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Show OLIVER OCTOBER GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON COPYRIGHT. BELL S YN D I CATE.(w.N.U. 5E.R.VICE) it?" Inquired the minister, the first to speak. Jane did not give Oliver a chance to reply. "Do about it?" she cried. "Why, he's going to run against old Gooch and beat the life out of liiiu!" Oliver looked up at her. She stood at the top of the steps, the light from the open door falling athwart her radiant radi-ant face, half in shadow, half In the warm, soft glow. Suddenly his heart began to pound heavy, smothering blows against his ribs that had the effect ef-fect of making him dizzy, as with vertigo. verti-go. He continued to stare, possessed of a strange wonder, as she turned to her tall, gray-haired parent and laid both hands on his shoulders. "1 wish I could say 'gee whiz' as Sammy says it," she cried. "I feel all over just like one great big 'gee whiz.' Don't you, daddy?" The man of God took his daughter's firm, round chin between his thumb and forefinger and shook It lovingly. "One 'gee whiz" in the family is enough," said he. "I am glad you feel like one, however. You take me back 25 years, my dear. Your mother used to say 'gee whiz' when she felt like It. It is, afler all, a rather harmless way of exploding." Presently he left them and Jane spoke softly. "Did you notice, Oliver, that he spoke of mother a little while ago It was. tlie first time in years. I wonder if I remind him of her in lots Df ways." Oliver's thoughts leaped backward a score of years and more. "I used to think she was the most wonderful person per-son in ail tite world," he said. "I was very desperately in love with your mother when I was six or seven, Jane.1'' He hesitated and then went on clumsl ly, almost fatuously: "I am beginning to think that you are like her in a lot of ways." . She gave him a quick, startled look. His face was turned away, and so he did not see the tender, wistful little smile that flickered on her lips, nor was he aware of the long, deep breath she took. From that moment a queer, uneasy restraint fell upon them. There were long silences, dreamy on her part, moody on his. He left shortly after 10; his "good-night" was strangely gruff and unnatural. He was jealous. He knew It for a fact, he confessed It to himself for the first time openly and unreservedly. He was jealous of young Lansing. There was no use trying to deny It. He did not go so far as to think of himself as being in love with Jane that would be ridiculous, after all the years they had known each other but he bitterly resented the thought that she might be In love with some one else. Especially with the superior, supercilious, cocksure Lansing I CHAPTER V An Amazing Cablegram ."Why, if Jane were in love with Lansing," reflected Oliver, "good Lord, what a fool he had been to think it would make no difference to him I It would make a difference an appalling difference. All nonsense to think she wouldn't go out of his life if she married mar-ried Lansing or anyone else. Of course she would. Strange, though, that he should he so consumed with jealousy when he wasn't the least bit in love with Jane himself. He had been In love half a dozen times. He ought to know what love was and certainly his feelings toward Jane were nothing like those he had experienced in bygone by-gone affairs of the heart. Gee whiz! What had suddenly got into him? The next morning lie was down at the swamp bright and early, inspecting the work of the ditchers and tile layers. lay-ers. The task of reclaiming the land had been under way for several months and was slowly nearing completion. "I wish you'd change your mind about not going out any farther, Oliver," Oli-ver," said old John Phillips, who was superintending the work. "We could K out a quarter of a mile farther without with-out a bit of risk, and you'd add about 20 acres of good land to " "We'll have enough, John," interrupted inter-rupted the young man. "We'll stick to the original survey. Don't go a rod beyond be-yond the stakes I set up out yonder. It may be safe but It isn't worth while." "Well, you're the boss," grumbled old John, and added somewhat peevishly: peevish-ly: "But I can't help saying I think you're making a mistake. There's some mighty good land there, 'spite of them mudholes n little farther out." "I'm not denying that," said Oliver patiently. "But we'll stop where the stakes are, just the same." A few minutes later old John confided con-fided to one of the ditchers that young