Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-09
ALICE DEVINE
Bv EDGAR JEPSON
Copyright 1916 BY The Bobbs- Merrill Co

ne BObbS- Merrill Co.
of it just in front of me- stolled after
! her to ask her the latest news of the
hieroglyphics. She passed out of sight
round the corner of shrubbery. AS I
came round it I heard voices and the
sound of a kiss; and came right on
to her and Jack Thurman standing
very close together I was naturally
shocked to find that people kissed each
other in this exclusive garden; but l
managed to say few kind words about
the moonlight and strolled on trying to
look as if l hadn't been shocked.
had never guessed that Jack had a
love affair. But | was pleased to see
that he was not letting his barrister's
brieflessness prevent him kissing a
pretty girl because she was the daugh-
ter of very rich man. 1t set me to
wishing that l had love affair myself;
and somehow or other I found myself
staring at Number 9 where Alice De.
vine lived. The house was lighted up:
Scruton was evidently giving a party.
Then caught myself wishing that
went to his parties and met her. l
pulled myself up very short. 1t would
never do to get into the way of think
ing about the ghost girl. I did not
want to get into the mess of life
time. I cleared out of the garden and
the moonlight, off to one of my clubs
and played an honest game of auction
bridge.
Next morning Jack said to me: 81
say, I'd rather you didn't tell any one
you saw me with Miss Ponderbury last
night"
Il shouldn't dream of it, l said.
"We're going to be married as soon
as she's of age in seven months. Her
silly old dunderhead of father is dead
againt it. He's made her promise not
to write to me: and he employs the
wife Of that sponger Manders to see
that she never speaks to me. We don't
often get chance of meeting
81 hope you make up for it when you
d." said.
ooh, we try. But it's hard work
waiting" he said.
ut must be-" said l.
He said nothing for minute or two;
then he said: cts time you were get
ting married yourself"
II know it is. But stave it Off
stave it off," said; and I don't know
why on earth / should have seen a sud-
den picture of Alice Devine's flushed
face and shining eyes. just as I had
seen them on Chipperfleld Common.
Parkhurst interrupted us to say that
Sir Marmaduke Ponderbury wanted to
see me particularly and was waiting in
the library. When l went into it with
my eye glass in my eye, and my mouth
well open, he was standing before a
window, bouncing gently.
He turned and squeaked very shril-
ly: Lord Garthoyle, I've come to make
a last appeal to you as one of my own
order. to release me from your ten
ancy''
whats happened now? thought
you were going so strong?' drawled.
He was pertinacjous beggar.
'The result of my defying these mis-.
creants by my advertisement is that
yesterday there was single hierogly-
phic-the figure of bomb" he squeak
ed. Its the last warning They will
act at once! Any minute! After a
sleepless night have resolved to balk
them by flight"
"Well, don't object I haven't got
bet with you about it. or might call
on you to stick it out" I said
But my rent - are you going to let
me off the rest Of my lease?"~ he
squeaked.
mo; I'm not going to interfere with
your paying your rent. But I'll tell you
what I'll do. I'll lay you seven to four
now that, whether you bolt or whether
you don't, the flood of anarchy outs
you"
He was looking rather green he
turned greener Then he bounced from
side to side, two or three times and
cried: Its incredible, Absolutely in
credible; II the ordinary landlord had
refused, could have understood it.
But that one of my own order should
refuse, when I'm fighting for that or:
der - it's Incredible"
I'm not going to spoil sport don't
you know. Here are you and these an
archists having little set-to and
want to see best man win. Come, will
you take seven to four that they out
your" l said cheerfully
The sporting spirit is the curse of
our order" he howled. And out of the
room and down the stairs he bounced.
Next morning got letter from him
marked urgent" 1t ran:
"The bomb has been drawn on the
porch wall again. I'm spite Of the fact
that the police are watching the house.
fly this afternoon Will you release
me from my tenancy?
IN. p
| expected he had bounced all over
his house, and / wrote in the name of
Garth and Thurman saying that we
could not see our way to let him off his
rent
Later in the morning | strolled out
into the garden of the triangle to see
what the aYateur detectives were do
ing. TheyJwere buzzing in swarm
in front of|Sir Marmaduke's house, in
the porch, on the pavement, in the
roadway and in the shrubbery of the
central garden. About fourteen alter
cations We're going on in lively way
and ! waited for while in the hope
of seeing a general scrap. But there
was nothing but alterations, and max
ing up my mind that amateur detec-
It "a h,,tr 1P,,1 OF nd .