Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-10

| pSaAAuo SISith6, ny "hiS1 nv NASs~'NS
either In work done or money earned.
1t Is no wonder, then, that to his sole
FRIEND Mr. Irongray of the Kirk on
the Hill, he often expressed his cou-
tempt for the Calmonts.
"A vagrant brood, certainly. but
quite harmless" had been the sn1il-
ing verdict of the Cameronian minis.
teI
We'll their father is sending them
the quickest way to the DEVIL Vic
Morris had declared "They ought to
be put to work That would tame
their vagrancy" Now. for the first
time, he beheld Calmont within
striking distance. Phil Calmont was
sitting quietly in the window corner
looking through the tendrils of last
years ivy, and wondering at the lit.
| tie green dabs on Vida's rose stems
| dabs which would be Rambler clus-
| tiers one day-when Morris entered
They had not been introduced, but
| little mattered to Vic Morris, who
considered such ceremonies as only
| for weaklings "suc.sled in a creed
| outworn."
| The engineer stood a moment in. the
doorway staring, his shoulders thrown
| back. his brows bent Indignantly. AMI
| all his fair hair bristling like lions
name He had the surprised, angry
| look of some big dog who returns to
| find little one (and strangely in
| possession Of his. bone and carpet.
| But he did not leap upon Philip
| Calmont, who rose with his usual
gentle quiet to his feet. and bowed,
| saying, Miss Bryan has gone out
Mr. Finnan has not yet arrived. l
! presume that you have come to see
him!"
| presumed" snorted Vic Morris, his
| temper suddenly breaking loose, Il
should think you do presume! Who
are yon, sir, to dictate my comings
and goings to me? If choose to
come here every night In the year,
what is that to your"
! To this Philip Calmont only replied,
| If possible more gently than before,
that he believed that Miss Bryan
would be back Immediately Then
| he reseated himself, and became alb
sorbed in the growth of the geran-
iums outside the window. They were
all moist with the spring showers.
Having done his part. and feeling
quite sure of his position he did not
trouble his head farther about the
quaint, uncertain tempers of Mr.. Lud-
ovic Morris. After all, what more
natural? He would not have liked
such an intrusion himself. even from
the rest of his family. But he was
trying to act up to little Miss Nuns
by's advice to do something for him
self So. Enthusiastically, he was
beginning with Vida Bryan
| The furniture of Dicks cottage was
all of dull oak which had descended
to him by ordinary generation-the
ancient settles and tnree-legged chairs
polished at back and seat by centuries
of hardworked homespun, moleskin
and corduroy Except at funerals,
broadclotn had never touched them.
/ For. a special chair was kept for the
minister, covered, according to age,
with velvet. or haircloth, or cretone.
/ But furniture of that kind never wears
out Doubtless some remote Finnan,
away back in the time of the Covenant
had made it-chair and dresser and
| four-poster-with adze and plane and
turning-wneel he made it to be in read
mess to receive his sober Cameroian
bride And, like their furniture, the
Finnans had remained Cameronians
ever since.
That night, when Vic Morris and the
face, Vic growing like an angry mas.
tiff and Phil gazing serenely through
the darkening window, the kitchen
parlor or house-place of Glebe End
was full of quaint moony reflections.
Old oak furniture and panelling with
freight glinting on them conduce to
| x,eSo r1,1 s,,rr IL,
ton for Dicks supper burned on the
hearth far back, and once Phil rose
with easy air to replenish it, which
caused Vic Morris to spit like an
angry cat.
ut appears to me you know your
way about-here. that is" he said
sharply, "but not SO we'll in the world.
l understand that you are the parish
doctors son. that you set up for a
man, though you do nothing-and are
only burden on your father!"
Phil looked steadily at Mr.. Ludovic
Morris, gently unmoved, but with the
slightest curve of contempt on mis-
short upper lip. His face was always
pale, and now no more than usual.
you are right" he answered, shift
ing little round in his chair SO as to
rest his eyes deliberately on the
broad shoulders of the engineer, "Mr
Morris, of the Pits, I think! All,
am right. Well, Mr.. Morris. an
obliged to you for the interest you
show in my affairs. Ny position, ad
nit, you state very truly. The alter
native you are probably ignorant Of
as ignorant as am myself"
This aroused Vic Morris. He stood
in the freight, vehement and energet
ic. He gesticulated. He even raised
his voice, so that he could be heard
out on the high road, forty rods away
What are you to do?" he cried
"Wny, man, work-work-wor
When l was half your age l was learn
ing to run an engine in the daytime
out of school hours, that is-teachint
. in a night school, feeding on the high
er mathematics, till dropped brow
on my book with pure sleepiness
Well, why did do it? So that toda.
there is no place on the face on tn,
earth where could not make live
lihood."
"Ah!" said Philip very quiet