
Mr. Paddock, reaching for match
tray, spoke in low tone in Minot's
ear.
Martin Wall,' he said. He leaned
back. "You ask how I arrived at my
conclusion. Simple enough. l went
through the list of guests for possible
crooks, and eliminated them one by
one. The man l have mentioned
alone was left Ever notice his eyes
remind me Of Manuel Gonzales. He's
too polished, too slick, too good to be
true He's travelled too much-nobody
travels as much as he has except for
the very good reason that detective
is on the trail And he made friends
with simple old narrowly on an At
lantic liner-that, if you read popu-
lar fiction, is alone enough to con-
denim him. Believe me, Dick, Martin
Wall should be watched"
"All right" laughed Minot, you
watch him."
give notion to. narrowly makes
me weary. Won't call In solitary
detective. Any one might think he
doesn't want the necklace back.
After breakfast Minot and PADDOCK
played five sets of tennis on the no.
tel courts. And Mr.. Minot won, de'
spite the narrowly diamonds In his
trousers pocket, weighing him down.
Luncheon over, Mr. Paddock suggested
a drive to Tarragona island.
"A little bit of nowhere mile off.
Shore" he said. mo man can ever
know the true inwardness OF the WORD
lonesome until he's seen Tarragona.'
Minot hesitated. Ought he to leave
the scene of action? OF action? He
glanced about him. There was less
action here than in a Henry James
novel. The tangle of events in which
he was involved rested for a siesta.
So he and Mr.. Paddock drove along
the narrow neck of land that led from
the mainland to Taragona island. They
entered the kingdom of the lonely.
Sandy beach with the ocean on one
side, swamps on the other. scrubby
palms, disreputable foliage. here and
there a cluster of seemingly deserted
cottages-the world and its works ap'
parently a million miles away. Yet
ont on one corner Of that bleak for
gotten acre stood the slim outlines OF
q wireless, and in little white house
lived man who, amid the sea gulls
and the sand dunes, talked daily with
ships and cities far away. -
Il told you it was lonesome, : SAID