Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-02-12
,nonOBERr WnlEs RlIG1IE

Nonsense" the general reproVeu
gustily. "Some places you see once
you never forget. This old Rock Is
one of them; eh, Bishop"
IT don't know" the chunky little of.
icer replied. "The powers back
home never give me chance to get
away and forget" There was a
pause as the men slipped their tea
Woodhouse broke the silence:
Man can be stationed in worse
places than Gibraltar"
"If you mean Egypt, l agree with
you," Crandall assented. There six
years."
Were you. General? What sta
tom" Woodhouse was cody stirring
his tea, emphatically at his ease.
Jane, her back to the men as she fus'
sed over the tea wagon, filled her
own cup with hot water inadyertent-
ly. She tried to laugh over the mis-.
take, but her fingers trembled as she
poured the water back into the kettle.
Not on the lazy old Nile, as you
were-lucky dog!" the general return
3D. "Out on the yellow sands-at Ar
kowan-a place in the sun, never
fear!"
The women had their cups now, and
joined the men, sitting little behind.
Jane caught shrewd sidewise glance
from the general glance that
sought quick and sure reading OF
her emotions. She poised her cup as
! if expecting a question and the glance
turned aside. But it had warned the
girl that she was not altogether pas
III, 90 ~ ~ az
guard over her features.
"Let me see, Captain Woodhouse"-
it was little Bishop who took up the
probe-"you must have been here in
the days when Craigen was governor
saw your papers have it that you
were here three months in nineteen
seven"
eyes, Craigen was governor then"
Woodhouse answered guardedly.
"You never saw him, General"
Bishop turned to Sir George. "Big,
bluff, clustering chap, with voice
like the bull Of Rasham. Woodhouse,
here, he'll recognize my portrait"
Woodhouse smiled-secret disdain
for the clumsy trap was in that smile.
I'm afraid I do not" he said.
"Craigen was considered a small, al
most a, delicate man." He had recog-
nized the bungling emphasis laid by
Bishop on the Craigen' characteristics,
and his answer was pretty safely
drawn by choosing the opposites.
Bishop looked f1ustered for an instant,
then admitted Woodhouse was right.
He had confused Sir David Craigen
with his predecessor, he said in ex-
cuse.
man. / had tea in this very room
with him several times" Woodhouse
ventured. He let his eyes rove as if
in "reminiscences. Much the same
here-as-except, General Crandall
don't recall that fireplace" He indi-
Gated the heavy Gothic ornament on
the opposite side Of the room.
Jane caught her breath under the
surge of secret citation. The resource
of the man so to turn to advantage
fact that she had carelessly given
him in their conversation of few mo-
ments back. The girl saw flicker Of
surprise cross General Crandall's face.
Lady Crandall broke in:
"You have good memory, after all,
Captain Woodhouse. That fireplace is
just five years Old"
"Um-yes, yes" her husband admit.
ted. Clever piece OF work, though.
Likely to deceive anybody by its show
of antiquity
General Crandall called for sec.
ond slice Of lemon in his cup. He was
obviously sparring for another open.
ing, but was impressed by the show.
ing the suspected man was making.
Bishop pushed the inquisition another
step:
Did you happen to be present,
Captain, at the farewell dinner we
gave little Billy Barnes? | think it
must have been in the spring you
were here"
There were many dinners, Major
Bishop" Woodhouse was carefully
selecting his words, and he broke his
sentences with a sip from his cup.
4 . ID. h