Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-01-16
CHAPTER ".

J Molly Invites an Additional Guest.
! Where are the red roses, Molly?"
asked Bert Glider, as he walked into
the reception parlor of Marley's pre-
tentious big house that night.
81 don't know" replied Molly, much
concerned. did you send some?"
mo, but I thought some were to be
sent to you,' laughed Bert. Its too
good to keep, Fern. BY the way, that
! Fern Just slipped, and you'll have to
pardon me for it. It's Molly's fault.
She never called you anything else"
"Who is it," demanded Molly, more
eager to hear the news than he liked
to see. 1.-The information is highly
important, if true, and I must not be
kept in suspense"
Hold on to something, them he
warned her. Zone, two, three
! Sledge!"
"Sledge!" she repeated. "What?
That great big" She paused for lack
of words, and her face famed sudden
ly scarlet with indignation.
"Sledge,' he joyously insisted; and
then, to the puzzled Fern: "You re-
member the big fellow whose car
stopped just abreast us last night"
Mr.. Glider, who. as boy, had been
an expert in pulling the wings from
flies, went straight on with the slaugh-
ter, selling Immediately the glorious
opportunity which presented itself
when Mr.. Marley, brave in smoking
jacket and pumps, sauntered into the
parlor.
"Great news Marley" hailed Bert,
beaming with delight upon the joyous
laughter of Fern molly has cap
tured a new honor for the family.
Whose do you suppose is the latest
scalp at her belt?"
1T might be almost anybody" re-
turned Marley. who felt that his moth
erless daughters popularity reflected
somehow on himself. "Who is the par.
ticular victim you have in mind?' and
he laughed in advance.
"Sledge!" exploded Bert. by the
way, Marley, he gave you hint of it,
too. Didn't he ask you today. while
I was there, for an invitation to
Mollys party tomorrow night, or some
thing like that?"
well, not exactly; but he did throw
out some pretty strong hints &C.
knowledged Marley with a grin, enter
ing into the joyous spirit Of the occa-
sion. HE asked permission to call
on Molly. I told him that was up to
her."
How unusually considerable" OBJ
served Molly, biting her lips to sup
press the rising fury which had dr1v-
en- the bushes from her cheeks, and
left them almost waxen.
The Marley butler, thin-faced and
thin-legged young man with a pain
fully intellectual countenance, stalked
past the hallway portieres in answer
to a below-stairs ring, and returned
from the front door, with:
"Mr. sledge, sir; to see Mr.. Marley
"Show him into the library" hastily
directed Marley, suddenly eontrite,
and feeling a sinking horror, as did
all the others in the room, of having
this man face to face with Molly, es-
peciaily after the crimes against her
of which they had themselves been
guilty.
The instructions were too late, how
ever.
Good evening" rumbled the deep
voice of Sledge. who just then appear
ed directly in the center of the open
ing in the portieres. He wore an In
verness top coat the open front of
which disclosed marvellous expanse
of white shirt front, spaced with dia-
mond studs, the glitter of which paled.
however, by contrast with the enor-
nous solitaire which illumined the
solid gold watch fob presented to him
by the Young Mems Marching club
of Ward G.. His hair was pressed as
smoothly to his skull as an earnest
italian barber could plaster it, and
various angry specks on his cheeks
told how microscopically he had been
shaved. The browning triumphs OF
his toilet. however, he carried. In his
right hand he bore, held by wide
velvet ribbon. IN the same huge fin.
gers which clutched the gold-headed
cane presented by the Capital City
sledge, club, thirty dollar box OF
candy, two feet across, wrapped with
six beribboned layers OF fancy paper,
and provided with an absolute maze