Baxter was considerable of a darned fool. Either that, or else he had some thundering good reason of his own for not wanting to go out beyond the stakes. Ah! Now they'll find Old Olivor't body In the swampl The gypsy acorea again. TO BE CONTINUED.) JEALOUSY SYNOPSIS Oliver October Baxter, Jr., was born on a vile October day. His parents were prominent In the commercial, social ana spiritual life of the town of Rumley. The night that Oliver October was born a Bypsy queen reads his father's fortune and tells him what a wonderful future his son has before him, but adds that his son will never reach the age of thirty, that he will be' hanged for a crime of which he is not- guilty. Ten years elapse. Mrs. Baxter died when Oliver was Hearing Hear-ing seven. Josephine Sage, wife of the minister, caused a sensation when she goes on the stage. Her daughter Jane and young Oliver become greatly attached at-tached to each other. After finishing college, young Oliver accepts a position In Chicago with an engineering company. He goes to China. Upon his re- . turn he enlists in the Canadian army. The war over, Oliver returns re-turns home. He hears Jane Is In love, with Doctor Lansing. Despite De-spite Mr. Baxter's pleading to Oliver to remain in Rumley. Oliver gets a job in Chicago. Mr. Baxter accompanies Oliver through a swamp on the way to the Sage home. On the way they quarrel over Oliver's refusal to stay in Rumley. Mr. Baxter fails ; to return home. CHAPTER IV Continued No one could be found who saw him afteT he "took leave of his son on the swamp road. Oliver October related all tljat transpired between them on that moonlit byway.. He did not spare himself in the recital. No one blamed him, however. An Inspection of Mr. Baxter's closel the following morning led to a puz-,t puz-,t " " zling discovery. A comparatively new ' ! suit of dark gray material rather toe : heavy for summer wear was missing. while the wrinkled, well-worn garments ' that he wore dally at the store were found hanging in the closet. . The.:exclteraent in Rumley was intense. in-tense. The Baxter home became, a . magnet that drew practically the en tire population of the town to that sec-tlon, sec-tlon, and there was not an hour of the day that did not see scores of people peo-ple trudging through the safer portions of tlie swamp or tramping along the ' uplands that bordered it. Detectives from Chicago, broughl down by Oliver October, agreed witl" the young man that his father hac , "skipped out," to use the expressior , of Michael O'Rourke. It was Mr ! O'Rourke who advanced the theory ; that the old man had taken this aataz ; lng means of forcing his son to remair In Rumley. "Why," said he, "it's as plain as th( mose on your face. He is dead set or t having you stick to this town. You saj "nix.' Well, what's the smartest thinf lie can do? The only way to make yot I , :stay In this town Is for him to leave it He sneaks off without letting anybody ; 'know, where he's going. Why does h ; -do that? If you or anybody else knew ; -where he was you'd have him bad liere in no time, and all his trouble foi nothing. He thought It all out before - hand. Now he has his own way You've got to stay here until he gets good arid ready to come back. Some body's got to be In charge of his af fairs. There Is a chance, of course that he wandered out in the swamp ibut I don't believe It. If you want us to go ahead and rake the country foi him, we'll do It." "I want to find him," said Oliver Jlrnily. "You may be right in your sur inlse I hope you are. But just th same, I dou't Intend to leave a ston unturned, Mr. O'Rourke." But the days ran Into weeks and thi weeks into months, with the mystery no nearer solution than in the begin mlng no word, no sign from the ole man who had vanished, no clue tha led to anything save disappointment There was something grim, uncann nbout the silence of old man Baxter-It Baxter-It was Indeed the silence of the dead "He might as well be dead," was a re mark that became common In Rumle whenever his case was discussed Strangely enough, no one now believef him to be dead. Everybody agreet with the detective that the cantanker otis old man had "skipped out" witl the Role Idea of frustrating his son': plan to return to Chicago. Oliver October took charge of th store and, as self-appointed manager conducted the business to the best o his ability. There was nothing In thi young man's manner to Indicate tha he rebelled against the- turn In his af fairs. On the contrary,- he took hob with an enthusiasm that left