Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-11

| the Beau Rivage was still darting about,
distributing letters just brought in by
the grinning facteur, ever ascent for
tips, and, having still three or four I'M
delivered missives, halted in front of
the American.
pardon, m'seu', but-ees Mees
/ up at the billiard rooms, probably, !"
was the brusque answer, as Mr.. Gray
turned hastily away to hide the suspi-
cious moisture in his eyes.
"But no. / ave been there I ave
letters for her, and for M'sieu' SIN
Get.
| The gloom in the tall Americans
face deepened perceptibly.
"Over yonder, possibly" he answer
ed, with sidewise nod of the head to-
ward little arbor far from the mad
q ding crowd" at the eastward edge of
the pretty grounds, then turned away,
inpatient of further inquiry. Some
men We're chatting eagerly at the foun-
tain as he passed. One of them. English
Enthusiastically, hailed him jovially.
Cline you were ready, Gray. You re
going to Chillon, of course" And with
true Briton's deep disdain of foreign
names he spoke it as it was spelled.
"No," was the answer, "I'm going
to cool off.
"Reen getting redhot letter, as
you Yankees say, Isuppose, " the island
er went on, impervious to satire.
"That's about the size of it,, an
swered Gray, without hating. Two OF
the men looked after him with no little
concern in their eyes. Others hailed
him as he passed them by. Gray was
evidently popular. A woman i'll billow'
ing laces and parasol chair smiled
largely upon him as he raised his straw
! hat and babe him pause but prevailed
, not. Two younger women, in trim
I walking attire, nodded coquettishly anc
said it was the very day for the trip
Then, too, he answered only vaguely
: and with a faraway look in his deel
blue eyes he passed on to the telegraph
7 Office, and the group of smoking mel
!, broke up.
y Something's amiss with Gray, "sai'
= one of the party, New Yorker III
y go see."
Q 81 don't see what there was in tn
q size of the letter to upset him, - sal
the Englishman, unconscious OF Sian
that was not Britannia ware. Gray
u good sort though. Gould fellow
II anything, d'you SUPPOSED"
10 But the pursuer was slow. Seem
'r him coming and divining his object
l. Mr. Gray slipped out of the side door
dived through the shrubbery that boz
g dered winding driveway to the ives
re and took himself off through the GROVE
le ed place. He had need to be alone-t
10 face his changed fortunes fair an
10 square.
q Twenty-Five years old and up to tn
So midweek mail from America he ha
~ never known care since boyish day
as unless it was some momentary heal
or pang when Amy Langdon proved III
IL kind. In dawdling, amateurish wa
TO he had read the daily papers and s;gne
l some letters and reports laid before hi
IL by an attentive clerk in the Office of I'll
eastern traffic manager of great roe
ny of which his uncle was heavy stocl
at holder and prominent director. III
Ak most serious thing he had ever underta
nk Ell was his membership in q crack ci
y, regiment, wherein he had served throue
ut the ranks and really earned commi
sion. But both these avocations he hi
Gu quilted during the previous winter al
ad all because Amy Langdon was report
IFS flirting dangerously at Nice and Me
tone, and if she were not actually e
yes gagged to Darcy Gray he at least felt
no far engaged to her that Irritation W
W. denied him.
elr AS pretty girl as ever rode in Ce
Ars trail park was Amy, and as dashlne
ar horsewoman, and it was Gray's adm
ses rable riding and universally acknov
VS.. edged prospects that made him for t
eel time SO acceptable parti. He cou
ner manage horse far better than he COT
my a woman, however, and Miss Langd
al kept him at her side when in saddle a
III subject to call at all other times. L
lte she had, not unkindly, laughed off
al protestations and dissected his offe
ing "It's absurd, Darcy. You haven ia CO
led in the world that doesn t come from yc
ing uncle, and who knows what his W
me- will do with his fortune, or he hlmse
ags for that matter? AS for me, I'm b.
gar Will sOCldi hnIJliapiohS' Oohho'
lee sensible, and I'll like you better. B
leir soldier, Darcy, and face the facts. Tha
'rd, the one thing you're cut ont for. "
at YOU'RE hard hearted, Amy, he
me answered.
re "No; only hard headed. I'm s
for hearted enough to like you too well
on spoil both our lives.
der Gray believed himself much in !
lose when she went abroad in November, ;
IN took it much to Heart that she sho
ing be SO constantly attended by +
ng' Smythe, who had no atom of sense
elo- his head, but no end of dollars in
IAN. pocket. But when a lordling, 20
1ted ger sol of All older house than ever DIV
pan in Gotham, az honorable betw
oied whom and the title and estates WI
osl- lord with only one lung and that
like going, had opposed his signs to II
wa. Of smythe, and there came rumors
g OF Locksley Hall was to be enacted