Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-25
Opportunity:
CHAPTER x1-(coutinued)
BY EDGAR FRANKLIN
Copyright The Frank A. Munsey Co.. West Fosth st,ss
New York City.


statically. $50 it turned around and
came back to its Pudgy!"
Mrs. Boiler regarded him solemnly'
AT some awful place north of Al
bany," she said II couldn't go any
farther and IL was going to wire
you to come for me, Pudgy! And
then thought I'd stay at their ter
rible hotel and come down and sur
prise you, and you weren't home and
they said you'd come here!"
"Yes!" johnson Boiler agreed.
How could you leave our home,
fPudgy-wudgy?" his darling asked re-
IprovingH.
III I had stayed there another hour
without my little chicE-biddy, I'D
have shot myself" said Pudgy-wudgy.
i ASK Anthony" And here he looked
at Anthony and demanded: "Aint we
silly? Like a couple of kids!"
"You certainly ares" Anthony Fry
'rasped.
~You don't have to screw your face
al up when you say it!' Mr.. Boiler
Informed him disengaging himself
Beatrice laughed charmingly.
You'll overlook it, Mr.. Fry? said
she. We've never been separated be-
fore in all the"
six months!" beamed Johnson Boil
Ter.
that we've been married." fin
ished his wife, squeezing his hand.
Followed a pause. Anthony had
nothing whatever to say; after wit
Messing an exhibition like that he
never had anything to say for an hour
or more that a lady could hear. He
stood, a cold, stately, disguised fig
ure, surging internally, thanking every
star in the armament that he had
never laid himself open to situation
OF that lind-and after time the in
imical radiations from him reached
Beatrice. for she laughed uneasily.
May may fix my hair?" she
asked. "And then we'll go home.
Pudgy?"
l,'Yes my love-" purred Johnson Boil
(which is your room, pigeon
boy?' his bride asked.
So far as concerned Johnson Boiler,
Mary had been waited out of this
world; all aglow with witless happi-
ness, he pointed at the door as he
said:
"That one, Beetie-chicken."
Beatrice turned-and ten thousand
volts, shot through Anthony and caused
his hair to stand on end. His laugh,
coming simultaneously, was a loud,
weird thing. splitting the still air.
Your bedroom, Johnson" he cried
~She means your bedroom!"
"Wall-of counsel" Beatrice replied.
"W4n, that's down at the end of the
corridor, dear madam" Anthony
smiled wildly, and went so far as to
stay her by laying hands on her arm.
Right down there-see? The open
door. That's Johnson's room!"
Beatrice, distinctly startled, glanced
Ct hlm and nodded and left. Anthony,
drawing the first real breath in full
minute glared at his friend in silence;
but the mornings dread situation had
slid from Johnson Boilers shoulders
- . drop Of water from a ducks
Aock, For second or two he had
been slightly Jared at the magnitude
Of the break he had made-but that
Was al over now.
my mistake, old scout" he
ehuekled softly. You've saved the
day-what are you glowering about?"
~Clod!" gasped Anthony.
nd airfly. "Well, did you ever see
the like Of it? Did you ever see any
thing like the little squeezicks, An
thony! She's back, bless her little
heart! She couldn't stand it."
-Umph!" said his host.
sAnd so I'm let out of it," Mr.. Boil.
ler chuckled on. well just scoot
Along to the little dove-cote, old vine.
gar, and see how she looks after all
this time I'm sorry to leave you with
the problem on your hands, you
know"
Don't let it disturb you!" Anthony
snapped.
"Hell!" said Anthony Fry.
"And did it come back?" the imbe-
che that had been Johnson Boiler
gurgled.
The dark, exquisite head burrowed
0eep on Boilers shoulder.
"Oh, Pundgy!" muffled voice pro
1psted, almost tearfully. II couldn't
u It! / thought could, but couldn't
0weetest."
'But at that, you know, fate's doing
the kind, just thing by snatching me
cut" Mr. Boiler concluded earnestly
and virtuously. 1T wasn't my muddle
in the first place, and somehow l feel
that you haven't acted just on the I
level with me, about any of it."
Anthony's mouth opened to protest. |
Yet he did not protest. Instead, he /
Jumped, just as one jumps at the un- !
expected explosion of a fire-cracker- /
for down the corridor scream, shrill |
md sharp, echoed suddenly.
And after the scream came long,
choking gasp, so that even wilkins ;
sppeared in the doorway and Johnson !
Boiler Died forward to learn what
had oy<rtAken his only darling. He ,
was spared the trouble Of going down !
the corridor, however. Even as he
darted forward, Beatrice had rejoined .
them; and having looked at her just
once johnson Boiler stood in his ,
tracks, rooted to the floor! |,
Because Beatrice, the lovely, loving,
Beatrice Of the melting eyes and the
high color had left them. The lady
in the doorway was white as the
driven snow and breathing in a queer