Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-09
man on whom she had played the

she did not ask, she looked at me
earnestly and said:
! ooh, Mr.. Garth, you helped me to
2; take those poor children into the coun.
try when had lost my purse. l won.
der if you'd help me now"
F., "Of course l WILL" said.
1--we found out the secret of the
! hieroglyphics, but l don't quite know
what to do"
"The dickens you have!" I cried
| Eyes. | want that hundred pounds
reward awfully - for some more poor
children I've made friends with. My
/! stepfather said that it was quite plain
that the hieroglyphics were drawn by
some one who lived in Number IL. So
I've been watching and watching the
house with glasses. Yesterday found
out that it is the pretty girl Miss
Ponderbury. think 1t is-who writes
them; and she writes them for dark
young man with big hooked nose,
who lives at Number 49,"
Jack Thurman! That was his beak!
1t could be no one ese's. And as I
thought of Sir Marmaduke's terrors,
and all the fuss in the papers, I burst
out laughing-all that fuss about low
ers' signal code!
Miss Devine stared at me and then
she said: Eyes, it is funny-all that
fuss. But she did do it. There was
nothing on the wall of the porch at six
yesterday morning. At half past six
she came out of the house, stopped just
a few seconds in the porch and walked
across into the garden. ! slipped out
at the far gate. came down past the
house, ran up the steps and saw the
hieroglyphics on the wall"
Excellent" said.
, II came back to the garden and went
on watching. / saw a housemaid find
the hieroglyphic and saw all the fuss
that the servants and Sir Marmaduke
Ponderbury and the police made when
the hieroglyphic was found. Sir Mar
maduke was highly excited, talked
'He does bounce" said.
and I saw Miss Ponderbury go back
into the house soon after eight Then
at ten minutes to nine the young man
with the big nose came by, ran up the
steps, took one look at the hieroglyphic
and came down the steps, looking ever
so pleased. ! saw quite plainly from
his face that he knew all about it, that
it was drawn for him. I'm quite sure
of it,"
$50 am t. said you must claim
the reward at once
That's just the difficulty. It's why
vice. Last night l saw Miss Ponder
bury and the young man in the garden
here, and they - and they - oh, well
they seemed very fond of each other.
1t would be a shame to get them into
trouble. Yet should like to get that
hundred pounds reward. What am to
do?"
Il see. You want that money. but
you don't want the path of true love
to run rough. Let's think" said. But
did not find it easy to think with her
standing before me looking 80 charm.
ing with her frowning, puzzled face.
81 think see way" / said present.
ly. But old Ponderbury will be as
mad as halter. He'll be the laughing
stock Of England. 1t will knock his
precious peerage on the head for good
and ALL"
"His being angry is just what I'm
afraid Of she said. ut is quite plain
that he's already angry with them or
they wouldn't have to meet secretly
This will make him worse than ever"
'If you like to leave it with me,
think I can work it without harmjng
them: and I'll send Sir Marmadukes
check along TO you, if get it.
ut would be splendid if you could
"a hundred pounds! But you mustn't
make trouble for those two" she said.
10 hot ~
roughen the path Of true love on any
account. I might be there myself one
Of these days" said.
Zone never knows" she said smiling
And what have you been doing
since the expedition? And how are
your young anarchists" inquired
She told me she had given some teas
in Hyde Park to two or three other
lots of poor children, and that the an
archist family of Briggs was going
very strong. She had been invited to
join Charlotte Corday Briggs on a
great shopping expedition! and from
Robspierre to Stepniak the family was
respondent.
1t was past one before we had finish
ed our talk: and she hurried away to
lunch. I walked across to Number IL,
and was taken straight to Sir Marina
duke. in small room at the back of
the house out of the reach Of the
bombs. He was sitting in an armchair
and looking as if he were out on rough
sea. and it was not agreeing with him.
"Ah. at the last moment you have
decided to stand by your order and re-
lease me from my tenancy " he said.
mo, I've come for the hundred
pounds reward l said.
you've found the miscreants? Then
! can bring them to justice at once!
I must act swiftly and terribly. The
country will expect it of me! Their
names?' And he was up and bounc-
ing,
We'll, there's only one and it's Miss
Ponderbury," said.
Miss Ponderbury? My daughter"
he gasped.
at seems you made her promise not
to write to my friend. Jack Thurman,
and these hieroglyphics are their sig
L.