Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-27
CHAPTER vi.
The Attraction of 1t.
Copyright 1900 by A. H. Hawkins.)


thenaeum, and pint of apollinaris.
To him enter disturbers of peace.
"How are you, Neeld?" said Lord
Southend, taking the chair next him.
Let me introduce you-Mr. liver, Mr..
Neeld. Bill of fare, waiter! His
lordship smiled rather maliciously at
Mr.. Neeld as he made the introduce
ton, which liver acknowledged with
bluff courtesy, Neeld with timid lit
tie bow. How are things down your
way?" pursued Southend, addressing
Ter. Lady Tristram's very ill, L
,hear?"
''rm afraid so.''
Wonderful woman, that, you know.
YJu ought to have seen her in the
70's-when she ran away with Ran
dolph Edge
A gentleman two tables off looked
round
Hush, southend! That's his broth
err" whispered Mr.. Neeld.
Whose brother?" demanded South
end.
That's wilmot Edges Sir Ran
dolphs brother.
90, the duece it is. thought he'd
been Piled
Blaekballs also were an embarrass-
ing subject. Neeld slipped his apol-
linaris nervously.
''Well, as | was saying Iord South
end spoke little lower), she went
straight from the duchess of Sloughs
ball to the station-as she was, in
a low gown and scarlet opera cloak
met Edge, whose wife had only
been dead three months, and went off
with him. You know the rest of the
story. 1t was near run for young
Harry Tristram! How is the boy,
Iver?''
THE boys very much of man, in
deed; we don't talk about the near
run before him,
good as MILE" he said, "eh, Neeld?
though | suppose she's wreck,
poor thing"
why, couldn't she marry the man
properly, instead of bolting?" asked
Iver. He did not approve of such es-
capades.
90 he had to bolt, anyhow thor.
ough bad lot-debts, you know-her
people would hear of it-besides she
was engaged to Fred Mares. So, all
together, it was easier to cut and run
Besides, she liked the sort of thing
don't you know? Romantic and all
that. Then Edge vanished and tho
other man appeared. That turned
out all right, but she ran it fine. Eth
Neeld?"
Mr.. Neeld was sadly flustered by
these recurring references to him. He
had no wish to pose as an authority
on 4 the. subject, Josiah Cholderton's
diary put him in difficulty. He
wished to goodness he had been LEFT
to the peaceful delights of literary
journalism.
We'll, IL you'll come down to my
place, can promise to show you Har
ry Tristram and you can go over ant
see his mother II she's better"
by Jove, I'm half mind to. Yer,
kind OF you, Iver; you've got fin
place, l hear"
Eve built SO many houses for 9th
er people that l may be allowed on
for myself, mayn't I? We're proud o
our neighborhood," he pursued, polite
ly addressing himself to Mr. Neeld
"If you're ever that way, hope you'll
look me up. / shall be delighted t,
welcome fellow-member of the In
Ierium."
A short chuckle escaped from Lor
Southend's life; he covered it by al
exaggerated devotion to his broile
kidneys. Mr.. Neeld turned pink an
murmured incoherent thanks; he fel
traitor.
Eyes, we see a good deal Of youn
Harry" said liver with smile. can
of other young fellows about tn
place, too. They don't come to Sc
me, though. / expect JAMES, the a
traction. You remember my cir
Southend?
We'll, suppose Blent's worth SO
900 or $4,000 year still?" The pros
ress of Lord Southend's thoughts wa
obvious.
Sim. Seven or eight, 1 Shout
think, as it's managed now. It's
nice place, though, and would go
good bit better in proper hands.
"Paterfamilias considering?"
II don't quite make the young fe
low out. He's got a good opinion {
himself. fancy" liver laughed Ii
tie. We'll, we shall see" he ended.
"Not bad thing to be Lady Tri
tram of Blent, you know, liver. That
none Of your pinchbeck. The res
thing-though, as say, young Ha
teeth. Eth, Neeld?"
wi. ANOCiu 1oio uoWh hio ldPhil al
pushed back his chair.
"Sit still. man. We're nearly fiji
ished, and we'll all have'a cup Of CO
fee together and a cigar"
Happily, in the smoking room tt
talk shifted to less embarrassing SUI
jects. liver told of his life and doing
and Neeld found himself drawn to tt
man; he listened with interest and a
probation; he seemed brought int
touch with life; he caught fimse
signing over the retired inactive n
ture of his own occupations. He 70
gave liver the hoardings about IL
streets, he could not forgive himse
tie revenge he had taken for ther
liver and Southend spoke of b
schemes In which they had been
were engaged together, legitimate e.
terprises, good for the nation as we
as for themselves. How had he,
useless old fogy, dared to blackms
q man like liver? An occasional Dire
glance from Southend emphasized
conjunction.
~ see you've got a new thing col
loo