nothini to be desired by those who at firs shook their heads dubiously over thi situation. "I am to blame for all this," he pro tested firmly. "If mj father Is dead, am accountable for his death. Whatever What-ever his present condition may be, I am responsible for it. Don't put all the blame on that gypsy fortune-teller. I should have realized the state of mind he was In and I should have given up everything else In the world to help him weather the next year or so of doubt and distress." The winter wore away, spring camp and quickly melted into summer; the first anniversary of the unexplained disappearance of Oliver Baxter passed. Three months remained of the last year allotted to Oliver October by the gypsy "queen" on that wild, shrieking night in '90. But by this time practically prac-tically everybody in Rumley was counting count-ing the days and Jokingly reminding Oliver that his chances got better every day ! "I see by the paper this evening that your Uncle Horace has announced himself as a candidate for state senator," sen-ator," said Mr. Sage one evening as he sat enjoying his customary half hour on Sage's porch with Jane and Oliver. "Well, I know one vote he will not get," said Oliver, "even If he is my uncle." "I know of another," said the minister min-ister dryly. "Why, daddy, I am -really beginning to take quite a fancy to you," cried Jane delightedly. "Only last week you said he ought to be tarred and feathered feath-ered for turning those two old Bannes-i Bannes-i ter women out of their house over at , Pleasant Ridge." I "But he didn't turn them out," said , Oliver quickly. "Somebody came along , at the last minute and lent them the I money to redeem their little house and farm." "You don't really mean It, Oliver?" cried Mr. Sage. "That Is good news r splendid news." , "I hate that old Gooch man," cried Jane. "Jane, my dear, you really are be-, be-, coming quite a vixen," remonstrated her father. An automobile came to a sudden stop in front of the house, and an agile . young man leaped out, leaving his en-. en-. gine running. He came up the walk , with long strides. "Say, Oliver, you old skate, I've been j looking all over town for you," shouted . Sammy Parr. "This isn't your night to call on Jane don't you know that? Good evening, Jane. Evening, Mr. i Sage. Say, the Bannesters told me all' I about you, you blamed old skate I i mean Ollie, not you, Mr. Sage. Gee whiz, Ollie you certainly did throw the t hooks into Uncle Horace this time, - didn't you? You certainly -" i "Shut up!" growled Oliver, scowling fiercely at the excited Sammy. "What on earth are you talking i about, Sammy?" cried Jane. r "Out with it, Sammy, out with It," ; counseled Mr. Sage, coming down the i steps. "Well, what do you think, Mr. Sage i what do you think7 Why, this chump here is the guy that lent Mrs. Bannes-' Bannes-' ter tlie money to redeem her house." : "Oh, Oliver!" cried Jane. "Did you r really do it? I could squeeze you to death for it. And you never told me---. you never breathed a word " s "It was only about a thousand dol- - lars," mumbled Oliver. "Sure it was," agreed Sam cheerful-, cheerful-, l "But right there and then the . destiny of the great American nation i was shaped along new lines. The r words were no sooner out of the mouth of old Mrs. Bannester when the boom was born ! Yes, sir, at that very mo- - ment " ; "Oh, for the Lord's sake, Sammy. slow down ! What the dickens are you driving at, anyhow? Boom? What j boom?" r "Your boom, you Idiot! The boom's - been started for you as candidate for j state senator against old man Gooch." t "Why, you darned chump," roared . Oliver, "I'm not going to run for state j senator or anything else. You must be - crazy. I'll head It off tomorrow. I'll . telephone " "Won't do you a darned bit of good," ; cried Sammy exultingly. "They'll nominate nom-inate you, anyhow. Why, you're the 1 only man In this county that would j stand a ghost of a show, Ollie. And . tlie best of all popular nephew run-i run-i ning against Shylock uncle ! Gee whiz! 5 I'm going down to see Al Wilson at the Despatch office. Tut him wise and warn him not to let a word of it leak out In the paper till he gets the word, f Night. Mr. Sage so long, Jane." "Wait a minute!" called out Oliver, t springing to his feet as Sammy darted . down the walk. "Nix !" shouted Sammy over his t shoulder. t The three of them watched him In a silence as he leaped Into his car and began his swift, reckless turn In the - narrow street. I "What are you colng tfi do about |
