Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-07-07

He noticed Immediately that there was
something strained in the attitude Of
the two men he found in the room
and decided it was because they had
not been introduced. He came forward
cheerfully, with outstretched hand
.fYou must be Mr.. Dare. If two from
three leaves one, excuse me introduc-
ing myself, but our hostess seems a
bit late.'
Vandraken could not believe his
eyes when he saw Dashmore shaking
hands with what looked to him like
repulsive satyr. Fabian shook hands
as If Dashmore had been long lost
brother, SO delighted was he by the
contrast in his reception by the two
men.
Then Lady Kitty. with Miss Sid
combe, came down, and gertted Fa-
bian in kindly, if rather reserved,
manner, introducing him to Miss Sid
combe, came down, and GREETED Fa-
hands, at least showed no signs of
Tepugnance. And Lady Donoyle, who
hurried in at the last moment, looking
whimsically at her crepe, went in to
dinner with him.
Whats wrong?" asked Lady Kitty,
noticing her finace was eating nothing,
and occasionally shiyering. why do
you look so strangely at poor Mr..
Dare?"
Its horrible-absoIute1y horrible!"
he muttered
Whats horrible?" asked Lady
Kitty '"The salmon cutlets?"
mo: his face! Great Scott! How
can you have anyone about who looks
like that? 1t isn't right!-and a par
son, tool"
Poor dear! He has got to look a
bit dissipated, but one mustn't be too
hard on people,
"a bit dlssipated! Why Kitty, he
makes me goose-fleshed! It's the most
| repulsive face ever saw in my life"
you're not well, Standish. I'm
sure you are not we'll" The girl was
| trying to reassure herself, as much as
her lover, for cloud seemed to be
| passing over her spirit The dim fore
holdings which began to form that last
night on the yacht was taking more
definite shape now that she was in
! contact with the personalities of the
two men. 1t was as though that con-
tact had completed an electric cir
cult, over which messages were trying
to travel Her Celtic intuition, which,
| in the earlier stages of her friend
ship with Vandraken, had urged her to
| look at the back of the picture, now
seemed to be telling her that she dare
not; that she must shut her eyes to
everything but the physical attractions
on which his fight with the brigands
| ha1 r,11f vol,
Vandraken sat out the dinner in mis-
cradle silence. Fabian Dare left al
most Immediately afterwards. He was
actually sensitive to the other mans
antagonism, and resented 1t all the
more bitterly on account of his envy
Of Vandraken's fresh, unsu1lied face.
Dashmore, noticing his frined's cur
iously rude behaviour went out of his
way to be pleasant to Dare, fact OF
which va1iraken could not be oblivi
Gus. I2e spoke to Dashmore about 1t
as soon as they were alone in the
smolling-room.
"Great Scott. Slap Dash!" he asked
chow, in the name of all that's clean
and normal could you touch that
chaps hand? I feel like getting
drunk tonight to try and get the taste
out of my mouth. That's to say if
could get drunk he thought.
Whats the matter with you, Van
draken?" asked Dashmore, impatient
ly, as he lit cigar. TO hear you
talk, one would think you had been
asked to dine with the devil himself
I would judge from that chaps face
that he had been going bit large
trying to have better time than he
could have. l expect pink rats and
skinned monkeys are no strangers tc
the poor devil. But really, you know
Van, you are not in a position to crit
icise the morals or the appetites Of
your fellow men,"
Vandraken was walking impatient
ly up and down the room, stopping oc
casionally to light his cigar, which he
then forgot to smoke.
I'm not criticising him. he an
swered, as he stopped to pour out 6
whiskey- and-soda, of such mammoth
proportions that even Dashmore's
seasoned notions as to what con
stituted drink were startled. g
simply know that the mans face is
the most repulsive and disgusting
sight ever saw, and can't stay il
the same room with 1t, or the same
house, or the same country-or, BY
God! the same universal" he added
in curious, shrill voice.
Dashmore came over and took the
glass out of his hama.
"It's bromide you need, not this
Pom my word, I believe you've go
'em!"
For he could not realise the truth
and how could Vandraken, himself
know that the thing he could not liv,
in the universe with was the imag'
of his own soul, defaced and soiled b.
the record he had written thereon?
the story had been slowly carved OF
his own face he would have gradual
become accustomed to it; but his cor
seriousness came upon the horror a
suddenly as though he had died, an
on his star had met his soul, deface
by his own writings, and acquired tn
agonising knowledge that each man
his own recording angel.
That night. as Vandraken tossed o
his bed, he felt again that sense c
clouds gathering, fear of the fat