Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1902-06-07
CObb's Love Story.

~ ORNWALLIS COBB-Corn Cobb.
he was familiarly called by his
associates-was undoubtedly a
more ludicrous than elegant name.
Katherine never knew why he should
be so burdened, except that CORVALLIS
was an old family name, "as though
that were any reason" she once re-
marked, Indignantly, Ito mark man
through life"
She remembered wildly when she
had considered it the most ridiculous
name in the world, but somehow to-
day, as she thought of tall, handsome
man she had met on Regent street, in
the morning, the absurd side did not
, appeal to her so strongly.
Before that chance meeting it had
been four years since she had seen him
! in a small town in New Jersey, where,
after leaving Princeton he had laid his
heart and worldly goods at her feet
In the interval the Cobb eXchequer
had been materially increased through
the death of near relation. Cornwall
/ lis, tall and ungainly in those days,
smarting under Katherine's ungracious
refusal, shook the dust of his native
town from his feet, and sailed to Ger
many to study.
For the first time, In looking back
over the episode, Katherine realized
how disdainful had been her refusal.
When pressed for a reason, she had
replied with unblushing candor that
/ she never could care for a man whose
! name was Corn Cobb, no matter what
merits he possessed.
But that morning, when he had al
most stumbled over her In depressing
London fog, he seemed to feel nothing
but the utmost pleasure III the uneX-
pected meeting.
In a delicate way he drew from her
the account of her fathers death and
! the necessity now laid upon her of
earning her own living, all of which
was news to him. Her voice and pow
ers of mimicry she told him We're her
Only gifts. and on the advice of a
friend who had lived abroad she had
come to London and found employment
in singing coon songs in the drawing
rooms of people of wealth and title.
Katherine Whitney had come to Lon
don six months before with eager re-
lief, to escape the poverty which faced
her In her own country, but though
we'll received, she never forgot her po-
sition; she was hired at so much to
entertain my lady's guests. and when
that was over they had no further use
for her.
In former days she had looked upon
the Cobbs with amused tolerance at
their lavish display, feeling an Unborn
sense of pride that though poor, she
was a Whitney, and one of her ances-
tors had signed the Declaration of In
dependence.
From childhood she had hated power
~. It meant to her a cramped, narrow
life. desires that could not be fulfilled
canerosities that could not be graft
fed, and YET when a way OF escape
had presented itself in the person of
CORVALLIS Cobb. she had decided that
there could perhaps be more distasteful
experiences than poverty.
That night Katherine amused herself
nv reading the society news in the
Oueen The high-sounding titles inter
osted her and beguiled the time, for
sho made few friends in London and
found people not eager TO welcome
stranger
Suddenly among the names that met
hor Owe she saw one that she recog
nIvod-it was CORVALLIS Cobb. The
tom read "Mr. CORVALLIS Cobb, one
~ Americas young millionaires, is be-
inc entertained by Lady Henry Clay
horne at Clayborne manor. Yorkshire.
pumor has 1t that a marriage has been
arranged between Mr.. Cobb and Lady
a. eldest daughter, Lady
Marian Clayborne."
Katherine could not help a regretful
linz It was like finding a friend
le ad then losing him suddenly. Lady
%Iovborne was evidently not averse to
1.a a name of Cobb, and Katherine
' tns little to herself at her former
feeling Of condescension to the cobbs.