Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-07

But ne 1OunQ MS way 10 CllU
Square. He met Miss French on the
Newcastle road ana, claiming &C
quaintance. walked home with her
asking questions about her class. Her
home proved to be a little eight-and-
sixpenny cottage belonging to his
uncle's farm, which, but for the
cheapness of the rent and the fact that
1t was attached to similar one on
either side. would fain have called
itself a villa" and so IT'S rent raised
to ten-and-siX.
Jacob was pleased with the ex-
schoolmaster, equally so with his wife,
both old folks. They were wrapped
up in their daughter. Neither mixed
with the neighbors. hardly knowing
them even by sight, so carefully had
they kept themselves to them
selves"
When he got out and was pacing
slowly back. Jacob who never saw any
difficulties and always looked we'll
ahead, murmured only to himself:
Wood Green-yes, Wood Green would
dol"
And it turned out so. Step by step,
as he planned the matter, the young
mans imperious will drove the thing
through. 1t was manifestly impossible
to say word to mis- uncle, who would
have cut him off for a young fool
making misalliance. But Jacob knew
better. He was no fool. He knew
very we'll what he was doing. Wood
Green was a little hamlet where
property was cheap, three miles from
Thorsby, but there was railway sta
ton quite convenient In the sum.
mer Jacob had the choice of returning
by steamer to a pier within easy walk.
ing distance, Above ALL it was also
the "other side Of the water" from his
terrible uncle.
AS for the feelings of Caroline
French, or his future interests. these
did not matter. She was a step In
the advancement of Jacob Romer.
That, doubtless. should be sufficient
for her.
CHAPTER X.
| Jacobs Ladder to Success,
| So the home was arranged. the mar.
riage made. And far as Jacob ROmer
was concerned the success of the ven
ture was immediate and complete. He
encountered the little house at Wood
Green. the neat garden, the well-plan
ned meals, and the kindly face of his
young wife every night with certain
fresh surprise. They were a recently
acquired part of his estate. Some
what riskily he had invested in them
and he meant that they should yielC
him certain definite return. MOI
was ne deceived.
In a month he could pass race
course, or an array of swathed horse;
going out to the exercise paddock
without Quickening of the pulses
He even paid for admission one day
to the grand stand at the Thorsb,
spring races, and came away withou
betting. He did this as a test case
all along the line. His purpose will
Caroline. his wife, was therefor
served.
Oh, Of course, Jacob Romer woult
do what was right by his wife. Small
fear Of that-only, she must in al
matters, great and small, submit her
self to his imperial Judgment as t
what was best.
And this Caroline did. And no
only for herself, but she SO worke
upon her father, the feeble, retire
postmaster, and her mother. tn
silent housemistress, that from thet
lips came no murmur Of complaint
Their daughter was married-we
married-they told their friends. Sh
lived at some distance, but came re
gularly to see them No, it was no
a rich marriage. The young man wa
well-doing lad, and In time Woul
do better. But for the present-wel
no doubt 1t took the young folk a
: their time to make both ends meet.
All the while Caroline knew n
more of her husbands affairs than
she had been the spaniel that yappe
at his approach. and then hid fro1
his uplifted cane under the red GU
rant bushes. just now bursting int
! leaf Some wives there are who
not wish to know such things-wh
take bite and sup, hearth fire an
clothing, purse and payment as thei
right, without for moment caring
know aught Of the struggles, disal
,, pointments, anguishes, and the Ion
! working hours which have produce
for them these necessities and lu.
uries.
Caroline was not one Of these. Sh
would have sympathised with infinit
zeal though with little knowledge,
:, Jacob had designed to tell her an
' thing. But, as he did not, she We
quite content to accept everything &
' Just Jacobs goodness" Her worl
! like the original one after the 81
j., days creation, was very good
Specially was Caroline happy whe
little Vida Romer began to grow fro
2 a baby into a child She had.
; course, always loved her daughter
+ always given her the first pla b.
I she had not let her husband see e
hear too much Of the small elf-lil
y thing who cried but seldom-but whe
she did. almost so as to rend the ce
+ ing, screaming out her baby ange
0 with clenched battering fists and fe
l. lures wiredrawn into Il myriad puc
X ers.
:, Now, like her parents in Thorsb
} Mrs. Jacob Romer, in the little hou
It out at Wood Green, kept herself
l. herself" More than that, SO far
e In her lay she kept her baby to he
II self. She had a subtle sense that nj
r like her husband did not care to