Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-04-14
XXI, (continuedD.


"And there is the perfect lady" he
said. "a genus usually associated
with the police-court But you are
quite right, Rolfe, nowadays, accord
Ing to our modern code, poor man
cannot be gentleman. No. as long
as live, the needy aristocracy which
calls itself Society shall never pass my
threshold. I will remain independent
of them, for have no womankind, and
no fish to fry. I don't want baron
etcy, of a peerage. l don't want shoot
ing, or Devastating, or yachting or
hunting, or any of those pastimes.
merely want to be left alone here in
peace-if it is possible And he drew
a long breath as the ugly recollection
of the shabby stranger crossed his
mind.
Rolfe knew we'll that the old mans
objections were because he dare not
throw open the mansion. Some secret
was hidden there which he could not
reveal. What was it? Why were those
brilliant lights sometimes at night in
the upper windows? He had seen
them sometimes as he passed along
near midnight On his way to his cham
bers in Jermyn street, and had been
sorely puzzled More than once he
had been convinced that somebody
lived in the upper floors-somebody
who was never seen. Yet if that were
SO, why should there be such secrecy
regarding it. The occupant, whoever
it was, could easily yacate the place
while reception was held.
AS he sat there listening to the old
mans trade against the West-End and
Its ways he felt that there must be
some far greater mystery than an un-
seen tenant.
That old Sam knew quite we'll the
rumour concerning the house, was
evident. Keeping secret agents in
every capital as he was forced to do
everything and reported exactly what
that public opinion concerning him
was well known to him. Yet as in
scandal the man most concerned is
always the last to get wind of it..
Perhaps after all he might be in igno-
rance of what people We're saying, al
though it was hardly credible that Ben,
his brother, would not tell him.
For craft and cunning few men in
London could compare with Sam
Statham, yet at the same time he was
just in his judgment and honest in his
transactions. The weak and needy he
befriended, but woe betide any who
endeavoured to mislead him or impose
upon his generosity.
More than one man had, by re-
ceiying a word of good advice from
Sam Statham and the temporary loan
of a few thousand as capital, awaken
ed in a weeks time to find himself
wealthy. One man in particular, now a
well-known baronet, had risen in ten
years from being a small drauer in
Launceston to his present position
with an estate in Suffolk and a town
house in Green street, merely by talk
ing Sam Statham's advice as to GER
tain investments.
1t was owning to this fact, and
others, that old Sam, as he rose from
the table and crossed the room to the
window, where he pulled aside the
blind to look out upon the sunny road
way, said
81 myself, Rolfe, have made one or
two so-called gentlemen. But" he
added, drawing deep breath, "let's
put all that aside and get on with the
letters. Pm expecting that Scotch
friend of yours, the locomotive design
er of Glasgow"
"Oh, Macgregor!" remarked the sec
retary. "He was most pertinacious the
other day"
"All Scots are" replied the old man
simply. Lets get on And return.
ing to the table he took up letter after
I Oft iofo toI in tee !,
snappy way which, to those who did
not know him, would have appeared
priggish and uncouth.
The reason of Macgregor's visit
to Old Broad street had caused Rolfe
a good deal of curiosity. He recollect,
ed how, on the instant his master had
read the old engineers scribbled lines
his face fell. The visitor was at all
events not welcome one. Yet, on the
other hand. he had seen him without
delay, and they had been closeted to-
gether for quite long time.
When the bearded Scot left, and he
had re-entered the milIionaire's room
two facts struck him as peculiar. One
was that strong smell of burnt
paper and a quantity of black tindel
lin the empty crate showed that some
papers had been burned there, while
the other was that old Sam was in
the act OF lighting a cigar, in itself
showtnga a buoyancy Of mind.
He never smoked when down at the
bank. and very seldom at home. His
cigars, too, were Of a very cheaI
quality which even his clerks would
be ashamed to offer their friends In
deed, while all connected with the
house In DAD Broad street possessed
an air Of solid prosperity, the head Of
the firm was usually of a penurious
and hard-up aspect, as though he had
a difficulty in making both ends