Show OL MIT I 1 L 0 B OLD OLIVER OLIVCR SYNOPSIS oliver october baxter baiter jr was born on a vile october day d ay ills hia parents were proman prominent nt in tile the commercial social and spiritual we lite ot of the t town own ot of rumley the th night that oiiver 01 iver october was born a gypsy queen reads his hi fathers fortune in nd it tells tell him what a wonderful future fatur his big son has haa before him bu but I 1 adds da ds that his son will never reach the age of thirty that he will bo be hanged handed for a crime of which he Is not guilty ten years elapse mrs baxter died when hen oliver was nearing seven josephine sape sage wife of the minister caused a sensation ensa tion when she goes BOM on the ataee age her daughter jane and young oliver become greatly attached to each other after finishing college collore coll cRe young oliver accepts a position in chicago with an engineering company he roes to china upon his return be enlists in the canadian army CHAPTER III 3 home from the war the war was over oliver october raster came through without a scratch Fern tell in april 1910 1911 he billed from brest and on the tenth of may arrived in rumley discharged from tile the army jobless on the lie way home he be stopped over in chicago to notify his employers that lie would be ready to resume work ork after a months much needed rest he was blandly informed that at c won soon as anything turned up they would be pleased and happy to take mm him back into the concern but at present there a vacancy in tight being a captain in the army and used to plain speaking king he be told the astonished toni shed general manager what lie he thought of him and the whole abole works besides bc and airily went nent his way this time there was no delegation at tile the station to meet him ills father and sammy parr were waiting tor for him when the train pulled in old oliver eyed liis ills son narrowly tills I 1 hear bear about them not taking you back on your old job lie he demanded he extended his hand band which young oliver gripped la in both of his arent you glad to see me back alive and well dad he cried of course im glad youre back bach sonny of course I 1 am ive been praying tor for tills this ever since you vent eat away but I 1 say you were a fool for giving up a job to go over tind mix up in a war that any of our bu business sines oh im not down and out you know did dad broke in young oliver so cheer cupl up im not worrying course youre not worrying was lilt fathers sour retort youve got tile HIP to fill fall back on oil with a good home and grub and a d darned it ned line fine business to drop into when uben im lead dead ami gone ills son could hardly believe ills hs ears lie was bewildered hurt bammy admy gave oliver a significant look AS the vao two young men hurried aaros s tile platform iab tile the bags bagg rind and handle bundles lie found opportunity to may bay to the now new arrival your father will lie be in a good humor in a minute or tiro its just a habit lies hes nilen into since youve you ve been away I 1 guess its that infernal g apsy ii iii ines iness hes as peevish as blazes a good part of the time ahne they drove off in car while oliver tilled piled his old friend nith ques conr where is jane he asked suddenly jane sage oh abes around same saine as ever are a lot easier asler 0 for mr sige now I 1 guess mabbe you heard about his brother aln out in california sull leaving him hill quite a bit of tooney money it hooks tire litre a prietta serious affair between her ber and doe doc lansing that demanded bolher startled 1 I guess its nil all happened since yon away does docs only been practicing here since last summer lollie feller 1 I dont seeni to remember him 11 said bald dully you say elles er ep ln in love with looks that said Suni ln in differ iles hes dead gone on lier her t th its sure presently sir air barter cackled ile he r u s in n high good humor again Se serepta Serc repty ply arimes just cant wait to tee fee you be declared you ou know erics keeping bouse for tile me now nov aunt serepta SerL pta keeping I 1 aliouse I 1 ouse tor for you yes I 1 thought that people would be ture bure to talk if rhe phe rame caine over and laed lit at my house but the cussed pa part rt ot of it Is nobody thinks theres anything about it there basil r been B a berned bit of talk what the dickens ave re you laughing at siim sain 1 I just rm ran on oer a ion lied sam promptly 0 june wa well long along before oliver 01 aver began seriously to contell contemplate plate bringing tits his self styled vacation callnn va to an end may had been glorious even the st stretches of death swamp across which he be looked froni from the he olk 0 ih blinded citadel that lie would alwais iwas call bome were not licit to go repelling as they had bad been in daas d is of yore the world was beautiful cimring the first week he be spent many happy carefree care free hours hour with jane sage one evening lounging on her porch lr ile ashod her suddenly oy by george barr service copyright bell syndicate what sort of a chap Is 13 doe doc lans laning lalling ing jane she started and for a moment lier her eyes were fixed intently on tits his half balf averted face there was wag an odd startled expression in them ile he Is very nice slie she answered nod and they hot both fell silent an automobile approached along the tree lined street coming to a stop bt at the front gate gale hildhl Hil Dol exclaimed oliver here it ere com comes es the gentleman himself good evening jane said young kinsing Ain sing as he came up to the steps how are you captain baxter baiter wonderful night it wonderful said oliver who thinking at all of the lie physical aspects of the night twenty minutes later he be looked at ills his wristwatch wrist watch uttered an exclamation and sprang to his feet 1 I must be going jane he said ile he took himself off in well simulated haste As he strode ot off down tile alie street lie was conscious of an extremely uncomfortable for table feeling that they were glad to be rid of him A queer little chill of dismay struck in upon him for a moment he felt utterly desolate and be mildered wil wll dered ile he felt lost why it meant that he ind and jane be playmates or crums any longer four days later jane met him face to face in the street and looking straight into his eyes asked what Is the matter oliver what have I 1 done done dont be stupid have I 1 offended you why you been up lip to see me lie ile decided to be quite frank about it see here jane weve always been pals I 1 dont know factly how things M N t J I 1 no the matter sarepty Se repty stand with you and Lan slug but while im not a suitor its only fair and of tile me to keep out of tile the