Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-23

dS uc ldu 10 be 50 s6OSu OH lhS' aehJs'
Of the week? share the sentiments
of that little boy, Mr.. Haverford."
The car pulled up here again, and
the chauffer got down and lit the pow
erful lamps. BY now they had passed
completely into the embrace of the
white fog; the air was raw, and the
damp cold very penetrating.
But perhaps you mean you wanted
me to go back with the Others" Mrs.
Lancing murmured softly, as they
moved EDWARDS again
Haverford Just looked into her eyes,
that even through the mist and her
veil shone brilliantly.
you know perfectly well was not
likely to do that" heranswered blunt
ly, and yet there was kind Of re-
straint in his voice. Mrs. Lancing
caught that restraint. and with a sud-
den impatient contraction. of her brows
moved almost imperceptibly nearer to
him; she arranged. her veil with ner
small, white-gloved hand, and then left
1t lying for an instant on the outside
Of the rug. It was very close to his;
but Rupert Haverford did not touch
the hand. neither did he enfold it az
he might so easily have done protect.
fngly in his large, brown, strong one.
Mrs. Lancing bit ner lip
There is no mistake, we are in for
fog,' she said jerkily. and she slip
ped her hand as she spoke back into
the warmth of her big sable muff. 1t
was not the first time that this man
had unconsciously repulsed her; there
were times indeed, when, in her irri-
tatton, she called him prig. But she
misjudged him; Rupert Haverford was
not prtg, he was only very straight.
forward, practical, in sense, simple
minded man, who, like an explorer,
was advancing step by step into an
unknown world. meeting and mingling
every day with elements which were
not only new to him, but which be-
longed to range of things about
which he had never had occasion to
think hitherto. Camilla herself was
prominent amongst these new sensat-
tons; she was at once bewilderment
and fascination. There had been no
woman of this class in his life up to a
couple Of years before: indeed, wom-
en- Of any kind had played but nom.
| inal part in the busy, uneventful and
certainly unpicturesque existence
which had been his lot since early
| boyhood
Mrs. Lancing, Of course. knew brief
ly the outlines of the story of this
working man and his sudden and I'M
| expected accession to wealth, and
recognized clearly enough that Haver-
ford was as far removed in thought
and social education from the various
men who f1uttered in and out of her
life as the sun is from the earth; but
she had little discrimination. With
her 1t was never question Of char
acter or quality; fundamentally she
decreed all men were alike, strong
In prejudice, weak In temptation,
selfish, and even tyrannical; vain and
sentimental, intentionally moral at
times, but amazingly loyal, and, as a
rule, sensitively moved by the potent
charm Of woman of her temperament
and attractions.
she liked men very much, she had
many men friends, and few women
friends, which was perhaps her most
marked characteristic, made her very
attractive to women. and accounted
for her wide popularity; there was
something so disarming, so delightful
about Camilla Lancing. Beauty alone
would never have given her quarter
the power she possessed; it was her
ready interest absolutely genuine for
the moment), her quickness in associa
ting herself with those things which
were paramount with the persons who
approached her, that made her ir
resistible to all sorts and kinds OF
people.
She had the tact of delicately
/ fashioned nature, and . vast amount
of endurance.
But she was neither reasonable MOI
patient, and the more she saw OF
Rupert Haverford, the more necessary
! he became to ner, the less patience
she had with him.
He puzzled her; he piqued her; he
annoyed her; he made her nervous
] What were his feelings towards her
self?
Gle Is so horribly SLOW she unused
now fretfully, "he ponders every word
he says. suppose ne is terribly
afraid of making a mistake. am sure
his money Expresses him. He must
have been ever so much nicer when he
was working as foreman, or dray
man, or whatever he was before al
this money came to him.
She kept her eyes turned resolutely
away from Haverford. For perversely
enough, though he was so slow, SO ST
lent, SO dull, he was exceedingly goot
to look at. Old-fashioned, or rather
out of the fashion, ne might be, bu
his manners were irreproachable, anc
his speech cultured, and he dressed
very we'll.
1t came to Camilla as an inspiration
as the car moved on cautiousl,
through the cold white fog, that ht
was only shy and perhaps stupid.
Continued in next issue.)