Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-15

To them what Is, is right Alicia Mot
tisfont, brought up in most delight
ful house filled with charming fur
niture, insisted upon what she called
high art decoration. George Vennable
shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
The drawing-room was his wife's affair
not his. She had to live in it, not he.
She did live in it, and Philistines hint
ed afterwards that the fact accounted
for her premature decease
According to Mr.. Rabbit and many
others, colours are intimately core
lated with the action of the human
mind. 1t is certain that George Ven.
nable's drawing-room unduly depres-
sed both him and his daughter, and
on that account he rarely sat in it.
Also, the atrabiliary scheme of decora-
ton, the ebonised furniture, with alb
surd and impossible birds and flowers
handpainted upon gold background,
seemed to be designed expressly to
provoke absurd and impossible dis.
cussions. Mrs. Vennable liked the
sound of her own voice as we'll as any
Motifs font that ever lived, but the par
son from the beginning had refused to
sing duets with her. For the sake OF
peace he had held his tongue. More,
realising the faulty of attempting to
prove her to be in the wrong, he had
philosophically allowed her to believe
herself to be always in the right.
The three had finished their game
of cut-throat Bridge, and were
| sitting in front of the fire. A dado. the
colour Of the iffey, with yellow fam
ingoes upon it, inspired the parson,
normally the most courteous and
chivalrous of men, to say with brutal
unexpectedness:
Most women cheat at Bridge"
Joy rose" instantly, and the par
son had to explain; admitting that the
frauds were perpetrated subconscious-
| ly for the most part. Here the talk
would have flowed into easier chan
nels, had it not been for the frieze
which, designed by late Royal
Academician who ought to have been
a prize-fghter, not only hit the be-
holder in the eye, but seemed to ex-
pect to be hit back. Joy said, with
heightened colour:
why do men consider cheating at
cards the objectionable SIM"
''Do they?" asked the parson mild
| ly.
! "You know they do, father. A. man
who cheats at cards has to leave his
clubs, hasn't hep
She looked up at Hugo, who nodded
his head, thinking that this was joys
last evening. Within few hours she
would be laughing and joking with
Esmes Burg ss9instead Of discussing
! improbable and irritating themes.
But other things, worse things, can
be done with impunity.''
To this second challenge Hugo nod.
ded again, which was unwise, if he
wished to silence the young lady, for
she at once lept to the unwarrantable
conclusion that he disagreed with her.
Then without any further warning
she said with certain defiance:
There was that Charters case. I'm
SO glad you spell your name different.
ly."
Hugo felt hot and wondered if his
cheeks displayed warmer colour
than usual. Joy continued in the same
slightly hard tone:
Did Mr.. Hugo Charters have to
leave his clubs?"
Hugo Charteris?" repeated the par.
son. yes, yes, to be sure; one of
the Saffron Charters lot. A sad story
that"
did he have to leave his clubs ~
PERSISTED Joy.
'Of course not muttered Hugo.
"And why not?" continued Joy,
vehemently. She looked in turn at
each of the men. "You think I'm a
baby to ask such a question Well,
l know, of course that he did not
leave his clubs. A man can rob an old
friend of his wife, can break up a
home in which he has been treated for
years as an honoured guest, and no
man thinks much the worse of him.
My dear!" protested the parson.
Father, you know that l am not
speaking of you, or you,' she turned
to Hugo with faint SMILE "but of
the average man, who reflects more
or less faithfully pubic opinion. He
condones an unspeakable offence by
allowing the offender to associate with
him; but boy who cheats at cards is
kicked out and ruined for life"
Its a difficult subject" said the
parson. And the cases are different
They are, indeed Joy replied;
land to my mind one is ten thousand
times worse than the other. I could
forgive a poor wretch who cheated al
cards, but I should cut Mr.. Hugo
Charters dead if l had the dishonoul
| of knowing him.
George Vennable made no reply. Ir
the glow of the fire, Joy had assumed
something Of her mothers look. Alicia
had often rallied against sinners whom
she had never met, and against sins
she herself was incapable of commit
ting.
"You read that case?" said Hugo il
low voice.
Every word Of it. 1t happens to be
a subject on which feel very strong
ly."
"It interested me-" said the parson
meditatively. my memory Is not quite
clear, but 1t struck me at the time
that the defendant might not have
been as black as was made out. HI
held his peace. WELL" he chuckled
, 81 too, have held my peace, and ,
good many Of your relations, my dear
i, have assun1ed that hacausa saif