Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-09
, EDGAR FRANKLIN

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(, thony! He's got his eye on you and
he's fighting his way over here! Now
you scoot down there, kid! Move!
| Quick, before"
! mo! Come with us boy! Anthony
said. somewhat disconcertingly.
| What for?" the boy inquired. 80
want to watch this this"
"You stay and watch it by all
means!" Johnson Boiler smiled
quickly. you're perfectly safe, young
ster; I was only Hfooling. Now you
| come this way, Anthony, and"
Anthony, unperturbed, laid kindly
hand on the youngsters shoulder. /.
you'd better come with us, my
son." said he. They'll run you in
for witness and you may be locked
up for week unless you have friends
to get you OUT
This time he had startled the young
man. Wide eyes turned and stared at
him and there was a distinct note of
fright in the voice that said
What do you mean? Arrest me?"
"Of course, if you stay here" An
thony said.e' Come with me and I'll
take care Of YOU"
And then Johson Boiler had caught
his arm and was dragging him away;
and Anthony, catching the willing
arm of the boy was dragging him
after. Around the side of the ring
they sped, where an interested group
of fighters and trainers watched the
melee; and veering, on through a
small side door, and into the night.
Here's where the taxis wait" Mr..
Boiler said quickly. "Now, you beat
it straight down the street, kid, and
We'll take this one" Anthony in
terrupted, as he jerked open the door
and thrust his bewildered charge in
ward. "Tell the man to take US home
Johnson"
Johnson Boiler complied with a
grunt, slamming the door viciously as
he pumped into his own seat. The
kid, prospective victim of Anthony's
latest notion, was still with them
and he seemed contented enough to
be there for the present. That
possibility of arrest had Jared the
youngster more than little, and he
hunched down on the little forward
seat and breathed quite heavily. And
now Anthony's deep, kindly voice was
addressing him with
You'll come home with me for a
little while, youngster?"
Mr.. Boiler drew long, resigned
breath and prepared to back the boy
in every objection his doubtless nor
NAL mind should offer-but they
CHANGED to pause by an arc lamp just
then and he caught the boys express
sion.
It was really a queer thing to see.
No fear was there at all now, but only
the overwhelming innocent curiosity
of youth, mingled with an inscrutable
something else. One might have
called it daredevil light, breathing
the young craving for adventure, but
Johnson Boiler, with an unaccount-
able shudder, felt that it was not just
that
To save him he could not have
named the quality; he sensed it
rather than actually saw it, but it
was there just the samoan ominous,
hooking, speculative amusement that
had no place at all in the eye OF an
elevator boy when looking at the
wealthy. dignifed Anthony Fry. The
boys fine teeth showed for a moment
as he asked:
Pardon me, but what's it all about?
Why under the sun should go home
with you?"
Because l want to talk con1den-
TALLY to you for an hour
You're not Judging from these toys
that I'm a criminal, are your" the boy
tone was far too cultivated for the
clothes.
'What?"
Il mean, you don't want any one
murdered or anything of that kind?'
Anthony laughed richly.
''By no means, my dear boy. AS to
what it is all about I'll tell you when
we get there. You'll Gomez"
II think not" the boy said frankly.
''But-"
nix! l don't know why, but don't
like the idea think it's little bit
too unusual Who are you, anyway"
my name is Fry. If that tells you
anything" smiled it's owner
Fry" the boy repeated.
Anthony Fry"
'Eh?" the youngster said. and there
was peculiarly sharp note in his
voice.
HE makes Fry's Liniment," John.
son Boiler put in disgustedly, yet hap.
PLY withal because it was plain that
the boy would have no part in spelling
his chess game and the little chat
about Beatrice. "He has a lot of
theories not connected with the lini-
ment business, kid, and he wants to
bore you to death with some of them
They wouldn't interest you any more
than they interest me, and you're
right liz refusing to listen to them"
"Umun," said the boy oddly.
And now I'll tell you what Wen