Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-10

lOuSly gtad TO see neT.
why did you behave so unkindly?'
she went on reproachfully.
Couldn't be helped" he assured
her. Tell me about the Cooking
Stoves. How are. they going?"
"Going?" she repeated beamingiy.
II wouldn't dare to tell you how many
thousands We have sold. Mr.. Masters
lis down in the country now negotiat-
ing fol- new factory. And you--you
ought to be there with him." = r
(; Bliss sighed.
at was a great sport selling those
/ stoves" he remarked evasively.
!; She kept her hands in her muff, but
; she leaned a little toward him. Her
eyes challenged his.
Before you move" she insisted,
you've got to tell me absolutely why
you behaved in such an extraordinary
manner
Extraordinary manner" he ech
oed feebly.
"You know quite we'll what / mean
she continued. you saved Mr.. Mas
J tiers from ruin. He has started upon
! a new lease of life You laid the
i foundations Of his fortune. Then, In
stead Of taking thing for yourself,
you Disappeared"
| ~ couldn't help It," he protested.
His answer was battling in its very
! simplicity. She looked him over. His
clothes were Just respectable, but no
more.
| What are you doing now" she de.
manded
y have situation ia this street
J he answered.
F.. The other girl, who had been stand
| ing little way off, suddenly gave
cry. He knew then he was recognized.
"Why you are the young man VINO
let me into Mr. Cockerill's rooms the
other day" she exclaimed Frances,
come here moment
The two girls talked together ear
nestly. Presently they returned.
| "Mr. Bliss" Frances said, this is
Miss Morrison, friend Of mine. She
has been telling me some rather ex-
traordinary things about your employ.
er. Mr.. Cockerill How long have you
! been with him.?
Just over three weeks"
! Miss Morrison leaned little for.
ward and INTERVIEWED She lowered
her voice
Did you know anything about him
before you went there?' she asked.
mot thing" he answered. Il Just
heard of the job through a registry
Office One does not require a refer
ence from an employer when one
wants work.
Where are you going now!' Fran
ces broke in abruptly.
| Nowhere particular" Bliss replied.
1--WE Just left work.
| "Will you come and have some tea
with us?' Miss Morrison begged. II
want to talk to you for few minutes
and an quite sure Frances does, too.
She told me all about you long ago.
with pleasure Bliss agreed
promptly. Where shall we go?
Rumpelmayers?'
They stared at him for moment.
Then Frances laughed
Absurd! Well 60 to a little place
] know 1t isn't far. and we can talk
in peace This way
! They found a little tea-shop not far
/ from Piccadilly Circus. There were
very few people in the place, and no
one within half dozen yards of their
cor1ier table.
Yet Miss Morrison lowered her
voice when she spoke. She leaned
forward across the table with her
head supported upon her hands.
| do you mean to tell me, MIR. Bliss
| that you have been with Mr. Cockerill
/ for nearly month and you haven't
seen through that bird business yet?'
J Seen through 1t Bliss repeated.
Hes a fraud, that's what the man
is" she declared TREMENDOUSLY. He
cares no more for birds than you or |
It's blind" t"fs
The girl pushed back her veil, and
In the light of the incandescent gas
her face was almost CHASTITY in its
earnestness. ~
Frances swears that you are 10
be trusted, SO want you to listen and
will tell you all know of him." she
! continued "A month or so ago i re.
ceived letter from him asking me to
call al his Office in King street The
letter limited quite vaguely at a GER
tain episode in my life which ! had
not imagined that any one. save my
llawyer and myself, and one other per
son who is dead, knew anything of,
4 !
went. I had no idea why. just
wanted to ask for an explanation OF
his letter can remember those
awful minutes even now. The birds
were singing, that wretched parrot
was sitting on his shoulder.
He leaned back in his chair and
he calmly reproduced the whole story
before me, detail by detail He sat
there with that good-natured smile
upon his lips, and he just-watched
When he had finished he asked me
questions, and all the time struggled
to answer them. he still watched. Then
he told ME word for word the con
tents of letter had once ,written-a
letter | would have given my life to
have recalled. DO you know that after
left his office did not sleep for three
nights?"N
so yon mean to suggest that he is
blackmailer?" Bliss asked bluntly.
| .Of co,,rsa he is ". tho girl replied