Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-26
CHAPTER VII.
The House of the Five Gable


not often ridden in a carriage but he
would have found his sensations very
difficult to set down. The glossy
cushions. the fine ivory and silver fit
tines. were ornaments to be touched
with caressing fingers as one touches
the coat of & beautiful animal or the
ripe bloom upon fruit. Just to loll
back in such vehicle, to watch the
houses and the. people and the streets
was an experience he had not hither-
to imagined The smooth motion was
delight to him. He felt that he
could continue such a journey to the
ends of the earth resting at his ease,
untroubled by those never ending
questions upon which poverty insist
ed
as it far yet, sir-is Mr.. Gessner's
house long way off,"
He asked the question as one who
desired an affirmative reply. The par
son, however, believed that his
charge was already wearied; and he
said eagerly:
"It is just over there between the
trees my lad We shall be with our
good friend in five minutes now. Per
haps you know that you are on Hamp-
stead Heath
81 came here once with little Lois
Boriskoff-on a Bank Holiday. 1t
was not like this then. If Mr.. Cess
ner is rich, why does he live in a
place where people come to keep
Bank Holiday? I should have thought
he would have got away from them"
"He Is not able to get away. His
business takes him into town eve"y
day-he goes by motor-car and comes
back at night to breathe pure air.
Band Holidays do not occur every
day, Mr.. Kennedy Fortunately for
some Of us they are hut four year"
"Of course you don't like going
amongst all those poor people, Mr..
Geary That's natural I didn't until
had to- and then found them much
the same as the rest You haven't
any poor in Hampstead. / am told"
Mr. Geary fell into the trap all I'M
suspectingly.
"Thank Heaven he began, and
then checking himself clumsily, he ad-
ded, "that is to say we are compare
lively well off as neighborhoods go.
Our people are not idlers, however.
Some of the foremost manufacturers
in the country live in Hampstead"
while their work-people starve III
Whitechapel. It's an odd world, isn't
it, Mr. Geary-and / don't suppose
we shall ever know much about 1t. If
I had made fortune by other PEG
pies work, think should like some
of them to live in Hampstead too
But you see, I'm prejudiced."
Sidney Geary looked at the boy as
though he had heard heresy. Tc
him the gospel of life meant a year
" dole of Goals at Christmas and q
bout of pleasant charity organiza
tons" during the winter months. He
would as soon have questioned thu
social position of the Archbishop o.
Canterbury as have criticised the con
duct and the acts of the manufac
turers who supported his church S;
generously.
81 am afraid you nave received
some precious teaching down yonder
he said, with. a shake of his abundan
locks. "Mr. Gessner, I may tell you
has an adherence of socialism
You wish to please him, avoid tn
topic.'
But do not wish to please him
L
not a socialist, sir If Mr.. Gessne
had ever lived in Whitechapel; if h
had starved in a garnet, he woul
matters. though whether he does G
not, for we are hardly likely to dis
cuss such things together"
My dear lad. he has not sent &c
you for that. believe me. His CO,
will hn oil ~ Il
ferent nature Let me implore 20
to remember that he desires to u
your benefactor-not your judg,
There is no kinder heart no NOR
worthy gentleman in all London L
day than Richard Gessner Thu
much know and my opportunities al
unique"
Alban could make no reply to this
nor did he desire one. They ha
passed the Jack Straw's Castle b
this time, and, now the carriage el
tered a small circular drive upon tn
right-hand side of the road and DIRE
up before modern red-bricked ma
sion, by no means ostentatious /
externally characteristic Of tho IN
ury for which its interior was fame
Just a trim garden surrounde
lue mousse ana DOdSleu1 trees SuInclel
to hide the picturesque gables fro
the eyes of the curious There wei
stables in the northern wing and
great conservatory built out towart
the south. Alban had but an instal
10 glance at the beautiful facac
when a young butler opened the do
to them and ushered them into a va
hall panelled to the ceiling in OF
and dimly lighted by Gothic windoy
of excellent stained glass Here
silence, amazing in its profundity pc
mitted the very ticking of the cloc7
to be heard. All sounds from witho
the hoot of the motors, the laug
tor Of children, the grating voices
ioafers on the Heath were instant
shut out An odor of flowers and fl
shrubs permeated the apartment. T.
air was cool and clear as though
had passed through a lattice of ice.
Please to wait one moment, Re
nedy and l will go to Mr.. Cessna
IL i -In11 y,I{ 4,