Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-03-02

never take place. Ryder, ST., had his
own reasons for wishing to temporize.
It was quite possible that Jefferson
might change his mind and abondon
his idea of going abroad and he sug-
geste1 to the Senator that perhaps il
he, the Senator, made the engagement
public through the newspapers it might
have the salutary effect Of forcing his
sons hand.
So O few mornings later there APP
peared among the society notes in sew
eral Of the New York papers this para
graph:
"The engagement Is announced of
Miss Katherine Roberts, only daughter
of senator Roberts of Wisconsin to JET.
ferson Ryder, son Of Mr.. John Burkett
Ryder"
Two persons in New York happened
to see the item about the same time
and both were equally interested, al
though 1t affected them in different
manner, One was Shirley Rossmore,
who had CHANGED to pick up the news
paper at the breakfast table In her
boarding house.
$50 soon?" she murmured to her
self. Well, why net? She could not
blame jefferson. He had often spoken
to her of this match arranged by his
father and they had laughed over It
as typical marriage of convenience
modelled after the Continental pat
tern: Jefferson, she knew, had never
cared for the girl nor taken the affair
seriously. Some powerful influences
surrender so easily. Here again she
recognized the mastery hand of Ryder
Sr., and more than ever she was eager
to meet this extraordinary man and
measure her strength with his. Her
mind, indeed, was too full of her faith
er's troubles to grieve over her own
however much she might have been
inclined TO do SO under other circum-
stances, ond all that day she did her
best to Danish the paragraph from her
thoughts. More than week had pass
ed since she left Massapequa and what
with corresponding with financiers,
calling on editors and publishers, every
moment Of her time had been kept
busy. She had found a quiet and rea-
sonable priced boarding house off
Washington Square and here Stott had
called several times to see her. Her
correspondence with Mr.. Ryder had
now reached a phase when 1t was i'm
possible to invent any further excuses
for delaying the interview asked for.
AS she had forseen, a day or two after
her arrival in town she had received
note from Mrs. Ryder asking her to
do her the honour to call and see her,
and Shirley, after waiting another two
days, had replied making an appoint
ment for the following day at three
o'clock. This was the same day on
which the paragraph concerning the
Ryder-Roberts engagement appeared
in the society. chronicles of the met
ropolis.
Directly after the meagre meal
which in New York boarding houses is
dignlfied by the name of luncheon,
Shirley proceeded to get ready for this
portentous visit to the Ryder mansion.
! She was anxious to make favourable
impression on the financier, SO she
took some pains with her personal ap-
pearance. She always looked stylish,
no matter what she wore, and her pow
erty was Of too recent date to make
much difference to her wardrobe,
which she was still well supplied with
Paris-made gowns. She selected a sim
|
cloth and picture hat of Leghorn
straw heaped with roses, Shirley's fay-
ourite flower Thus arrayed. she sal
mouse to do battle with the formidable
lion.
The sky was threatening, SO instead
of walking a short way UP Fifth Ave
nue. for exercise, as size had intended
doing, she cut across town through
Ninth street, and took the surface car
on Fourth Avenue. This would put her
down at Madison avenue and Seventy
fourth street, which was only block
from the Ryder residence. She looked
so pretty and was SO we'll dressed that
4 the passers-by who looked after her
wondered why she did not take cab
/ instead of standing on street corner
for car. But ones outward appear.
ance is not always a faithful indexto the
condition of ones pocketbook and Shir
ley was rapidly acquiring the art OF
economy.
i 1t was not without a certain trepi
1 dation that she began this journey. Sc
far, all her plans had been based large
lily on theory, but now that she was
actually on her way to Mr.. Ryder al
sorts Of tmisgivings beset her. Sup
4 pose he Rnew her by sight and rough
ly accused her of obtaining access tc
his house under false pretences and
then had her elected by the servants:
How terrible and humiMaung thal
would be! And even IL he did not. how
could she possibly find the letters with
him watching her, and all in the brie
time of conventional afternoon call
i 1t had been an absurd idea from the
first. Stott was right; she saw thai
! now. But she had entered upon it ane
she was not going to confess hersel
beaten until she had tried. And as the
i car sped along Madison avenue, gradu
Il ally drawing nearer to the house which
she was going to enter disguised as i
we're. like burglar, she felt cox
chills run up and down her spiDe-ths
same sensation that one experience,
J. when one rings the bell of a dentists
where one has gone to have tootl
extracted. In fact, she felt SO nervou,
land frightened that If she had not beef
ashamed before herself she would hav,
turnad back In about twenty minute
the oar slammed at the corner Of Sever,