Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1908-11-19
CHAPTER 1.

] never quite knew how 81 NAs that
took Vincent with me except that ~
10th needed a holiday 81 the same
time and the same Kind Of holiday az
pealed 20 US both. Nincents Whole
name and title IL lord Wiltrea Vim
cent, FOR he is the younger son o. the
odd duke az Totien Men ~ his oUn
age call him 'Fready, but ! cali him
Ttnceni or WTlfrsd. because ! Goa
slider curtnsled expectations undignined-
Vinccns h an Arrist-tAAt H. be calls
himself one; his friends can him -
aRlsAlST IN art He accsaS really 80
An for 81 seriously. you know. but be
Sdia little sketches q COWS and that
aor1 az thing rather vel. fancy, so
Ne Rgreed that our ain Was 20 nad
. little Cd village, far away from
L1o1dUa- And &c; rooms IN some old
farmhouse Ny idea was that Vincent
would so out and paint the COWS while
I would lie On the hammock and the
Old lady would bring me buttermilk-
wilfred had an idea that he. too,
would like TO spend q good bit OF his
time In q hammock. but with this diff
ference, that the old lady's beautiful
daughter was to bring him lemonade.
But pointed out To him that the
chief reason that was running away
from town was TO get rid OF the
debutantes. and therefore he'd have TO
leave the fair ones out Of our air castle.
Our plan was just to bask In Nature,
and we had six weeks to bask In. The
foreign once doesn't seem to require
much of wiifred's time and he doesn't
do anything else except "dabble." OF
course. being a younger son. he hasn't
a shilling Of his own. but the old duke
makes him a comfortable allowance,
because he dotes on Wilfred as much
las he detests his eldest son, Edmund.
the heir TO the dukedom. So. when
Vincent complained Of feeling all run
down" II was easy for him to get six
weeks on, although. as I tell him. he
has been getting six weeks on ever
since he left oxford. two years ago.
He isn't "a yet
Nevertheless, Vincent is one Of the
best little chaps In the world. / don't
mean that he Is understood. for he
stands six feet two in his stockings;
but is so good natured. so jolly and
amlable and straight-well--jus natur.
ally nice. don't you know-that every.
body Is lust crazy about him." as the
American girl met last summer used
20 say. and all the men. young and old
alike. have gotten to calling him lit.
tie Vincent" or Freddy" from his
Elton days. Just by way OF endearment
or course, I'm much older than Win
cent-to be more exact, there's a mat
Ter OF ~ or Is years between us-but
must say I can't help being drawn
20 him. I've known him ever since he
was born. and then. you see. we're
both Oxford men, belong TO the same
clubs, and. of course, Terhune Is "A
old name as Vincent. even II Il hasn't
any handle to II. and, II do say II
there's never a dinner given In Lon
don town that Archibald Terhune II
not invited. But somehow. in this. ms
tenth season. became utterly wearl
OF the Iimelight the dinners, the balls
the matchmaking mRmmas flor | an
an eligible bachelor"), and. most o
all. the debutantes. with their edu
Gated smiles and cultivated stares.
felt that I must fee from London 4
escape, and thus, as Vincent Is Al
ways ready for a holiday. we foun,
ourselves one fine day well started o.
our iurney. We had taken the moo
train for Kingsbridge, and changin
there were 10 go on TO CuppstonC
which an artist friend OF Vlncent's ha
recommended TO US as just the plac
we were looking for.
Jolly lark this," said Vincent, afte
We had been some time on our way
-'only hope Cuppstone and Damer'
farm win be what we want. GrahaI
cracked g up to the skies"
That's the trouble" complained
'.WhenSa things talked up too niue
ats sure 10 diHappoint one"
wait TN you see Il, old pessimistI
said Vincent, with a cheerful grl
sErs got cows which provide butte
milk and art. and I've got some leE
ona IN my grip for the lemonade. II
only thing that troubles me is u
aandindy'a beautiful daughter. Il
afraid she'll be a minus quantity
whon BE put hla feet across on a
afds Of the carriage and III q mast
amsIHy. old pipe. That's the wor
~ pineent: he's 50 young he doesE
fh.nk how q thing like that may 8
Ga one'a nerves. But ] wouldn't hu
~ lselings for anything. and 20 l h
- lot him smoke.
About ihroa o'clock 10 the afts
aoan. when We had left the comfo
Hils carrlaaen d me main line {
IA ramahsckis ones % the bran'