Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-02-13

pected, sir" murmured the butler
humbly.
Sir John was reading the evening
paper, or appearing to read 1t, although
he had not his glasses.
"Oblige me by refraining from
thought" he said urbanely.
So the coffee was brought. ana Sir
John consumed 1t in silent majesty.
While he was pouring out his second
cup - of diminutive size the bell
rang. He set down the silver coffee
pot with plebeian clatter, as IL his
nerves were not quite so good as they
used to be.
1t was not Jack, but note from
him.
My Dear, Eather-circumstances have
necessitated the breaking off of my en-
gagcment at the last moment. Tomor-
rows ceremony will not take -place. AS
the above named circumstances were
partly under your control. l need hardly
offer an explanation. leave town and
probably England tonight. l am. your
affectonate son. JOHN MEREDITH.
There were no signs of haste or dis
composure. The letter was neatly
written in the somewhat large calig-
raphy, firm, bold, ornate, which Sir
John had insisted ON Jacks learning.
The stationery bore a club crest. 1t
was an eminently gentlemanly COM
munication. Sir John read it and
gravely tore it up, throwing 1t into
the fire, where he watched it burn.
Nothing was further from his mind
than sentiment. He was not much
given to sentiment, this hard hearted
old sire of an ancient stock. He never
thought of the apocryphal day when
he, being laid in his grave, should ut
last win the gratitude Of his son.
when am dead and gone you may
be sorry for it," We're not the words
that any man should hear from his
lips.
More than once during their lives
Lady Cantourne had said:
"You never change you mind, john"
referring to one thing or another. And
he had Invariably answered.:
mo, l am not the sort of man to
change"
He had always known his own mind.
When he had been in a position to
rule he had done SO with rod of
iron. His purpose had ever been in
flexible. Jack had been the only per-
son who had ever openly opposed his
desire III this, as in other matters,
his indomitable will had carried the
day, and in the moment of triumph it
is only the weak who repine. Success
should have no disappointments for
| the man who has striven for it ii his
will be strong.
| Sir John rather liked the letter. 1t
could only have been written by a
son of his-admittlng nothing, not even
defeat. But he was disappointed. He
had hoped that Jack would come-that
| some sort of reconciliation would be
patched up. And somehow the disap-
| pointment affected him physically. 1t
| attacked him in the back and in
tensified the pain there. 1t made him
| feel weak and unlike himself. He
rang the bell.
"Go round" he said to the butler,
ito DR.. Damer and ask him to call in
during the evening if he has time"
The butler busted himself with the
coffee tray, hesitating, DESTROYS of
gaining time.
anything wrong, sir? l hope you
are not feeling ILL.," he said nervously.
ell, sir!" cried Sir John. Hang it,
no; do look i'll? Just obey my orders,
if You please"
| My Dear Jack-At the risk of being
considered an interfering old woman.
write to ask, you whether you are no,
| soon coming to England again. AS you
are aware. your father and knew each
| other as children. We have known each
| other ever since-we are now almost the
only survivors Of our generation. My
reason for troubling you with this COM
munication is that during the last six
| months ! have noticed very painful
change in your father. He Is getting
| very old. He has no one but servants
about him. You know his manner; 1t i:
difficult for any one to approach him
even for me. II you could come home
by accident-I think that you will neve,
regret 1t in after life. I need not sug
gest discretion as to this letter. Your af
fectionate friend.
CAROLINE cANToURNE.
Jack Meredith read this letter in til,
coffee room of the hotel of the Fou
Seasons in Wiesbaden. 1t was Lowell,
morning; the sun shone down through
the trees of the Friedrichstrasse upol
that spotless pavement, Of which tn
stricken iwot The fresh breeze cam
bowling down from the Taurus noun
| foinS oil loo In nd In, f,,cr
picked up the odors Of the syrlnga ant
:Isfowering currant in the Kurgarten an,
eIrthrew itself in at the open window o
the coffee room of the hotel of the Fou
Seasons.
Jack Meredith was restless. Sucl
odors as are borne on the mornin,
breeze are apt to make those men rest
less who have not all that they want
And is not tDeir name legion? TIL
morning breeze is to the strong tn
moonlight of the sentimental. Tina
which makes one vaguely yearn incite
the other to get up and take.
By the train leaving Wiesbaden TO
Cologne, cover Mainz," as the guild
book hath it, Jack Meredith left 70
England, i'll which country he had no
set foot for fifteen months. Guy Oscart
was in Cashmere. The simiacine wa
almost forgotten as a nine days won
der except by those who live by til
ills of mankind. Millicent Chyne hat
degenerated into restless societ,
hack. With great skill she had poset
as n martyr. She had allowed it to b.
understood that she, having REMAINED
faithful to Jack Meredith through hi
time of adversely, had been heartlessl,
thrown over when fortune smiled upoi
him and there was chance Of hi
making more brilliant match. Witt
a chivalry which was not without I
keen shaft of irony father and son oil
lowed this story to pass uncontradicted
Perhaps few believed it. Perhap
they had foreseen the future. 1t ma.
have been that they knew that Mill
cent Chyne. surrounded by the halo O
whatever story she might invent, would
be treated with certain careless non
chalance by the older men. with re
spectful avoidance by the younger
Truly women have the deepest punish