Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-26
AlieeDeviine
ASzayy@Zong anazKM1zy
By Edgar Jepson
Author Of Pollyooly, etc.
corys,oHf 1915 By TEE Bon,s.Mx,.,r1.. Co.

rather wasted my time; and you ca
not be strenuous and have your tim
wasted too. l grew rather short an
quite monotonous with that kind be
fore the end Of the morning The hun
dred and eleventh girl, Miss Delici
| Wishart, was the girl l wanted. Sh
was fully qualified; she spoke ant
looked as if she were capable and sh
was undoubtedly attractive, with a sof
pleasant voice. thought that SHOULD
work better with an attractive assis
tant-Jack Thurman is not; he has
nose like the beak of full sizet
eagle. l engaged her.
Then Went out into the hail. 1t wa!
very full of policemen and Journalist
now and the inspector looked as if hi
had the whole of the British Empire
on his mind; and 1t was compressins
it.
Inspector I said gently, 81 have
engaged typist. You may clear the
triangle
He looked at me as If he were rather
hard Of hearing.
"Clear-clear the triangle?" he said
in faint whispering voice; and he sat
down on the knee and note book of 2
journalist who sat, writing, on one oil
the hall chairs.
Eyes; I have finished with these
ladies'" said, and went up to the
library and looked out of the window
The triangle was now full. The
trains from the Midlands had come in
took my hat and stick, and went
quietly out by the back door I had
done my duty as house agent; the
police must do the rest.
CHAPTER II.
The House That Paid No Rent.
Later in the day I learned from an
evening paper that the police had done
the rest and Garthoyle Gardens were
again peaceful. Also Richards tele.
phoned to me at the Palladium to say
that nine papers wanted my photo.
graph. ] told him that l had not had
my photograph taken since I was at
Elton, and that If he put them in the
way of snap Shooting me, would sack
him. However, they learned somehow
or other that was at the Palladium
and members who came into the card
room, where settled down for quiet
days bridge, kept wondering whom
those journalist Johnnies with cameras
were after, because none of the men,
bers was in the Divorce Court at the
When the evening papers
got into full swing about my advertise
ment. they knew, and they did not for
get to talk about advertising for the
rest of the day and all the evening.
did not mind ofscourse, but it grew
rather rnonotonous.
The evening papers had good deal
20 say about my observation-disclosures
'ead bits of it out between the rubbers
md the hands. But the morning
papers had even more to say. All of
hem were agreed that three simple
suineas a week had brought together
he largest crowd of women known in
history; and they drew moral lessons
rom it, different ones. Some papers
laid that 1t afforded a striking tribute
o the resources of our civilization:
>thers seemed very angry about it
because 1t threw sinister light on the
economic subsection, whatever that
nay be, Of women. All Of them agreed
hat must be rather fool (they did
lot say 1t outright. they suggested it,
o offer three guineas week, whe,,
hirty shillings would have been
nough. /. do not care much for the
'apers as a rule, but that morning 7
ound them quite interesting. SEEM
ID to have become all of a sudden one
4 the most important people in Eng
and. Fourteen papers sent interview
rs round to ask my opinion of the
Budget. did not know what it was
r anything about it: but the first in
erviewer explained it all to me; and
fter that got on very we'll. It seem !
d to me matter of one.and-twopence
n the pound: and l simply said that |
did not mind. that I had plenty to
pare.
1t seemed that l said the wrong |
hing, for next morning my cousin |
lerbert Polkington, came round in the |
1lddle of breakfast and begged me to |
e more discreet in my utterances to
he Press. In fact he limited that it !
'ould be a good thing if did not do
ny uttering at all In the middle of /
is visit note came from my tenant.
fr Marmaduke Ponderbury, begging
lie 'in the interests of my order to be
,ss frank argued the matter with
[erbert - l never take anything from
lerbert without arguing--pointing out
nat what had said was just common
ense, that with thirty thousand
ear. one-and-twopence in the pound
as neither here nor there. / got Her
ert quite heated. He went away say
lg something nasty about taking
cps to have the House of Lords edu-
ated. | did not mind: | never do
1ything Herbert says: and this time
was quite sure l was right. Some of Il
lie papers did not print my views: but
lose that did. praised them.
The papers kept on making a fuss
bout my advertisement for some DAYS.
grew rather tired of it. had other
ings to attend to: for three DAYS af-
r it ! really began work. ;
Jack and Miss Wishart came to the
fee at nine. ] came at ten. This I
I'd to be because | keep later hours
an they do They had spent the hour
aiming an honest DAVIS work for me, ]
here was plenty of it; they had not I
inted me. 1t began with answering
tiers, forty-nine of them. fifteen from
nants. 1t seemed that whenever a
nant had five minutes to snare. he {
she, sat down and dashed off an un. {
easant letter TO the house agent. AL :
thew were at 2 loss to understand !