Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-05-04
Euening Story
THE GIRL FROM ARRocHAR.
BY lola Forester.
Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate)

| lCOpyrlSnt, 1910 ny TIE MCSiuAS
Newspaper Syndicate.)
Dick lived on Staten Island and
worked in lower Manhattan. At night
he walked down to the Battery, unless
: it was stormy, and took ferry across
the lower bay. And while others home
ward bound might hunt the secluslon
t that the cabin granted, Dick used TO
! turn up his coat collar and take con-
! stitutional trot around the deck. 1t was
generally SO cool and brisk that he had
little company until the girl appeared
! as a regular trotter also.
i She was about twenty, he judged and
wore a heavy, mannish looking coat,
with turned up storm collar. too, and
raksh dark blue tam pulled close
| over her fair curly hair. Never once
did she appear to notice Dick, although
they passed and repassed each other
night after night on the half hour trip:
And how am to get acquainted
with herr" he asked Bernie. Il cant
/ speak to her offhand and can't f1lrt
! with her She isn't that kind, Bernie:
She's a thoroughbred. I wish she'd
trip and tumble so could hold her up,
or something like that"
"Trip her. then" Bernie suggested
hopefully. Stretch string across and
trip her."
you're friend, aren't you?' Dick
remarked sarcastically What do you
want? They'd have the handy wagon
waiting for me at the other end in no
time, and She be the first to speak
against me. She buys ticket for Ar
| rochar."
Where does she go at the end?" ask
F.! ed Bernie Maybe it would be easier
to trail her here
| Dick favored him this time with
smile Of full appreciation. This hadn't
occurred to him. The evening trips had
,, been so full OF unreality, OF illusion,
that he had forgotten she must 60 to
work IN the mornings. And he had
missed her then.
"I'll get out at tomorrow and watch
the trains" he said Tell the old man
I wasn't well when left today may
not get in till noon."
He haunted the train terminus until
s:15 the following morning. 1t was
clear and frosty and in his buttonhole
Dick had tucked last lone pink aster
from the home garden over at ST
George. Then he saw her coming. By
daylight she looked even younger. and
her hair was surely the curliest blond
hair he had ever seen He hid behind
newspaper until the ferry swung in
to the slip, and then followed her
aboard She did not pace the deck
now, but read a book all the way up
He could not even tell whether she had
noticed him at all At the New York
end she took subway express uptown
and Dick was on the same car The
trail of romance grpped him now. He
didn't care what the boss thought
about his absence. After working
every day from to 6 for months there
was something coming to him when
fate threw such a dazzling lure across
bis path as the facet under the dark
! blue tam"
II happened at about Thirty-fourth
street just before the express swung
ND toward the new tunnel cut There
came heavy Jolt and grinding Of
brakes. then darkness. At first there
was only the sensation Of annoyance
at the delay. Dick wished he could
still see her face. He had risen to
give his seat to an old lady at Four
teenth street and stood close to the
center doors. And all at once he felt
some one jostle him and a tug at his
pocket. Just as the train started up.
and the lights wet mp. the man behind
him had seized him by the shoulder
but Dick already had grip on the
wrist that was half out of his pocket.
mo. you don't" he said CURLY. mot
this time"
They were working in pairs. he knew
- bo ~ 10 ho had
hold of was calling for the guard and
accusing Dick OF being the thief. But
Dick was New York born and bred and
he knew the game thoroughly. Not
once in the tussling did he let go his
grip. and when the train pulled into the
Grand Central station he was smiling
as the guard hurried them all off on to
the platform and some one blew a po-
lice whistle. At the first sound the
man who had accused him fed, but was
hustled back before he reached the
first stairs. And all at once Dick.
standing nonchalantly with a neat
knuckle grip on his prisoners wrist.
saw the girl near him in the crowd.
her eyes wide and friendly.
And Just how It all happened Dick
never could quite tell, but when the po-
lice came It was she who vouched for
him. She gave her name as witness.
too. and Dick stood trifle more erect
as he heard she was a librarian. His
own business references sufficed, and
presently the crowd had melted. as 1t
does in Manhattan and they stood to-
gether on the platform with the Ice
broken at last.
at was dandy of you to say all that,
he burst out. boyishly. and you didn't
even know my name"
"Yes I did too. | saw II one day on
your sntcase-Richard Conley."