Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-01
TRISTRAM OF BLENT &c
,s BY; ~. Being an Episode in the Story
HOPE of an Ancient House

ION. discretion was necessary there.
iesides, he wished to know how the
and lay as to jamie liver. On that
ubject his friend preserved silence.
And the whole thing was actually
n old Joe's daryl exclaimed South
| md.
"Neeld always annoyed at the Joe
omitted that the main facts had been
ecorded in Mr.. Cholderton's journal
md that he himself had known them
when nobody else in England did
save, of course, the conspirators them
selves"
I've seen Harry Tristram."
"Ah. how is he?" asked Neeld.
Never saw a young man more com
posed in all my life. And he couldn't
he better satisfied with himself if
he'd turned out to be duke"
we know Harry's airs liver said,
smiling indulgently. But there's
stuff in him." A note of regret came
into his voice. He treated me very
badly know Neeld won't admit it,
but he did. Still, like him and I'd
help MIN if could"
We'll, he atoned for anything wrong
by owning up in the end,,' remarked
Southend.
THAT wasn't for my sake or for
Well, it had nothing to do with us. AS
far as we are concerned he'd been at
Blent today. 1t was Cecily Gainsbor-
ough who did it."
Yes, | wonder"
liver rose decisively. Look here.
Southend, if you're going to do exact
ly what all my friends and neighbors
DOING 7 sho11 90 nd la
With a. nod he walked into the next
room, leaving Neeld alone with his
inquisitive friend Southend lost no
time.
What happened about jamie liver?
There was some talk
Its all over whispered Neeld
with needless caution. HE released
her and she accepted the release"
What, on the ground that
Really, don't know any more
But it's finally over; you may depend
upon that
Southend lit cigar with satisfied
air. On the whole he was glad to hear
the news.
Staying much longer in town." he
asked.
mo, I'm going down to Iver's again
in August"
you want to see the end of it.?
Come, | know, that's it," He laughed
as he walked away
Meanwhile Harry Tristram, uncon-
scious of the efforts which were being
made to arrange his future and paying
as little attention as he could to the
Duzz of gossip about his past, had set
tied down in quieter rooms and was
looking at the world from new point
OF view. The season was not over yet.
and he liked to go out about in the
evening and watch the great city
starting forth to enjoy itself; then
he could feel its life in all the rush
and the .gayety OF it. Somehow now
i he seemed more part of it and more
at home in it than when he used to
| run up for few days from his coun-
try home. Then Blent had been the
center of his life, and in town he was
but stranger and sojourner. Blent
was gone and London is home to
homeless men. AS he looked back he
seemed to himself to have lived hith-
erto on the banks of the river of life.
as We'll as of the river of Blent There
had been no need of swimming. But
ne was in the current now, he must
swim or sink. No such notions had
been fostered by the days spent on the
banks of the Blent. What shall l
do? What shall do?' The question
hummed in his brain as he walked
| about. There were such infinite va
rieties of things to do, such multi
tude of people doing them. To some
men this reflection brings despair
and bewilderment. To Harry, (as in
deed Lord Southend would have ex-
pected from his observation of him)
it was a titillating evidence of great
opportunities, stirring his mind to a
busy consideration of changes He
had $4,000 pounds in forms as good as
cash. He was living more or less as
ne once meant to live in this one par
ticllar-he was living with respec.
table, if not a big check by him. ready
for any emergency which might arise
an emergency not now of danger
to be warded off, but of an opportun-
ity to be seized.
These, new, thoughts suited well
with the visit which he paid to Lady
EVenswood and gained fresh strength
from it. He was announced as Mr..
Tristram. He had just taken steps to
o'e'sti u ioSoA iiSCiloS " DSdi lllS
name
Although the room was in deep
shadow and very still, and the old
white-haired lady the image OF peace.
for Harry there too the current ran
strong. Though not great, she had
known the great; if she had not done
the things, she had seen them done:
her talk revealed a matterof-course
knowledge of secrets. natural init
macy with the inaccessible. 1t was
like Harry to show no signs OF being
impressed: but very shrewd eyes
were upon him, and his impassivity
met With amused approval, since it
dropped short OF inattention. She
broke it down at last by speaking of
Addie Tristram
The most fascinating creature in
the world, she said.
Il knew her as a little girl. | knew
her up to the time of your birth al
most. After that She hardly left Blent,
did she? At least she never
came to London. You travelled |
know
Were you ever at Blent?" he ask
NO, Mr.. Tristram."
He frowned 70" moment: lit was
odd not to BE able TO ask people there,