Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-16
whats that? What was that"

&,
main impression was that the roo
had fallen inland Johnson Boiler
struggling into his bathrobe. stumbled
! to the door and burst into the brillian
/ living-room.
| In the center of the room, fiattenet
upon the floor, was Anthony's sub
stantial little desk. Papers were
around it and blotters and lettep'
without number, and the old-fashion
ed inkwell had shot of its top and SCI
black streak across the beautiful
Oriental carpet.
Two chairs were on their sides
! also, but the striking detail of the pic
ture was furnished by David Prentiss
That young man was sprawled Graz
! lily, just beyond the desk, and beside
him, holding him down with both
hands, was wilkins, tastefully array
ed in the lowered silk pajanas An
thony had discarded last year as toe
vivid.
'I've got him, sir" Wilkins pale
81 have him fast"
"What'd he do?" Johnson Boiler
asked quickly. Pull knife on you,
Wilkins"
He'd no time for that, SIR" Wiki.
ms said grimly. 81 think he stumbled
over chair and took the desk along
with him, trying to get out. I always
wake just as the clock strikes two,
and stay awake ten minutes or more,
and that's how I came to hear him
and get him. He was just getting to
his feet when ran in and turned on
the lights, and he"
LET him up" Anthony said sharp
ly.
"But don't let 60 Of him!" johnson
Boiler said harshly. II missed the
time by an hour, but was right otheF
wise, Anthony. He's got the silver
and your stick pins and rings on him.
and-what the dickens u he wear
ing?"
Silence fell upon them for little
as David struggled to his feet and
looked about with a, strange. trance
like stare--for there was some reason
for Mr.. Boilers query.
David, apparently. had dressed for
the street. He wore shoes not less
than five sizes too long; he wore a
bright brown sack coat which came
almost to his knees, and blue trousers
which were turned up until they all
but met the coat. He had acquired a
rakish felt hat, too, which rested
mainly on the back Of his neck.
He got them clothes out Of the
junk closet at the end of the corridor,
SIR wilkins said quite breathlessly.
HE must have been roaming the
place quite bit, to have found them.
and"
What were you trying to do
David?" Anthony snapped.
81 don't know. sir" David said
vaguely. passing hand over his eyes
in a manner far too dramatic to be
convincing.
Where, did you get those clothes ?"
Il have no idea, sir" David MUIR
INJURED.
Don't lie to mel" Anthony snapped.
what"
I'm not lying, sir" David said in
the same vague, far-away tone. Il
must have been asleep, Mr.. Fry. I
remember having terrible dream
it, was about father and it seemed to
me that he was dying. There were
doctors ally about the bed and father
was calling to me. and 1t seemed to
me that l must get to him, no matter
what stood in the way remember
trying to go to him. and then--vhy,
must have fallen there, sir, and wax
ened."
For an instant the vagueness left
his eyes and they looked straight at
Anthony.
MAY go to father now!' he asked.
"That-that dream upset me-"
Morning will do for father" An
thony said briefly.
But I have feeling that some
thing terrible is going to happen If I
don't co.
Get back to had. youngster," he
smiled. You're nervous. suppose
being in strange bed, and all that
sort Of thing. And incidentally. get off
those clothes and give them to Wiki
ms"
David gulped audibly.
'T'll pass them out to wilkins. il
must SIR" he said in the queerest,
choking voice--and he turned from
them and shuffled down the corridor
to the north bedroom of Anthony
FryB apartment.
Curious Kid" Anthony muttered.
mot nearly as curious as you are, :"
said Johnson Boiler. you didn't even
go through his pockets and get out
the stuff while he was here, and we
could see just what he'd taken! You
let him go in there and dump his
pockets before he gives up the clothes
and"
Anthony permitted himself grin
and yawn.
my dear chap, go back to bed and
forget it," he said impatiently. "The
boy was stealing nothing. He may
have been trying to escape; he may
have been walking in his sleep. Con-
or subconsciously, he's GER
tainly giving US a demonstration of
tendency to dodge Its op-
portunities.'
Johnson Boiler gave It up and re-
turned, soured, to his Circassian wal