Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-02-05

and serious manner. The truth was
that he was rather diffident with wo-
men, largely owing to lack of expert
ence with them.
He had never felt the slightest in
cllnat1on for business. He had the ar
tlstlc temperament strongly developed,
and hi personal tastes had little in
commo.. with Wall Street and its
feverish stock manipulating. When he
was younger he had dreamed of liter
airy or art career. At one time he had
even thought Of going on the stage.
But it was to art that he turned final
ly. From an early age he had shown
considerable skill as a draughtsman,
and later two years course at the
Academy Of Design convinced him that
this was his true vocation. He had
begun by illustrating for the book pub
fishers and for the magazines, meeting
at first with the usual rebuffs and dis
appointments, but refusing to be dis
couraged, he had kept on and soon
the tide turned. His drawings began
to be accepted. They appeared first
In one magazine, then in another, until
one day, to his great joy, he received
an order from an important firm of
publishers for six wash-drawings to be
used in illustrating a famous novel;
This was the beginning of his real sue
cess His illustrations were talked
about almost as much as the book, and
from that time on everything was easy.
He was in great demand by the pub
fishers, and very soon the young artist,
who had begun his career of independ-
ence on nothing year so to speak,
found himself in handsomely appoint
ed studio in Bryant Park with more
orders coming in than he could posi-
bly, fill, and enjoying an income of little
less than $4,000 a year. The money
was all the sweeter to Jefferson in
that he felt he had himself earned ev-
cry cent of 1t. This summer he was
giving himself well-deserved vaca-
ton, and he had come to Europe part
ly to see Paris and the other art CEN
tiers about which his fellow studen.a
at the Academy raved, but principally
although this he did not acknowledge
even to himself-to meet in Paris g
young woman in whom he was more
than ordinarily interested = Shirley
Rossmore, daughter of Judge Ross
more, of the United States Supreme
Court, who had come abroad to re-
cuperate after the labors on her new
novel, The American Octopus"
book which was then the talk of two
hemispheres.
Jefferson had read half dozen re-
views of it in as many American pa
pers that afternoon at the New York
Herald's reading room in the Avenue
de l'Opera, and he chuckled with glee
as he thought how accurately this
/ hoI hi Pot
| The book had been published under the
pseudonym Shirley Green" and he
alone had been admitted into the Sc.
cret of authorship. The critics had
all conceded that it was the book of
the year, and that it portrayed with a
pltiless pen the personality of the big
gest figure in the commercial life of
America. Although" wrote one re-
viewer, the leading character in the
book is given another name, there can
be no doubt that the author intended
to give to the world vivid pen por-
trait of John Burkett Ryder. She has
succeeded in presenting remarkable
character-study of the most remark
able man of his time"
He was particularly pleased with the
reviews, not only for Miss Rossmore's
sake, but also because his own vanity
was gratified. Had he not elaborated
on the book to the extent Of acquaint-
ing the author with details of his faith
ers life, and his characteristics, which
no outsider could possibly have learn
ed? There had been no disloyalty to
his father in doing this. Jefferson adj
mired his fathers smartness, if he
could not approve his methods. He
did not consider the book an attack on
his father, but rather a powerfully
written pen picture of an extraordin-
airy man.
Jefferson had met Shirley Rossmore
two years before at a meeting of the
Schiller Society, pseudo-literary or
4 ganization gotten up by lot of old
/ fogies for no useful purpose. and at
whose monthly meetings the poet who
gave the society its name was prob.
Il ably the last person to be discussed
He mad gone out of curiosity, anxious
to take in all the freak shows New
York had to offer, and he had been in.
troduced to a tall girl with pale
Thoughtful face and firm mouth. She
was writer, Miss Rossmore told him
and this was her first visit to the ev
ening receptions of the Schiller Soci
ETY.. Half alphabetically she added
that it was likely to be her last, for
i frankly she was bored to death But
she explained that she had to go to
these affairs, as she found them use
| full in gathering material for literary
use. She studied types and eccentric
characters, and this seemed to her 8
capital hunting ground. Jefferson, who
as rule. was timid with girls ant
, avoided them, found this girl quite un
, like the others he had known. Hell
quiet, forceful denlanor appealed tt
, him strongly, and he fingered with her
chatting about his work, which had 81
many interests in common with hel
own, until refreshments were served
when the affair broke up. This frs
f meeting had been followed by cal
!. at the Rossmore residence, and thu
acquaintance had been kept UP unit
Jefferson, for the first time since hi
.. came to manhood was surprised ant
somewhat alarmed at finding himsel
CT 20 nc a1y and IIpd,,Iy ipfarnctad in /.