Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-07-21

Ascot, and had said. Il say, | want 10
introduce you to my wife. She's an
angel!'' And then Gay, looking at
Johns big, pink face, and knowing
of Johns past, which had more than
a tinge of pink in it, had replied, with
a laugh: "An angel, by Jove. What
on earth made her marry you?" 10
this John replied solemnly: Why,
to reform me, of course! And, CAD!
she's done it, tool"
OF course, she hadn't!
1t is not easy to reform men like
John Tempest. He had his good
points-who hasn't?-but confluence
was not one of them. Excessively
good-natured, very generous, of a san
guine and most affectionate tempera-
ment, and enormously rich, he had
run riot, with the cry behind him:
Ware MARRIAGE" Having just sense
and modesty enough to know that he
was not likely to inspire either love or
respect in the feminine bosom, he
married Angelo out of the school
room, being ''intended for her elder
sister.
Guy had never believed Angela to
be a party to what was called at the
time a commercial transaction. 1t Is
uncomfortable that she could have
loved John; but doubtless she liked
him, and, although barely seventeen
was able to measure the distance be-
tween the very rich and the very
poor. AS the fourth daughter Of an
impoverished Scotch baron, she was
made to understand that God had
been good to her. Her mother, Barn
boyle, saw the finger of Providence;
it pointed to the big house in Gros-
venor square, the forest in Scotland.
the great abbey in Dukeries.
John led Guy up to his wife, and.
with "a curt: "You two will about hit
it off" went back into the paddock,
where one of his horses was being
saddled for the Royal Hunt Cup.
But at first they didn't hit it off.
That was the beginning Of the mis-
chief. Angela, admittedly, had every
right to consider herself the prettiest
bride OF the season. Had she remain
ed in miraculous ignorance of this
self-evident fact. at least twenty men
would have enlightened her twenty
times a day. The smart boys buzzed
about her from morning till night, and
nearly all night. She told them that
she "adored her stupid old John" No
body believed this, except stupid old
John himself. Guy, who had been
Johns fag at Elton, did not approve
of these youngsters who called them
selves Angelicans, ate, drank, and
made exceedingly merry at Johns ex-
pense, and behind his back. Let it
be added that Angela did not en-
courage the friars. The most audaci-
1 owe IornJ mt q " q word against
John in her presence.
The Angelicans offered to make
Guy a member of the order. His too
curt refusal was reported to Angela
within half an hour. She smiled, and
remarked that Mr.. Charters seemed
a sensible man; but, inwardly, she
vowed to make a fool of him.
During the next year Guy was re
garded as Johns friend. This made
the case verv black. when it was art
fully presented to the jury by Mo
Allister, K. C.. Guy yachted with John
hunted with John, shot with John. In
c%identally, he came to know join
passing we'll; and by the end Of the
year their friendship-if you care tt
use so fine a word for every work-a
day intercourse-had come to an end
Guy found out that John had not re
formed. John deplored what he called
a constitutional weakness, said thai
he loved his wife devotedly, and wa:
prepared to make an. sacrifice lex
cept one) rather than that she SHOULD
!, fin dout how it was with him.
, Guy began to wonder whether An
!. gela had found out; a dangerous ant
absorbing speculation. Then Pope
: was born. Johns pride in Pope
kept him straight for a few months
the fall followed inevitably.
/ Shortly after this Angela got
strangle-hold, so to speak, on Guy
throat, The hold is nov forbidden,
: believe, in ordinary wrestling between
men, but some ome use it. Tech
: nicairy, it is a hold that cannot b
a countered, and therefore very proper
ly barred, as spelling a. otherwise in
teresting pastime. In the great gam
a Of love or friendship, as played be
tween man and woman, this particr
, lar hold is not very easily described
8 although familiar enough to most G
us. Briefly, a man Is made to under
q stand that he is absolutely necessar
to the comfort and happiness of
woman who belongs to another mar
Once in such tolls he can twiddle hi
thumbs for ever and try to resolv
the ancient riddle: SIS it better t
J. love or be loved?"
For a long time the friendship b.
h tween Guy and Angela remained pc
S fectly innocent. 1t would be writin
Guy down an ass to add that the lad
was able to preserve all her angeli
. attributes in the syrup Of a sentimel
y tai and Platonic attachment. But sh
q fooled her victim very prettily, and
~ he wore motley he became aware of
i insensibly.
4 1t will never be known when sh
!, discovered the truth about John. Frol
!, the first, the cynic will affirm. TIL
!. more charitable may hope that til
~ discovery was made after Poppet
: birth. Bearing in mind Johns pr
y cautions, one must feel reasonabl
= certain that the sword impended fl
~ many months before it fell. When
did fall, Guy maintained that all kno
had been cut. John, who behave
~ lilo a oundIy thrashed snanie1 hin