Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-04-04
Eue ming Story
A FOOL AND AN ANGEL.
copyright. 1916. by Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.) I'M
BY lola Forester.

Perhaps it was the interminabe
piano playing of the girl downstairs
in the back parlor, perhaps it was only
curiosity Eaton never analysed the
motive that made him bite at blllie
ranguay's April fool bait, The mann
point was that he swallowed 1t, nook
and line. .,,
Eaton, have you seen it?' Billie
called at his door about nine.
seen WHAT" He raised his head
from the engineering plans on the
table under the leaky student lamp:
"Aairship Seems to be making FOR
the Long Island shore, crossing from
Jersey. If you hurry you can get
look" ill.,
Eaton hurried. He was in the Sec
ond floor back room. It took about a
minute and half for him to reach
the roof. and then as he stood alone,
gazing hopefully up at the star dotted
heavens, he heard the sliding of the
roof door over it's ladder, the locking
and Billies cheerful challenges:
Happy dreams. April fool!
Even then there was nothing trag-
ic about the situation. 1t was merely
ridiculous and no one cares TO De
made ridiculous even in ones own
eyes. Eaton walked about the roof
rather philosophically before the nov
city of roofs began to interest MIN.
Their house was one of a long row OF
tall brownstone dwellings in the West
Ffties near Sixth avenue, New York
CITY. They were old fashioned
enough Hence the ladder and trap
door entrance. They all appeared 10
he about the same. Eaton noticed
he stood on the third from the end OF
the row, after which came a space, he
could not tell how wide, and higher
roof on the corner building. And even
as he watched he saw man emerge
from the small cabin like exit, run TO
the edge of the roof and take the Jump
10 the next one.
Almost Immediately there followed
a shot, and Eaton stepped, with natur-
al caution, behind a group of tall chin
ney pots. The man had hidden behind
a neighboring group, and as police
man came in sight on the first roof
he shot at him, turned and ran direct
ly toward Eaton's shelter. AS he drop
ped behind 1t, he said huskily over
his shoulder: VII
BEAT it, kid, can hold him. Here y
He handed over something wrapped
clumsily in handkerchief. black
silk one. And even as he did so there
came another shot and he rolled over
on the graveled roof and lay quite
still. The policeman was calling out
something to him, Eaton knew. He
seemed to want him to come nearer.
Hatless, young, thoroughly confident,
he stepped over the brick dividing
sections and came to the space be-
tween. 1t was too wide to leap unless
one were running for life like the man
who lay behind the red chimney pots.
II live in $780," said Eaton. "They've
locked me out for joke
And then the most peculiar thing
happened. Out of the trapdoor from
No. 1854 there exuded men, another po
liceman and some plain clothes men
and they seized Thomas w. Eaton
without any warning or apology took
the untidy handkerchief bundle ont
of his grasp and hustled him down
stairs past shrinking, shadowy forms
and down into the street. He heard
one OF Lu0ul Say uAS6OoIooAy IA~. AAAH
pal had been taking. When they
went after his body it had gone from
behind the red chimneypots. Vaguely
sensing a growing personal indigna
ton, Eaton was glad he had made q
getaway He kept repeating firmly:
Il am Thomas w. Eaton Of $50. You
can ask anyone living there who
am" .'-
you're Slimsy Louis all right the
man who held his arm retorted, sc
positively that Eaton felt that until
ne had confederation, it was useless
to argue the point. Then he found
himself being pushed up the steps Al
the corner house, up the elevator to
the fourth floor and then into SPLEEN
didly furnished apartment, facing the
policeman who had fired the two shots
and the loveliest girl Eaton had ever
laid eyes on. All in pink negligee she
was, with her long, dark hair unbound
and her eyes wide with horror at he1
experience With her hands pressed
to her face she looked at Eaton, but
shook her head:
"He wasn't here. 1t was short
dark man with a mustache."