Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-21


I "Oh, I've had 1t some time" Connie
tadmitted reluctantly.
when I asked you to lend me a
dime you said"
You asked me II l had a dime
could lend you and said, No, and l
didn't, for didn't have this dime to
| lend"
But where have you had it," in
CURED Lark. Il thought you acted
suspicious some way, Sol went around
and looked for myself"
Where did you look?'
The twins laughed gleefully. "Oh,
on top Of the windows and DOORS"
said Carol.
How did you know" began Con-
ME.
you aren't slick enough for us.
Connie. We knew you had some funny
place to hide your money, 50 l gave
you that penny and l went upstairs
very noisily so you could hear me, and
Lark sneaked around and watched,
and saw where you put it. We've been
able to keep pretty good track of your
finances lately"
The twins laughed again.
But I looked on the top ledge of all
the windows and doors just yester-
day." admitted Lark, land there was
nothing there. Did you put that dime
in the bank?"
"Oh, never mind" said Connie. II
don't need to tell you. You twins are
too slick for me, you know"
The twins looked slightly fused, es-
pecially when Fairy laughed with a
merry, Good for you, Connie"
Carol rose and looked at herself in
the glass. I'm going upstears," she
said.
what for?" inquired Lark, rising
also.
So the twins went upstairs, and
Fairy, after calling out to them to be
very careful and not get disheveled,
went out into the yard and wandered
do1efully about by herself.
Connie meantime decided to get her
we'll hidden dime and figure out what
ten cents could buy for her fastidious
and wealthy aunt. Connie was in
many ways unique. Her system Of
money hiding was born of nothing less
than genius, prompted by necessity,
for the twins were clever as we'll as
gYasping. She did not know they had
discovered her plan OF banking on the
top ledge Of the windows and doors.
but having dealt with them long and
bitterly, she knew that In mony mat.
tefs she must give them the benefit
OF all her ingenuity. For the last and
precious dime. she had discovered a
brand new hiding place.
The cook stove sat in the dark
est and most remote corner of
the kitchen, and where the chimney
fitted into the wall it was protected
BY small sine plate. This zinc plate
protruded barely an inch, but that
inch was quite sufficient for coins the
size Of Comics, and there, high and
secure In the shadowy corner, lay
Comics dime. Now that she had de-
cided to spend it, she wanted it before
her eyes-for ten cents in sight buys
much more than ten cents in memory.
She went into the kitchen cautiously,
careful of her white canvas shoes, and
put chair beside the stove. She had
discovered that the dishpan turned up.
side down on the chair, gave her suffi.
cient height to reach her novel bank.
ing place. The preparation was soon
accomplished, and neatly, for Connie
was an orderly child, and loved clean.
liness even on occasions less demand.
ing than this.
But alas for Comics calculations!
Carol was born for higher things than
dish washing, and she had splashed
soap suds on the table. The pan had
been set among them-and then. neat.
" wiped on the inside, it had been
hung up behind the table-with the
suds on the bottom. And it was upon
this same dishpan that Connie climbed
SO carefully in search of her darling
dime.
The result was certain. AS she slow.
ly and breathlessly raised herself on
tiptoe, steadying herself with the tips
Of her fingers lightly touching the
stove pipe, her foot moved PREACHER.
ously into the soapy area, and slipped.
Connie screamed, caught desperately
at the pipe, and fell to the floor in a
sickening tumble Of stove pipe, dish
pan and SCOT beyond her widest fan.
cies! Her cries brought her sisters
flying, and the sight Of the blackened
kitchen and the unfortunate child in
the midst of disaster. banished from
their minds all memory of the coming
chaperon, Of Prudence's warning
words -: Connie was in trouble. With
sisterly affection they rescued her,
ss 81 FAN