Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-07-20
static. 1t was unique game and ii

won.
Jim watched her with tolerant in
terest as she Unveiled young guards
man into giving substantial dona-
ton to the cause. AS he Idly survey.
ed the scene he wondered at Dlana's
failure to attend the fete. The tired
women who had been in attendance
were disposing of the remains of their
stock The eager crowd that had
thronged the hall and paid half.
crown to be served tea by duchess
or to- see peerless act as barmaid in
rivalry to a popular Rosalind of the
stage, was gradually thinning out.
Jim started to leave the f1ag-bedeck-
ed hall with It's litter of packages and
debris-strewn floor as proofs of the
days profitable traffic Sadie Jones
who had been sldlfullt effecting her
sales and keeping him in sight, turn.
ed to him,
wait and drive home with me to
dinner The brougham's at the door.
have news for you of Lady Kerhill.
have Just returned from a visit
Mrs. Jones lived in box Of a
house in Curzon Street. 1t was
setting especially designed to suit her
small birdlike personality. But Jim's
stalwart frame seemed grotesquely
out of proportion In the small French
salon The dinner was an amusing
tete-a-tete with Sadie at her most vi.
vacious best, telling anecdotes of the
plains she loved.
Sometimes long for the smell of
the alkali, It chokes one but find
the foes far harder to swallow. was
bred to It,"
Hitherto her descriptions of the
prairie had often made Jim long 10
see the country she painted so wildly.
Suddenly she turned to Jim and with
quick decision said:
II can't understand your English
mans point Of view Why, In America
II Hoby Jones had treated me as Lord
Kerhill Is treating his wife, there
would be ructions. Yes, ructions."
she calmly went on, in answer to
Jim's look Of amazement lord Ker-
hill is your cousin. know, but Lady
Kerhill is an angel. Why don't you
do something's"
For moment Jim could not quite
grasp her irrelevant outburst. Then
he learned that Diana's failure to ap.
pear at the bazaar was due to days Of
accumulated anxiety at the Towers.
Henry had been away for week with
out word of explanation to those
at home.
"Cf course" Sadie Jones continued
as she leaned back and pulled her
cigarette, II know the truth We all
do here In town He's drinking in.
ordinately and leading a most flag.
rant life. An earl may be stable
boy, | find, and Kerhill is certainly be.
having like one Lady Elizabeth is
trying to cover up the situation, and
Lady Kerhill seems dazed by recent
events"
On the sincerity of her interest in
Diana, Jim could have no doubt. I'm
der her frivolities she had an appre
citation of what was fine In men and
women. AS she talked she was care
fully watching the effect of her words
on Jim; her instinct had long ago tolt
4 her that Jim's interest in Diana Wa.
Inc usual one-how unusual she did no
sNcare to probe. She knew that he wat
the one person who might have an In
! fuence over Henry; she also knew
that by this conversation she might
4 be stirring up q situation that woull
be far from benefit her, but she played
the game fair. She was rich--Jin
was almost poor. Often she wonder
ed and hoped--but so far her dreams
she knew, were built alone upon hel
desires.
/ The talked for another hour, and
4 when Jim left the Curzon Stree
house he promised Sadie Jones h.
would see Henry. From her window
Sadie Jones watched him swinging
down the street She had tried 4
serve Diana, but, she asked. what ha6
she accomplished for herself She
lighted another cigarette and settled
her foot against the fender. Sh.
was thinking Of Jim's face as he hat
listened to her talk about Diana.
/ The fire burned gray. A line &
4 dead soldiers ss the boys at Battl,
Creek had called the half-burnet
cigarettes lay on the hearthstone-s
tribute to the length of her reverie
Another expression Of the boys a
home came back forcibly to her as sh,
left the room and crossed to her bed
chamber After all, she had beel
dead game" Gain or loss, she di,
not regret her evenings work.
AS jim walked along Plcad1lly, Il,
knew that Henry's liasons were nov
town-talk. 1t was useless to close hi
eyes to the suspicious Of the pas
month. Sadie Jones represented tn,
worlds opinion, and what she trio,
to warn him about would soon b.
brutally brought to Diana's know
ledge. At the club he could find n,
news of Henry. All night he though
out the question of the wisdom O
his approaching Henry, but tn,
strength of his determination onl,
grew as the gray of the dawn increas
ed.
!, The following morning he called a
: Pont Street. He found Henry lingei
ing over some breakfast. A brandy
glass and empty soda-bottle arouse,
I Jim's suspicious. while the bloate'
circles under Henry's eyes, and hi
4, yellow, discolored skin, were un
mistakable proofs of a recent debauch
!. AS Jim entered Henry looked up will
surprise.
Didn't expect you back SO soon.
y ~osI aFt 81 or, sr,,1 &t,,,~