Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-23
Alice
A31eyy@Zeke anaMe1@y
By Edgar Jepson
Author of Pollyooly, etc.
Author Of Pollyoo oily, ct
1916 BIZ Tus Bosss-Nx,a,n Ca.

lunerlteQ IL, now many sons ana QauRH-
tiers he had, how many servants -
male and female - he kept how many
horses, carriages and motor cars
HE must have had capacious
BRAIN" said Jack.
"Oh, he kept record of all these
things In big book like ledger. He
even entered in 1t all the births, deaths
and marriages which took place in the
Gardens. At one time when l dined
with him l used to ask him how many
babies had been vaccinated in the Gar
dens during the month. But. l gave
that up. It set him talking about the
Gardens at ance; and was the sooner
bored. Those Gardens were the apple
of his eye yes, the apple of his
eye"
Then I wonder he left them to you"
said Jack frankly.
$50 did l. He was always down on
me-worse than you - for my idle
life. He wanted me to take my duties
as a hereditary legislator more seri-
ously, take lessons in elocution, engage
political expert as my secretary, and
deliver such speeches as he composed
for me to the House Of Lords. He was
always grumbling at my idleness and
thought that he'd leave the Gardens to
Herbert Polkingotn: so did Herbert. l
should have thought myself deucedly
lucky II he'd left me fifty thousand
pounds And now I've got the Gar
dens. But -Garthoyle Gardens are
gilded pill"
Il should like to have the swallowing
OF it, said Jack; and he smacked his
lips. But what do you men,"
Il mean that Garthoyle Gardens
mean the strenuous life. They are
left to me on the condition that am
my own house agent, that l run them
myself I've got to interview proposed
tenants. examine their standing, their
references and their leases I've got to
see to all matters connected with the
upkeep of the Gardens, estimates, and
contracts for repairs. I've got to run
those Gardens ever so much more than
my uncle did himself
Good! Excellent" cried Jack
And thought you were my friend"
/ said again reproachfully.
DO you all the good in the world"
said Jack. and If you fail to fulfill
the conditions, you lose the property?"
mo. that's where my uncle had me.
There's no such provision RI accept
the bequest. it's left entirely to my
honor to fulfill the conditions. OIL
course. I accept it. No one refuses
twenty-five thousand a year.
Hardly" said Jack.
Besides, I want money. It's been
the deuce of a job to keep up the title
on five thousand year: and I hate
having to let Garth Royal to that Ham
burg money ledner'
"Yes that certainly is a nuisance"
said Jack
But taking the Gardens on these
terms means claiming a log = gold
log-round my neck for the rest of my
life. can't go off to the States for
six months. as I did last year. l can't
go shooting in Uganda again not for
long enough to be worth while. You
see, my uncle has shown such utter
confidence in ME that l can't 20 back
on him. Hard labor is what it means
for me-"
you'll soon get used to work." said
Jack.
! shook my head. I'm very doubt.
full about that" said Mine is an
untrammeled spirit And there is al
so terrible danger attached to the
bequest. My uncle's last words in the
document containing these conditions
were that he was sure I should grow
as fond of the Gardens as he was him.
self. That would be awful. It's a ter.
rible danger. I might grow to talk OF
nothing else, choke OF my friends one
by one by boring them about the Gar.
dens and bring myself to an old age of
lonely desolation. Think of it,"
Il can't" said Jack.
well, you see how things are: I'm
one OF the workers Of the world-in for
the strenuous life Of the house agent.
Now, what I want is right hand man.
l want you. I'll give you thousand
a year, and you'll give me all the time
you can spare from the Bar
Jacks eyes opened wide: and they
shone. He did brilliant things at Ok
ford; but that period had come to an
end and he was now in his briefless
stage Of barrsters career and hard
up. Then his face fell and he shook
his head
"My good Garth, it's very nice of you
to make this offer, but it's absurd. You
can get a clerk for 4 hundred and fifty
q year VINO WIN give you all his time
aid w cNSi sluius lOI you.
You're wrong" I said "a clerk
can't do what want. want some
one to teach me the work - to explain
everything to me from the beginning,
patiently. And above all | want some
one to keep me up to my work. That's
the important thing. No clerk would
do that. He'd always be saving me the
trouble. You're the only man who
can really help me to carry out my
uncle's wishes: and I must have you.
It's settled. There's nothing more to
be said about it,
Jack seemed to think that there was
more to be said about it; and he said
it for nearly an hour. But since | was
doomed to the strenuous life, I thought
might as well begin: and I was siren
uous with him. In fact. I wore him
down to a compromise. He agreed to
become my right hand man on sal
airy Of five hundred year: and I was
very glad to get him.
Ito Be Continued)
BANK HAS ELECTION.