Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-22
gazing at the clothes of inexplicable

gazing at the clothes Of inexplicable
origin.
"Gettin' in isn't the mystery" re-
marked the youth. Its the gettin'
out, dam-er-Zabriska He
had taken a swift glance at Mina's
card.
Nina looked around. SIS it in this
room they have the councils?" she
asked.
Cabinets? Don't know Down |
stairs somewhere. | believe. anyhow"
He smothered yawn. Queer thing,
that about Tristram, you know. Ii
everything was known, you know,
shouldn't wonder if a lot of other fell
lows found themselves"
He was interrupted, fortunately,
perhaps, in these speculations, by a
question from his nearest neighbor.
Nina was left alone for some minutes,
and set to work to observe the scene.
She was tolerably at ease now. Har-
ry saw her sitting silent and smiled
across at her while he listened to Lady
Flora The smile seemed to come
from great way off. The longer she
sat there the more the impression
grew The sense of difference and
distance troubled her. She thought of
Cecily alone at home and grew more
troubled still. She felt absurd, too,
because she had been trying to help
Harry. If that had to be done she sup
posed Lady Flora would do it now.
! The idea was bitter.
She turned her head by chance and
found DR.. Disney silent, too, and
looking at her. The next moment
he spoke to the easy-mannered
youth.
We'll, Theo what's the world say
ing and doing?"
Same as last year, cousin Robert, !"
answered Thee, cheerfully. Govern
ment's year older, of course"
In an instant Nina was pleased; she
detected an unexpected, Dut pleasant,
friendship between Mr.. Disney and
the youth She credited Disney with
more humanity-the humor necessary
she knew he had--and liked him even
better.
1.-The drawing rooms have kicked us
out already, | suppose
80, yes, rather. But the banks not
sure"
Good. That's something. Banks
! against drawing rooms for me, Mad
, anne Zabriska. He brought her into
the conversation almost with tact, he
must have had strong wish to make
her comfortable.
That's right announced Theo. 6"
= should say you're all right in this
! country, too. Crops have been prett,
good, you know, and now the rain:
comm down nicely
well, | ordered it." said DR.. Dis
ney.
>, "Takin' all the credit you can get,
! observed Theo. Like the maj
!, who carved his name on the knit,
;. before he stabbed his mother in
law"
What did he do that for?" erie,
: Nina. A guffaw from Disney quit
. amazed her.
= Harry looked across with a surpris
led air: he seemed to wonder that sh
. should be enjoying herself Nina wa
- annoyed and set herself to be merry
= a glance from Lady Flora converte
- veXation into rage. She turned bac
= to Theo: somehow Mr.. Disney ha
! taught her how to like him-ofte
valuable lesson. if people would kee
:, their eyes open for it.
Everybody else I've met have bee
horribly afraid of Mr.. Disney sh
. said in half whisper.
=. 20, you aren't in a funk of a ma
:. who's smacked your head?"
That seemed better paradox tina
. most. Nina nodded approvingly.
, What does the bank say abou
. Barililand, Theo," called Disney. Lor
,. Hove paused in the act of taking
u glass of wine.
well. they're just wonderil
v .
Theo.
n And who's going to take it," Di
y ney seemed very much amused. Lor
IL Hove had turned little pink. Min
Ie had vague sense that serious thing
+. We're being joked about. Harry ha
ID turned from his hostess and was lis
II ening.
If That's what it comes to-" conclude
le Theo.
Il, Disney glanced round, smilin
TX grimly. Everybody had become S
c. lent; Barililand had produced tn
% question on which Lord Hove wa
n supposed to be FESTIVE. Disney laugl
n, ed and looked at his wife. She ros
a. srom the table. DR.. Disney had eithe
g learned what he wanted, or had finis
ed amusing himself. Nina did NJ
lie hHo" WHICH, no more, OuQly enOuS
IS did Lord Hove.
IL Mr.. Disney was by the door, sayin
d. goodbye to the ladies': he would NJ
t, be coming to the drawing room. H
il stopped Nina, who went out last, ju,
ID before his wife.
ID We've done all we could, Madam
in Zabriska,' he said. I'VE must lea,
lg him alone, eh?"
IL I'm afraid SO. You've been vel
u kind, Mr. Disney"
is Better as it is. fancy Now the
70 Floral" AT this peremptory summon
er Lady Flora left Theo, by whom she ha
halted, and followed Nina through tt
a door.
I'd Two Of the women left drectl
d. The other two Went off into corne
De Her hostess sat down and talked
tofher. Lady Flora was not distant, ar
d. did not make Nina feel an outside
ed The fault was the other way 81
of was contidential-an about Harr
IN She assumed an intimacy with hi
k equal or more than equal to Nina
own. She even told Nina things abo
he him. She said we thought him {
40 enormous acuuisjtion and hoDad