Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-01-08
Euening Story
HIS GOAL
BY Keith Kenyon.
Copyright, 1916. by Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)

(COpyrl&nC, 1915, by Mcclure News
paper syndicate.)
It was rule of the company that
any property found by employees must
be turned in at the main Office. At
the end of month. II there was no
claimant, the finder received 1t as a
sort Of guerdon for his honesty.
| Reardon had almost forgotten the
parcel until it was handed out to him
Saturday night with his pay envelope
Here's where you get the wallet
of cash." grinned Malloy, sitting out
on the bench at the side of the car
barns. but Reardon didn't mind. He
stood looking the parcel over 1t was
fat. about fourteen inches long and
nine wide and perhaps an inch thick
open it, you gink," advised NAL
10y. but Jack shook his head good
naturedly.
"Itll keep while longer he said
and swung up ON an outbound car for
home. He was big chap. curly hair
ed, blue eyed. with square shoulders
and straight carriage from his two
years In the Philippines. Some day
he meant to go back. He'd have stay
ed on If they hadn't sent a bullet
through his hip and laid him out.
Some days the old spur touched his
spirit and he wished he were back
with the rest OF the boys, days when
he would pass parade or hear a
band hit up one of the old airs. But
| the doctors had told him to stay out
of doors for year or so and streng-
then up before he tried it again.
So he had gone to work on the
street cars. 1t was out-of-door en-
ployment and steady pay and after a
while he meant to 60 back into the
service Of the colors. Just now he
was only marking time anyhow.
When he had eaten dinner he went
upstairs to his room on the third
floor. 1t wasn't hall room. He was
getting his two-eighty-flve day; not
so much, but enough so he could pay
out five dollars for the third floor
front and have an open CRATE fire
when the furnace lost courage. He
had fixed 1t up, too, with lot Of truck
from the islands, and the other fell
lows in the house had way of drop
ping in for a smoke in the evening.
Jack liked it. He was alone in New
York. His folks were up in Maine.
So he had pitched camp to stay a
while, until such time as he could go
back to the islands.
He opened the package with little
close smile of amusement. 1t certain
~ didn't look like gold mine. Some
Of the fellows had been lucky In find
ing articles of real value. Then he
stopped short and stared with lower
ed head and intent gaze at his treas
ure trove- It was only the picture
Of girl in double leather frame, but
the face enthralled him with its
beauty and innocence. She was young
and fairly radiant with springtime
hope. She looked at him from her
sparkling eyes, smiled from her part
ed lips-just the big glad belief In
things, and in him particularly.
The next morning Jack went to
work with growing feeling that
something was missing in the general
scheme of happiness. All day the
feeling stayed with him. He sat by
himself across the street from the car !
barns at his off hours, and went with.
out his lunch. Finally, that afternoon
Wallace swung up on his car as 1t !
passed Thirty fourth street and Jack
looked at the detective with sudden
interest
"Say, Tom. listen,' he said. Sup
pose you only had photograph Of a
girl to 20 by, never had seen her In
your life. How would you find herr"
60 to the man who took the pic
ture and get her name and address"
Wallace replied. You're bright !
spark of hope, amt you, now?"
It was noon the next day before he
could do it. The place was over IN
Fifth avenue It took all his courage
to go into its ornate doors, tread it's
red velvet carpets and face the i
blonde young woman at the nahog-
any desk under the green and gold
electrolier. He laid the picture be.
for her and asked the name, and the
answer came back at once with the
slightest uplift Of eyebrows.
IT suppose you're an artist. Why
didn't you hunt for her up at the Mod
els club, Fifty-eighth street, think
1t is. She isn't regular patron, you
know, she Is merely one OF our art
models. This picture was made Tor
an art Arm to be used as the head
on one of their perfume ads. Her
name is Betty Bellairs.'
"Give me the name of the club. will
you, please?' -.
Jack tried to speak in the proper
off-hand professional manner. and
wrote down the number almost non
chalantly Then he went out and
walked up the avenue to the park,
making believe that he was all he hop
ed to be some day. He had been lazy,
non-progressive satisfied with sure
thing. A man needed goal to strive
for an aim for his arrows OF ambi-
ton. He smiled to himself, remem-
bering the face in the picture.
At the Art Models club they gave
her address. 1t was in the West Six
ties. FIVE flights up. in brown stone
apartment building in the rear apart
ment Jack asked for her when the
door opened, and the little ten-year-
old girl who responded turned her
Aaadaud aalled hanl thrnrxh the