The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-06-14
Lord Framptou looked angrily around.
,,,NNr ~, e,suV


II insist upon an explanation, sir!'
Excuse me just few minutes.
must finish dressing. was and
wasn't there. I'll explain" Dayton
withdrew to the bedroom, pulling the
portiere over the doorway.
He hurried into his clothes and re-
turned to the sitting room. He stood
before Lord Frampton, looking asham-
ed, repentant, honest. II am going to
make a clean breast of it, SIR" lie said.
Il could not keep my engagement with
you yesterday. l did not wish to lose
the interview. 1 sent a perfectly COM
petent man, thinking it made no diff
ference to you, as YOU did not know
me or care especially who did the in
terview, so long as it was done prop
erly"
'.But where is he? Where is hep"
Lord Frampton tapped his cane angri
ly on the floor.
'J-l don't know, sir. p
'This is outrageous. A person rep
resenting himself to be Fenimore
Dayton, an American journalist, wrote
llc ii 41OlC. i uOA AlOM MANC NSAuOh
of i'll luck possessed me. l had never
submitted to an interview. l am
very old man and in poor health.
permit no strangers to come near me.
But something-perhaps in the note-l
don't llnow-at any rate, consented to
receive this person at my club. He, or
some one representing himself to be
%,I 81,
two hours. He was most agreeable,
most intelligent, but he had been drink
ing-at least l feared SOL became
nervous about the interview. He prom
Used to bring me what he had written
last night AS he did not, came here
this morning l wish to recall the in
terview. l forbid the publication of a
word from me. shall hold you re-
sponsible, sir! 1t is an outrage! 1t is
scandalous! l shall protest publicly.
SIR"
81 have no excuse to offer, SIR" said
Dayton humbly. II can only throw
myself OH your mercy. But first let
me say that your interview is safe-at
least it has not been published and will
not be-" Then he went on to confess
the whole truth, holding back nothing
his love for young American, the i'm
possibility of keeping both engage
ments and the impossibility of break
ing either. "And l suppose, SIR" he
said in conclusion, "that Carpenter
Slipped away and took several drinks
before seeing you and then kept on
drinking afterward. In spite of his
habits, Sir, there isn't man in the
world more competent to get such an
interview than Henry Carpenter"
Hasn't he written on sociology?" in
quired Lord Frampton. lie had been
interrupting Dayton's narrative with a
descending series of EXPLANATIONS, be-
ginning with shocking" and "De-
praved." and "Insolent.' and ending
with such milder CALCULATIONS as "Most
astonishing" Extraordinary" "Sur-
prising"!
YES" replied Dayton eagerly, enter
ing the opening and hurrying on to re-
mind Lord Frampton of the titles and
subjects of Carpenters best known es-
says.
Lord Frampton was somewhat molli-
fed. He said: cit was a disgraceful
trick to play upon an old man, sir, but
I've been young myself. You Ameri-
cans-a wonderful people, sir, but
with a sudden twinkling i'll his old eyes
twill you get the young Lady,"
81 think So" said Dayton.
81 don't doubt it if impudence is as
effective with the ladies as it was when
l was young fellow" Lord Frampton
chucIled.
"Would you mind if 1 showed you q
photograph of her, sir?" asked Dayton
shamelessly using his bride to be as q
pacilier of the old mans wrath. He
brought the photograph, fair haired
clear eyed girl With a resolute face
looking straight out of the picture a
you.
"a fine American type" said Lore
| Frampton.
They talked for few minutes o1
America, then Lord Frampton sudden
ly remembered his wrongs and was an
CRY all over again. II am very old,
he said pcevishly. "This will shorter
my life. And where, sir, is that asso
ciate of yours, this Carpenter?"
"We'll find him." said Dayton. ant
after he had hastily taken coffee ant
roll they set out for the far end o
Pimlico. They found Carpenters lodS
ings down dismal alley in a hous'
which, had it been built of wood in
stead of stone, would have been oblit
Grated decades before. A pinched New
England female face answered tn
knock at the door to which the slater
in charge had directed them.
"What do you want?" said she, il
what is sometimes called the ''pie ant
pickles" voice.
"Where is Mr.. Carpenters"
''That's what I'd like to know" Mrs
Carpenter answered.
A few minutes talk made it clea
that no news was to be got there
"We'll have to look for him." said Day
ton, as if they We're sure to find him
And on the way back to the Piccadilly
Strand district he tried to persuad
Lord Frampton to go quietly to hi