Morris tribune., 1902-07-12

.. AN o.
| ABDUCTION
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

It seemed at first an almost hope
| less attachment.
She was of undoubted aristocrat-
ic parentage and descent and had
the entree to the most exclusive
drawing rooms in the city. Had he
ever troubled to think about it at
all he would probably have expert
enced some misgivings as to the
legitimacy of the alliance of which
he was the result. He certainly
was aware of the suspicion which
inevitably manifested itself in his
presence whenever he happened to
be thrown outside of the circle in
which his peculiar idiosyncrasies
were overlooked and his social at
tributes duly appreciated.
She belonged to the upper crust
of society and, imbued with all the
instincts and traditions of her class,
delighted in her life of ease and OBJ
security. He also appeared to be in
nocent of any e1acting occupation.
He was generally to be seen hang
ing about at the street corners or at
the doors of taverns, but neverthe-
less he had acquired in certain quar-
tiers a reputation as a man of action
Qnd determination-in wore, as a
character" .~'7s>"- s,-ss-s>.~
Her name was Poppet. She was
known by no other and was famiI-
iarly called SO by princes and po-
tentates in the grandest salons.
Great authors, philosophers, artists,
musicians and statesmen endeavor-
ed to propitiate her. Even dowager
duchesscs, generally very self con-
tanned beings, treated her with con-
sidoration and occasionally used all
sorts of endearments toward her.
Still her pretty curly head was not
turned. The reason why the reader
will presently discover.
He was known as Jim Lukens
among his associates. But he was a
fellow Of infinite fancy and possess
ed a happy knack Of christening
himself every now and again as he
considered the cXigencies Of the mo-
ment appeared TO demand it. Thus
when enjoying the hospitality of her
majesty at one pension privee he
was one person, and in another he
was a different person altogether
nominaIly at least. He did not find
that continual rcbaptisms mitigated
the severity exercised in the official
circles in which he frequently found
himself, but he did not think it ex-
pedient 70 become too we'll acquaint-
ed by name to the lights of the
bench. Except in his one love af-
fair he had deplorable lack of am
bition.
Poppet lived with Lady Dolly
lacks in Park Lane, Hyde park.
She was not her ladyship's daugh-
ter, as Lord Dollvdacks died with
out issue. Neither was she her
niece. Lady DollydacIlS cultivated
a comfortable hatred of all her kith
and kin. She felt it was the proper
thing for a woman of her quality to
do, and it saved her from annoying
intrusion. Before her marriage to
the late lamented governor general
Of Coromandel Lady Dollydacks
had been the widow of a wealthy
sugar planter, and there her past
history ended. She had no recoiloc-
zion of what she was previous to
her West Indian matrimonial ven
ture. No, poor Poppet was merely
her ladyship's little protege and can
hardly be said to have had any ez-
pectations beyond the immediate
comfort of her surroundings.
Poppet was admitted by men and
women Of the most critical, discrim-
NATIVE type and Of the highest rank
to be simply perfect in form and
beauty. Jim was described in more
than one "oficiaP cyclopedia of BIZ
ography as repulsiveIy ugly. In a
dim sort of fashion he was con-
scious Of his physical deficiencies,
but it did not check his passion for
her.
Their first meeting, if it can be
so called, happened in this way:
l was one beautiful summer
He was leaning over the
ratings of the ''drive" in Hyde park
looking at the brilliant equipages
and their fair occupants as they
passed him. There was a tinge of
sullen, inquiring cynicism on his
irregular but expressive features.
He was rejecting in his own crude
way upon the strangeness Of the
JienoncatiOnc of Providence He