Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-07-01
/ . " %
INSURANCE
A COMEDY NANCE
Bx EARL DERR BIGGERS
Au 81 SEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE
\. CON EDT ROMAN
COPYRIGHTED THE BoDss- MERRILL CONTAIN,

out OF SlSnt among the PAINS. DaZed
Dick Minot stared after him.
A voice spoke his name. He turn
ed. The slim white presence again
holding toward him slip of paper.
The check, Mr.. Minot. Thirty-five
dollars. Is that correct?"
! Correct It's splendid Because
I'm never going to cash tim going
to keep it"
Really, Mr.. Minot, must say
good ...g1
He came closer. Thacker and Jeph
son faded, New York was far away
! He was young, and the moon was
I shining
going to keep it-always. The
first letter you ever wrote me-"
And the last, Mr.. Minot. Really
must go. Good night"
He stood alone, with the absurd
| ly the memory of Trimmer came back.
A bomb? What sort of. a bomb?
Well, he had given his word. There
was no way out-he must protect old
Jephson's interests. But might he not
wish the enemy-success? He start
| ed off in the direction the advertising
| wizard had gone. .
Trimmer, old boy" he muttered,
heres to your pitching ARM"
Miss Cynthia Meyrick was good
many girls in one So many, indeed
that it might truthfully be added that
while most people are never so much
alone as when in crowd, Miss Mey-
rick was never so much in a crowd
as when alone. Most of these girls
were admirable, q few were more
mischievous than admirable, but rely
upon it that every single one Of them
was nice.
1t happened to be very serious
min led girl that Miss Meyrick opened
her eyes on Tuesday morning. She
lay for long time watching the Flori-
da sunshine, spoken Of SO tenderly IN
the railroads come-on books, as 1t
danced across the foot of her bed.
Today the Lileth was to steam into
San Marco harbor! Today her bride
groom was to smile his slow British
smile on her once more! She recall
ed these facts without the semblance
of thrill
Where. she wondered, was the
thrill? The frivolous girl who had
met Lord narrowly abroad and
dazzled by dreams of social triumphs
to come had allowed her aunt to urge
her into this betrothal, was not pres
ent at the moment. Had she been,
she would have declared this Cynthia
Meyrick a silly, and laughed her into
gaiety again.
into the room toddled the aunt who
had stood so faithfully on the coach
ing line abroad. With heavy wit, she
spoke of the coming of Lord Harrow
by. Miss Cynthia did not smile. She
turned grave eyes on her aunt.
I'm wondering" she confessed.
"Was it the thing to do, after all?
Shall be 80 very happy"
Nonsense. Ninety-nine out of a
hundred engaged girls have doubts.
It's natural" Aunt sat down on the
bed, which groaned in again. "Of
course you'll be happy. You'll take
precedence over Marion Bishop
didn't we look that up? And after the
airs she's put on when she's come
back to Detroit-well, you ought to be
the happiest Of girls"
81 know-but-" Miss Meyrick con-
tinued to gaze solemnly at her aunt.
She was accustomed to the apparition
To any one who knew Aunt Mary only
in her public appearances, view of
her now would have been startling.
Not to go too deeply into the matter,
she had not yet been poured into the
steel Orders that determined her pub
lie form. Her washed-out eyes were
puffy and her gray hair was not SO
luxurious as 1t would be when she
appeared in the hotel dining room
for lunch. There she sat, a fat little
lump of a woman who had all her life
chased will-o'- the-wisps.
but what?" she demanded firmly.
1T seems as if all my fun were ov-
or. Didn't you feel that way when