her free joyous laugh interrupted him oil oh you dont know bow rell relieved eved I 1 am she cried so the explanation Is it you wanted to give roe me e ef vry ry chance in the world orld to catch a beati and to keep bilat its awfully alt karl 1 of you oliver but its also very silly dont let me find you staying away again and so june drex toward fin an end with will jane ind and bolher back on the old footing not quite like same as before owing to the lat litters secret conviction that lie playing hob bob with the doctors peace of mind others olivers otherwise agreeable find and silly in III aa as einred by life lil fathers increasing despon elency and irritation over oner the fact act that lie not only was out of a job but apparently was making no efroim to obtain one there were ivere times limes 1 1 len en tile hie old roans mans scolding became unbearable and but fur f or the pleadings of serepta til gilmes lines and the lie counsel of mr bir sage oliver would have love packed ills his bags bag and de pat pai ted dont pity tiny any attention to him blia oliver I egged serepta lies iles cranky nil all lie he dont mean what ahat I 1 lie e says it would mould break his heart it you you wore were to get mud mad und and go off and leave him CHAPTER IV A mysterious disappearance shortly before 3 on oil tile afternoon of junr june IS 23 the day before oliver october was to leave for chicago and a new position old oilier baxter stepped into the batik bank at the corner of clay and perishing streets and drew out 1500 in currency cui rency ile he gave eve no reason to the teller or to the be cashier tor fur the withdrawal of so go large an amount in cash bolher october 10 or 15 rul minutes late for supper that uund faund his father in a surp surprising j suitable amiable frame fr imo of mind hui but sir baxter barters good humor did not enaire en dire lie he delved relived a dispute they had laud in the store earlier lu lia the day the alie old man bad that day offered him an interest in the business if he would remain in rumica oliver was vas grateful but lie declined the offer olter siy say ing he had a profession in which lie b wanted to make good mr baxters Bai reversion to the subject came caine when oliver looking at his watch announced that lie must be running along as he be was wag due over at the sages to say goodby good eod by to jane and her father well ill walk part of the way with you said ills father crossly id like alk to see if I 1 cant coax you to change your mind about coming into the store it if you dont mind well mell take the lower road along the swamp its a cut for you saves you a quarter of a mile or more A few minutes before 9 oliver october appeared at tile the home of rev kev mr air sage somewhat out of breath and visibly agitated rm im awfully sorry to be so late he apologized father and I 1 had a long and trying confab and I 1 I 1 get away god knows I 1 hate to say it but im glad im going tomorrow no iou say it oliver said mr sago age poor man he Is really not responsible these days you see oliver for nearly 30 years he has lived in dread of well of the absurd tiling thing that gypsy woman said and that la Is why he wants me to stay here so that he can watch over and protect met me exactly it I 1 really believed that to be thi the case uncle herbert 1 I 1 I would stay jane who had been silent during the brief colloquy lic between tween her father and oliver was studying the young mans man face intently slie she was puzzled by his manner and by his expression 1 I came over by the back road along the swamp lie ile explained catching her ber in the act of staring at ills muddy shoes father walked part of the way with roe me gee what a panning lie he gae met mel it was terrible sir mr sage I 1 saw red I 1 I 1 had bad to run I 1 stand it G d how miserable I 1 am I 1 jane and her father listened speechless and presently air sage arose and went into the house the clock on the town hall struck 12 before oliver reluctantly bade jane goodnight good night and started homeward on oil his way home through the heart of town he passed the rather p pretentious ious house in which the landings Lan sings lived there were people on the broad veranda ile he longed tor for the companionship of 0 friends merry friends lie ile turned in at the stone gate and aked swiftly up to the house hello ollie called out sammy parr young lansing came to the top of the steps to greet him bin ive been up saying goodby good by to mr sage and jane and the tunny funny part of it Is that I 1 may not go away tomorrow after all said oliver tile the sages think I 1 ought not to leave my father ile he spoke in lo lowered ered tones for ear alone 1 I quite agree with them said the other stIft swiftly ly have a highball baxter called sammy not L tonight thanks ive got to be running along father may be waiting up for me bight night everybody and lie he was off the group watched wat clied him stride sIft swiftly ly down the cement walk sammy was the first to speak well I 1 call that sociability dont you what the dickens Is the matter with him film first time ive ever seen ollie baxter with a grouch eaily the next morning serepta grimes called joseph sikes on oil the telephone did oliver baxter stay all night with you she inquired 1 I wean mean old oilier IN no 0 11 have you spen seen anything of him this morning no the matter Se sarepty repty welt well he sleep here last night and there aint a sign st n of him around the place 1 I 1 I guess laibe maibe better come up joe the lang ang and the short of it was wag oliver baxter had vanished Ps as com coin plemely as it swallowed by the earth I 1 ind and it was the general opinion that that was exactly what happened to hlin him there was not the slightest doubt in the of his horrified friends tri onila that lie in lind wandered out upon tha ilia swamp and lind hid met a ghastly fate la one of the lie count countes hs pits pita of mire whose depths no man knew or cared to fathom een cell in speculation anotn notwithstanding Ith standing tile the almost ant hersal un ersal belief that poor old oliver baxter was buried in lie black mire of the swamp a statewide state le wide was at once instituted by his distracted wn alio ho tor for one did aid nut not believe that the hie missing man had gone to ills his death in III the loathsome tract tu tho banks prompt announcement that mr baxter had withdrawn thirty tile hundred dollars convinced oliver october and a few sound headed individuals that he be had deliberately planned his hia departure from froin cumley Rui R uley old oliver and young oliver quarrel barrel nj til an I 1 old oliv oliver m 59 sr ingi maybe malbe the ap apsy luss werl I 1 was waa right J TO US BB CONTINUED |