Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-03-27
CHAPTER Mi (Continued)

VI course II was very uITedSOudple
to take snatched kiss seriously. II
might happen to anybody But Alice
was like that; of course, women never
are reasonable about that kind Of thing
1t was very difficult business, and
for the next few days | worried ana
worried over it. could not make UP
my mind what to do Then the Walsh
affair, too, had changed Alice. she
had grown rather shy with me. IL
was all right after we had been talking
q while, but she was shy when she met
me, and if / came on her suddenly, she
hlushed-faintly, Tut quite distinctly
1t always made me want to pick her
UP and kiss her, and tell her that she
was the only girl in the world for me.
After a while / could not think Of that
kiss / gave her, when l caught her
PLAYING the ghost. without wanting to
kiss her again. At least, it was more
than wanting - it was kind of burn
ing to do it.
kept on getting more and more wor-
ried, and quite realized that | was IN
the mess of lifetime.
At last made up my mind that the
only thing to do was to bolt and be
quick about it. A course of foreign
travel was the only chance Of curing
myself, and the sooner | took 1t. the
less painful ! should find it. l saw
plainly that 1t was not a case for big
game shooting # l got away to the
loneliness of the woods and hills,
should only be worse. | should want
Alice worse than ever. good dose
of racketing about the capitals OF
Throne was what I wanted,
saw this quite clearly, but then |
could not drag myself away from Lon
don. l could not bear the Idea Of leav-
ing Alice. l had to struggle like any
thing to get myself to 60, but at last
went off to Paris l did not tell Alice
was going: l dared not. She might
look hurt at the thought of it, and then
ghost trick or no ghost trick, l should
pick her up and kiss her. knew I
should.
I put in three days In Paris with
lots Of wild hilarity in them. Then the
whole place seemed to turn sour and
after lunch on the fourth day, l told
Mowart to pack my things and take
ticket for Berlin, a much more anus
ing town, when you know the ropes,
than people will admit | could only
stand it for day. l was restless, and
bored beyond relief. At six in the even
ing / told Mowart to pack and came
straight back to Garthoyle Gardens.
I was no sooner in my own house,
within three hundred yards Of Alice,
than the restlessness left me. l want
ed to see her as soon as possible, OF
course, but i could wait an hour or two
without an effort.
l dined at home, with much better
appetite than had had in Paris or Ber-
lin; and then l went out into the CEN
trail garden. It was late. for had din
ed late - it must have been nearly
half past ten. There was not much
chance of finding Alice, for she, did not
often come into the garden at night.
But there was chance and strolled
all round it, looking for her. l did not
find her / had made the circuit Of the
garden and come back to the gate OPP
posite my own house: I turned and
went up the broad path which runs to
the middle of the garden.
II was about fifty yards from the ring
Of strawberries which forms the center
of the garden, when figure burst out
of one of the lawns in the ring and
came running toward me. saw that
It was woman; then ! saw that it was
girl, and then saw that 1t was Alice
herself. When she was ten yards from
me saw that she was as white as a
sheet and was painting and sobbing.
She almost ran into me before she saw
me. and then, pulling up, fairly tumbled
into my arms.
Whatever is it?' cried holding her
up
"Oh, I've been so frightened" she
gasped.
She was as cold as ice and trembling
rs have never seen any one tremble
before. half carried half dragged her
to the nearest bench, and sat down on
Il with her In my arms.
Gently. gently - you're quite safe
now - you needn't be frightened any
longer" said; and kissed her.
1t was rather taking advantage of
her terror; but I was startled and did
not think Of that: and it seemed the
natural thing to do - just as one would
hiss q frightened child. She did not
seem to mind 1t - and | kissed her
again.
She sobbed and choked and painted
for two or three minutes then she re-
covered enough to say:
"Oh, I'm 30 glad you came. ] should
never have got as far as the gate
never"
She looked up the path with terrified
eyes and shrank closer to me.
who was 1t? Who frightened youo
Was 1t that brute Walsh?" l said, be-
ginning to get angry; and half rose
with the idea Of going and smashing
him
"No-no-it was no one. 1t was the
straw hat" she painted.
THE WHAT" / cried.
1T was the straw hat she said.
What straw hat? Tell me all about
It. please said L. and I kissed her
again. to give her confidence
She pulled herself together with an
effort that shook her: then she went
on in steadier voice; 81 was coming
toward the center Of the garden-and
] thought l saw Il mana man in
straw hat-go into the lawn-the lawn
in which Etienne Bechut was murder.
ed. He was very indistinct. and it was
odd-and it puzzled me. So when got
to the lawn | went half way through