The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-05-15
AN
ABDUCTION
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. .

/ 1858 dGUdCl1ulCAG.
She was Of undoubted aristocrat-
| lc 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
scurity. He also appeared to be in
nocent of any eXacting 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 man. Of action
and determination-in a word, as a
character"
Her name was Poppet. She was
known by no other and was famil-
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
duchesses, generally very self con-
tanned beings, treated her with con-
sideration 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 happy knack Of christening
himself every now and again as he
considered the exigencies 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 different person altogether
nominally at least. He did not find
that continual rebaptisms 1nitigated
the severity exercised in the official
circles in which he frequently found
himself, but he did not think it ex-
pedient to become too well acquaint-
led by name to the lights of the
bench. Except ir his one love af-
fair he had a deplorable lack Of am
bition.
Poppet lived with Lady Dolly
dacks ID Park lane, Hyde park.
She was not her ladyship's daugh-
ter, as Lord Dollydacks died with
out issue. Neither was she her
niece. Lady Dollydacks cultivated
comfortable hatred Of all her kith
and kin. She felt it was the proper
thing for 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 recollec-
ton 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 ex-
| pectations beyond the immediate
comfort of her surroundings. sss
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 Official" cyclopedia Of BIZ
ography as repulsively ugly. In a
dim sort of fashion be 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:
It was one beautiful summer
morning. 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
dispensations Of Providence. He
was homeless, irreclaimable pa
riah. These vivid crowds seemed
yeritable gods and goddesses~
All at once the discomfort vanish
ed out Of his face, and it became
irradiated with an appreciatiVe in
telligence. An open carriage, en-