Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-03-23
CHAPTER XII (Continued)


young. No use taking any risks You
know what women are y silly
well. I'll do what | can" | said.
"But don't think ! can do much at
present Either I've offended Miss De-
vine, or Walsh has been telling her lies
about me-"
He looked at Walsh not at all as II
he liked or admired him.
II should think it's that Walsh has
been lying" he said.
WELL anyhow, I'm afraid / shall
have to play waiting game ! said.
1T would be an awfully good thing,
II you could find a reasonable excuse
FOR backing both his eyes and keeping
him at home for a WHILE said the
duke almost viciously.
"He wouldn't give me the chance. He
knows too much about me- | said. III
q middle weight amateur champion
wants scrap, he has to find perfect
stranger to oblige him. AS matter
of fact, I gave Walsh fair chance
few nights ago. ! told him several I'M
pleasant things about himself. But he
didn't take it."
We finished our drink and went back
to the table. l was good deal sur.
prised by the dukes speaking to me: /
had not thought that he could keep MS
attention off the game long enough TO
notice such a thing as the friendllness
between Alice and Walsh, His warn
ing made the matter much more serl'
GUS A duke is naturally an expert IN
women; they run after him so. he
must be thinking that things were get
ting pretty dangerous. l kne" that
Walsh was in dead earnest; and no"
there was no relying on Allces ols'
like of him. He seemed to have worn
1t down. It was very annoying.
II only could find out how had Of
Tended her, and set that right, it would
be different matter; for If she and ]
were friends again I thought I could
queer Walsh's game But I could not
think what on earth I had done, or
what she had been told I had done.
though I thought of every possible
thing.
Then Walsh himself gave me the
hint. At Scruton's next party he was
sitting by Alice talking to her when
came In.
"Ah the gay abductor.' he said in
his sneering way.
Then tumhled to it. He was friend
" enough with Herbert to learn from
him how l had helped Gage carry of
Kitty MAYNARD. l might take 1t as
pretty certain that Herbert had also
told him that had said that I never
dreamed of marrying Alice. Walsh had
told Alice this with embellishments.
He had made 1t seem absolutely often
sive. No wonder she was angry with
me. I could have wrung his neck
cheerfully.
When I came to consider the matter
found, myself no better of now that
1 had guessed why she was furious
with me than I was before. could not
70 to her and say: Look here, you
have been told that I've been saying
that should never dream Of marrying
you. I didn't say 1t the way you think
! did"
1t was absurd. I did want to wiring
Walsh's neck.
Well, could only sit tight and keep
my temper. l did. I>took Alice's snub.
binGs like lamb, cheerful lamb. But
once or twice when Walsh Clipped in,
was pleased to get the chance Of
showing that the lambness was only
skin deep. Certainly I gave him every
excuse to punch my head. / only wish.
cd he would. But to Alice I tried to
make 1t plain that whatever she might
say, l was still her friend. Yet 1t was
hard work to see her playing with fire,
and keep quiet. If 1 had not been so
tied up, If l could have let myself go.
and made up my mind to marry her.
and ask her to marry me, thought I
could get into a position to set things
right. But I could not. The ghost
trick stuck In my mind.
All the while she went on growing
friendlier and friedlier with Walsh. I
found that she was even letting him
help her take her waits into the coun-
~ for afternoon outings. He spoke
20 her about 1t before me just to an
noY me. He took them in his motor
car, lust as had taken the anarchists
and she went with them to look after
them. must say that that did annoy
me worse than anything. l could only
hope that her old distrust Of him was
still alive under this new friendliness:
and had an idea that she showed her
self far more friendly with him when
I was present, hearing their talk, than
when was not. He tried to be quite
insufferable with his triumphant airs:
they did not get at me much. took it
that he was only putting them on just
to annoy me.
Naturally was delighted to see, one
evening at Scruton's, that Walsh had
received set back. Alice had plainly
Ucerreled with him; she would have
nothing more to dc with him. He kept
Leaving the baccarat table and coming
to her and talking. But from his face
I gathered that she waS snubbing him
worse than she snubbed ME. He was
a blackish purple. At the same time
she showed herself no friendlier with
me: she did not use me to annoy
Walsh. Then thought that she looked
rather unhappy: and it spoilt my pleas
ure in her quarrel with Walsh. 1t look
ed as if she were feeling unhappy be-
cause she had quarrel with him.
/ was taking her GOODNESS in my
usual cheerful way; and ! could not
help saying: I'm glad to see you've
found Walsh out ! thought he was
pretty sure to give himself away. He's
not the sort of man that it's safe. for g
woman to be decent to at all
She was sitting stiffly enoug; but she
drew herself IN even more stifflv and