Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-24

L
ward, turned into respectable estab-
lishment upon the Lockhart plan-al-
most deserted at such an hour and
the very place for confidential chat.
will you have something, sir?"
The curate looked at the thick cups
upon the counter, turned his gaze for
an instant upon splendid pile Of
sausages and shuddered a little,
ominously.
II suppose. the people here have ex-
ly. 81 myself, unfortunately have
little coffee-shall we not drink a
coffee?"
Suppose order you two doorsteps
and thick ''un?."
my dear young fellow, what in
heavens name are two doorsteps and
a thick 'un?'"
/ Alban smiled little scornfully.
Evidently you come from the
West. was only trying you Shall
we have two ees-large? 1t isn't
so bad as it looks by long way"
The. coffee was brought and set
steaming before them. In an interval
of silence Alban studied the curate's
face as he would have studied book
in which he might read some account
of his own fortunes. Why had this
man stopped him in the street?
Your first visit to Aldgate, sir?"
mot exactly, Mr.. Kennedy-many
years ago have recollections Of a
school treat at watering place near
the rivers mouth-an exceedingly
muddy place since become famous, I
understand. But / take the children
to Eastbourne now
"They find that bit slow. don't
they? Kids love mud, you know"
They do-upon my word. A childs
love Of mud is one of the most in
durable things in nature"
Then why try to cure it?"
| But what are you to do -
Wash them, sir,-you can always
do that. My father was parson, you
know"
Good heavens, clergyman--and
you are come to-that is. you choose
to live amidst these dreadful sur
roundings?'
II do not choose-death chose for
me-"
my poor boy"
mot at all, sir. Give man good
appetite and enough to crafty it. and
don't know that other circumstances
count much"
Trial has made of you an eqi-
curean, I see. Well, well, so much
the better. That which I have to
offer you will be the more accept
| able"
Employment, sir?"
Employment a considerable
term. Good employment, Mr. Ken
nedy Employment which will take
you into the highest society, educate
you, perhaps. open q great career to
you--that Is what came to speak
Of" sff
| The5good man had meant to- break
the news more dramatically; abut II
flowed on now as a freshet released,
while his eyes sparkled and his head
wagged as though his whole .sould
were bursting with It. Alban thought
for moment that he had met one OF
those pleasant eccentrios who are not
less rare in the East End than the
West ''rhis good fellow has escaped
out of an asylum" he thought.
What kind Of a job would that
be, sir?"
] your own. Name 1t and 1t shall
be chosen for YOU That is what 1
am commissioned to say"
"By whom, sir?"
"By my patron and by yours"
Does he wish to. keep his. name
back?"
| $50 little that he is waiting for
you at his own house now"
Then why shouldn't we go and see
him, sir?
! He put the question fully believing
that it would bring the whole ridi-
culous castle down with crash, as it
were, upon the table before him. It's
effect, however, was entirely other.
wise. The parson stood up immedi-
ately.
my carriage is waiting" he said;
nothing could possibly suit me bet
ter
1 Alban, however, remained seated.
"Mr. Geary," he exclaimed, "you
have forgotten to tell me something. y
81 can thing of nothing"
4 "The conditions of this slap-ip
job-the high society and all the rest
of it! What are the conditions y
He spoke almost with contempt
and deliberately selected a vulgar ex
preston. 1t had come to him by this
time that some unknown friend had
become interested In his career AMI
that this aniable curate desired tc
make either schoolmaster or an or
ganist of him. "Old Boriskoff knew
was going to get the sack and little
Lois has been chattering," he argued
nor did this line of reasoning at all
console him. Sidney Geary, mean
while, felt as though some one haS
suddenly applied slab of melting
ice to those grammatical nerves
which Cambridge had tended so care
fully.
my dear Mr. Kennedy-not' slap
up beg of you. If there are any
conditions attached to the employ
ment my patron has to offer you, is
not he the best person to state them
Come and hear him for yourself
assure you 1t will not be waste o
time"
"Does he live far from here?"
"At Hampstead Heath-it will talk,
| us an hour to drive there"