Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-06
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IHI THE MUTABLE MANY. w
8HN BY ROBERT BARR.
Pro, Day Problems with Episodes from Real LIFE
BY ROBERT BARR.
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Copyright, lNB, by ROBERT l'AiIJ
From wimbledon to Surbiton is compare
tivcly but a step. An enterprlslng train,
bent on accomplishing the feat, can do the
distance in seven or eight minutes, and even
the slowcst of locals" takes but twelve.
Barney was an energetic young man. and
whore a check was concerned, knew the
dangers Of delay; so he resolved, being In
the neghborhood, to 20 to Surbiton, see his
mother and settle the business. The young
man often reassured himself by saying in
warlly that he was no fool and the few
minutes he had to mediate on the situa-
tion as he paced up and down No plat
form waiting for the train enabled him to
formulate a course Of action.
Barney had well defined mental pro-
cess by which he arrived at any plan Of
procedure. "The great thing, my boy" he
used to say, "is to know exactly what you
want. and then go for it," In going for It
the young fellow trampled on anything that
cams in his patch; truth, for example. His
one object was success-the kind that sue
ceeds. Having attained that, he was care
less of the means.
In this instance what he wanted was to
prevent any Interference with Sartwel, and
he knew, If he boldly opposed his mothers
scheme, such opposition would inevitably
bring about the meddllng he desired to
avoid. and at the same time place himself
N her bad books, which was financially
undesirable
"It will take bit OF thinking" said Bar,
ney to himself thus showing that he cor
rectly estimated the difficulties Of the situ-
alton, and realized the shortness Of the
distance between Wimbledon and Surbiton.
Surbiton is most attractive Surrey
suburb with an excellent service of trains.
Tho houses are large. detached. and of the
class known in estate agents vocabulary as
desirable" Stock brokers In the city are
attracted thither as much by the rapid train
service as by the desirable residences; thus
many of them live there. The rich and re-
tired tradeSman and the manufacturer in a
large way have given the place an exclusive
ness which it could never have attained IL
II had been a mere resort of nOblemen, or
a place for the housing of the working
classes. II is the rich and retired trades
man who has given England its reputation
as a cold and dignfed nation. Nothing can
compare with iirst-Class compartment from
Surbi;On-"VauXhall and Waterloo only
for rigid eXclusiveness. Sometimes an un-
fortunate duke or marquis, coming from his
estates in the southwest chances upon the
Surbiton contingent, and makes an innocent
and friendly remark. He Is frozen into
silence by the icy stare OF the other five oC-
cupants of the compartment.
Surbiton, to a stranger. has the look Of
n seaside place. Some of the streets are
broad ana ulNllcQ DN narrow ralIeu-ln
parks. There are benches here and there
and trees everywhere. while an assembly
hall in the center CT the town, and sort
of marine parade along the river and
band stand and military concert every
Wednesday evening during the summer, give
to this charming suburb the air Of coast
resort lacking only the long, splery, cast
iron pier, which Surbiton may yet build
over the river into the Hampton Court
grounds, where in spring the waters lie
like a broad. yellow ocean. When that
pier is built the charge for admission will
doubtless be a-pence-doube the Brighton
price, for Surbiton is prone to attest its
eXclusvoness in a manner that appeals to
the financial Imagination 1t is proud Of
the fact that its local rates are high (the
Surbiton Improvement committee being
elected to attend to that matter). and that
a first class season ticket costs e. more
than to any other place an equal distance
from London.
The Hope residence was a large, square.
yellow house. rather old-fashioned-"an i'm
posing mansion was the phrase that caught
Mrs. Hopes eye in the Times before she
induced her husband TO buy it-and It stood
in extensive, well-wooded grounds. Bar
ney drove up to 1t in one Of the open vic
torias which stand for hire at the station,
a class Of vehicle that adds to the seaside
appearance Cf SurbitOu.
Telling the man to wait he sprang uD the
steps and knocked for there was nothing so
modern as bell at the front door. He
found his mother in the drawing room, and