Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-01
CHAPTER XVI.
The New Life.
.Bv...
ANTHONY
HOPE
Copyright, 1900, A. H. Hawkins.

The New Life.
"You haven't mentioned it to the
young man himself?" asked Lady Ev
enswood
Certainly not. I've only seen him
once, and then he didn't talk of his
own affairs. He takes the thing yer!
we'll He's lost his position and he's
the hero of the newspapers, and he
bears both Affections quite coolly. A
lad of good balance, think"
Is he .agreeable?"
Hum, I'm not sure of that. No ex-
cess Of modesty, fancy"
Il suppose you mean he's not shy :?
All young men are conceited | think
/ should like you to bring him to see
me-"
For 40 years such an intimation
from Lady Evenswood had enjoyed
the rank of a command: Lord South
end received it with proper obedi-
ence.
The solution spoke of has occur
red to some of u.s." he went on. Hes
poor now, but with that he could make
a marriage. The case is very excep-
tlonal-"
So is what you propose, George"
20 there are presidents. 1t was
done in the Bearsdale case"
There was a doubt there" Lady
Evenswood knew all about the Bears
dale case: though it was ancient his
tory to Southend; she had danced
with both the parties to it.
"The house was against the mar
riage unanimously"
But he did not deny the doubt
well what are you going to do?"
she asked.
1t would be necessary to approach
Disney" Southend spoke with some
appearance of timidity. Mr.. Disney
was prime minister. "And the truth
is, none of us seemed to like the job.
So John Fullsome suggested you"
What brave men you are!" Her
face wrinkled humorously.
well, he might bite us, and he
couldn't bite you-not so hard, any
how"
higher rank! That wasn't done in
"And you want me to ask for a
the Bearsdale case, nor in any other
that l ever heard of"
Eve shouldn't press that. Abarony
would do. But if Disney thought that
under the very exceptional circum-
stances a viscounty-"
81 don't see why you want it." she
persisted, The slight embarrassment
in Southend's manner stirred the old
.ladys curiosity. Its rather odd to
reward man for his Mothers
There. l don't say word about Ad-
die. took her to her first ball, poor
girl"
Disney used to know her as a girl
IF you're relying on Robert Dis
news romantic memories" But she
stopped adding after pause. We'll,
one never knows. But again, why a
viscounty?p 4, y,
Driven into corner, but evidently
rather ashamed of himself, Southend
explained. -,
THE viscounty would be more con-
venient if match came about be-
tween him and the girl"
What, the new Lady Tristram?
Well, George, romance has taken pos
session of you today" ~
Not at all,' he protestedly indig-
nantly. Its the obviously sensible
way OUT u
"Then they can do it without a Wis.
county?"
20, no, not without something.
There's the past you see"
And sponge is wanted? And the
bigger the sponge, the better. And
I'm to get my nose bitten off by ask
ing Robert Disney for it? And If by a
miracle he said yes, for all l know
somebody else might say no!
I'll think about it after I've seen
the young man." Lady Evenswood
promised. Have you any reason to
suppose he likes his cousin?"
M 81
way he's cleared out for her.
Yielding gracefully to necessity l
suppose?"
Really, doubt the necessity; and,
anyhow the graceflllness needs some
explanations in case like this. Still,
! always fancied he was going to mar
of mine-Iyer-you know who /
mean?"
20, yes. Bring Harry Tristram to
see me-" said she. Good by, George,
You're looking very we'll"
"And you're looking very young"
i 20, finished getting old before you
were 4O.'
A thought struck Southend. You
might suggest the viscount as contin.
gent on the marriage"
L
seen the boy--and / won't promise to
then" o
Later in the afternoon Southend
dropped in at the Imperium, where to
his surprise and pleasure he found
Iver in the smoking room. Asked how
he came to be in town, Iver explain
ed:
Il really ran away from the cacl1ling
down at Blentmouth. All our old la
dies are talking Is to the dozen about
Harry Tristram and Lady Tristram
and me. and my family, and-well-"
"Well. there's a good deal of cack-
ling up here, too. But tell me about
the new girl" Lord Southend did
not appear to consider his own ques-
ton "cackling" or as tending to pro-
duce the same.
I've only seen her once. She's in
absolute seclusion and let's nobody in
except Nina zabiiska-a funny little
foreign woman. You don't know her."
Il know about her. saw it in the
paper She had something to do with
it?'
Yes liver passed away from that
side of the subject Immediately "And