Middletown transcript., 1909-05-29

as he would have expressed 1t,
he felt i'quite out of it.. !" Like
many a Colonial Somebody who
visits England for the first time,
be had been as shocked as sur.
prised to find that men like him
self are Nobodies there.
Being small minded and given
to looking for ignoble motives,
he attributed it to jealousy, or
snobbery, or prejudice against
Colonials with un- English names.
He was, therefore, a little puz-
zled and fattered at the obvious
interest manifested in him by the
handsome stately woman who
had sung twice to Lady Babbing-
tons guests.
He was certain that she was
singing at him. True, there was
nothing in the words of her
songs, so far as he could recog-
nize them, that fitted any event
or emotion of his variegated life,
but that the eloquent brown eyes
Of the singer were mostly fixed
upon him he began to feel un-
comfortably certain.
He was not surprised when, a
little later, Lady Babbington
glided up to him conveying the
singer.
MissTurlaud is anxious to know
you; she is very much interested
in South Africa, her ladyship
gushed. Doesn't she sing di-
vinely2 You must hear her next
Monday. You will, won't your
and, with a patronizing pat on the
shapely arm of her protege, she
sailed of, leaving the singer to
justify the Introduction.
Flotman began with a fulsome
compliment upon her singing,
which Miss Turland gracefully
waved aside and came to the
point.
She hoped he would excuse
her boring him, but she did so
wonder whether he conld tell her
anything about a great friend of
hers who had been missing some.
where in South Africa for sew.
eral years. She was sure Mr..
Flotman must know him.
Flotman was relieved. He had
quite expected to be badgered to
buy tickets for Mondays concert,
but when several minutes had
passed and that subject was not
opened up he began to wonder
what was the real objective. That
the South African friend was a
myth he felt certain. The ques-
tions about him we're vague and
wild, and the apparent anxiety
too lukeWarm. He was becom.
ing bored when his interest was
suddenly spurred.
Miss Tnrland somehow intro
duced the name Of Dowager Lady
Boothie. In what connection was
not very clear. What Flotman
gathered was that her ladyship
was a very great friend of that
embryonic vocal star, and would
do anything for her.
He encouraged Miss Turland
to continue her eulogies and ad.
vertisement Of the dowager, for
il happened that her ladyship
was among the persons whom |
it was his special desire to know. |
Tor she was rich and an invet-
crate gambler in shares.
So he laid himself out to be |
very agreeable TO Miss Turland. |
He could be very entertaining to |
women when he chose, in a half |
boisterons, half submissive way |
that amused them.
When he fingered over Miss |
Turland's hand saying au revoir
that night he jubilantly noticed |
that she made no sign Of hurry |
TO Withdraw from his grip, and
he knew that he had made the
deep ana favorable impression
he had striven for. Being not
altogether brutal, he could not
repress a slight consciousness
that he was playing a contempt. |
bic game. He was cozening the
singer as the policeman is said 70
conciliate the cook, for sordidly /
material ends.
But, unlike him, Frederick
Fiotman's need was urgent, for
be was 9 distressed minor mag.
nate, reduced to the humiliating
necessity Of peddling shares IN
West End drawing rooms.
He had come to London with
g, 600, advanced by the bank
which held all his available mar.
zetable scrip as security for old
oans, and with it was endeayor.
ng to place the hundred thous-
md shares in the New Jericho
=