Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-30

ligious impulse gone blind, but none
the weaker for that. He was an ex-
IRENE, who had reached such a point
in evolution that he was bound to ex-
aggeratedly represent the society
which had bred him. or to react from
that society so strongly as to lead
tremendous spiritual movement Like
tower built too high. he was bound
to topple in one direction or the 9TH
err Without being conscious of it, he
had adopted materialism as his re-
ligion.
He was quite surprised, himself, at
the difficulty which he found in ac-
ceding to his friends request, partic-
ularly as Ancestor had a strong IN
fluence over him. AS the motor work
ed its way slowly through the streets
he debated the matter with himself,
calmly and sanely, and decided not to
abandon the project; but later, when
they got clear into the country, and
We're travelling at high rate of speed,
an erratic decision came to him he
would leave it to chance. Ancestor
had said that it would be a good polo
match-the sides were exactly even.
AS Lord Ancestor was leaving the
dressing room at Ranelagh a note
was handed to him.
Dear Ancestor: I'm going to leave
the decision to fate. If your side wins
or draws, I'll do as you like about
Won Tarsenheim. If Nottingham wins,
III do as like. s. ""
Lord Ancestor set his teeth. Con
found the young brute!' he thought
Left 1t to fate, has he? Nice sort of
thing to leave it to. Wonder whether
fate is for the side which has the
best ponies-or- Well, anyway, III
play polo this day"
Vandraken, a keen player himself,
had never been so fascinated by
game Of polo before He felt that he
had staked enormously on the re-
suit, but hardly knew which side he
wanted to win.
1t was brilliant scene, this mod
ern tourney. Perfection everywhere
in the flaWless lawns, flecked with
color from chiffons and parasols; in
the beauty of the women, intensified
by the excitement produced by the
concentrated physical excellence of
men and horses in motion, to the mu-
sic of half dozen massed bands
from crack regiments.
Neither birmingham nor Ranelagh
scored for the first twenty minutes,
which was very fast. During the in
terval Vandraken was strolling
through the slowly moving crowd of
pretty women and smartly dressed
men, wishing he could come across
someone he knew, when he felt a
hand on his shoulder.
why, it's Abinger!" he said, turn
ing around, and recognizing a man
who had been in his house at Harrow.
Thought you were in Yankee
land, Vandraken," observed the other
man, shaking hands. He was one of
those small-featured, small-eyed, well.
groomed individual youths which
English public schools and universe
ties turn out as bye-products, in
patches of a thousand, like enormous
clutches Of well-bred chickens.
Youths who, by dint of doing the
same things at the same time, think
ing the same thoughts, wearing the
same sort of clothes, falling in love
with the same sort of chorus girls,
get along splendidly as long as they
are not called upon to take the mi
tiative
81 only came from America a few
days ago." answered Vandraken, ''but
the newspapers have advertised it
pretty widely-to give the begging
letter writer's chance, I suppose
Nothing about it in the Sporting
Times replied Abinger, "and that is
the only paper I ever read Who did
you come down here WITH"
Ancestor asked me to come and
see him play. We have a sort of bet
on the result"
81 say! isn't he playing up though?
ii wouldn't care to be one of his 20.