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

more money than ne could afford upon
a favorite horse. For the woman and
the child personally, he cared nothing
at least no more than he did for
the cheap workman's watch which Ell
abled him to get to the office IN proper
time of mornings, or the folded foot
rule he carried in his pocket to help
him set and gUage his mems work.
Tools-nothing else.
Then his Uncle Jacob Incubus Corn
the FIRST died and he, Jacob Romer
the Second, reigned in his stead For
a long time before that. Jacob had
been chiefly in Scotland, opening up
the new Incubus coal and iron mines
in which there were, as he nad dis
covered, millions Of money snugly
packed away in certain rusty clods
which were iron, and other black IT.
regular rhomboids, which came to the
surface from the splendid coal seams
midway between the pitmoutn and the
iron-ore.
1t was here, while opening the earth
to let out these nuggeas of rust and
CRIME. that Jacob R0mer had his earl
lest visions of another life So far
his own had only meant millions and
the ladder to them. But whilst CORN
Castle was building, and the CORN
estates were In course Of acquisition
Jacob was brought into contact with
several quiet, low-voiced men of long
lineage, from whom the land was
slipping away, even as the power of
pit-and-gallows had gone from their
forefathers. He met their women
! folks also-at once proud and infinite
| ly gentle, who mad a cool way of as
sorting superiority that made Jacobs
soul bristle like a hedgehog They
impressed him, nevertheless.
During these months his uncle still
lived. He was compelled, therefore, to
represent himself as an unmarried
man. And it cnanced that amongst
others he met Miss Georgian Bunny.
the sister of Sir Bulleigh Bunny the
impoverished baronet from whom he
had purchased some of the CORN
estates. and with whom he was con-
sequently constantly in touch.
For twenty years Miss Georgiana
had been known to all the country as
"a most capable woman" She pos
sessed strongly marked traits, mas.
culine presence, and all the brains OF
the family had been settled exclusive
ly behind her capacious brow and
within her well proportional head
At least her onlv brother, Sir Bunny
had none. This last was certainty
There is no doubt that Miss
Georgiana Bunny attracted the master
Of CORN castle--that is to say. jacob
Romer, very strongly. In her com
| 1ictapjnp rs Dar nornlncC
world-wise talk, ne often forgot the
and neglected. and the man wife who
never troubled him even with de
mands for money or even for his SOC
iety. Jacob Romer had never had {
real lady" interested in him before
and the newness Of the sensation en-
HANGED tne pleasure. From that time
forth, he went no more south to the
little home on the egde of WOOD
Green Waste. His foot never crossed
the threshold. His daughter Vida
grew up unknown to him, but for he
part quite able to indemnity her father
For his portrait stood on the mantle
piece Of her mothers room, which wa
; also hers. If it had not been for hurt
: ing Caroline Romer's feelings, sh'
would nave scratched it as with thu
talons of fierce young sparhawk. In
deed with her proud alert pose, fierc'
eyes, her black circumfex eyebrows
and determined mouth (albeit aha
was red as geranium), little Vid
Romer certainly had an expression
extremely like one of the lesser Fa
, cons-the sparrow-hawk for choice.
Then came week when the silent
self-contained woman gave way. Fo
nearly two months no remittance ha
come from her husband. Somehow tn
thought of appealing to her parent
I was pain quite inexpressible. TIL
thing itself seemed impossible. Care
line, who had taught SO well her II
FAINT class at Ryan street, loved he
little girl far too we'll to leave her i
:: the misery of dependence. She there
! fore took her in ner arms and the
3 went out to die AS a girl Caroline ha
; often found her way to Chillinghal
I High Cliff, where the new lighthous
5 was abuildins. She had sat there an
i thrilled to the sound of the surges {
!, the German ocean breaking hushe
! and hollow beneath.
Where are we going mother!
. Vida questioned. none SO sure of til
I meaning of these things. She ha
q never been out on the sea-edge /
starlight before. Nor was she confer
: with her mothers answer that it ws
o such nice night, and they were 6
ing 10 take a bonny walk all by ther
. selves"
Then why not go into the town ar
T see the shops?" retorted Vida. pract
cally.
J. But this was quite another thin
9 past all the docks and ships, across
u weary common, then over the lev
\ crossing on the Clinton line, and
to the dark truncated mound on Il
e sea cliff. bristling with cranes al
:. scaffolding.
II Then, suddenly Selling Vida in
Y close embrace, and in hurried wis
S ers beseeching her pardon for VIII
IS she was about to do, Caroline crosse
l. the road to leap out upon the bla'
rocks and white foam far below. B
as they went Vida struggled. She w
II taken with the quick access of fe