Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-09
youth; and the world before you.

must 60.
| He rose stiffly, as though suddenly
made conscious of his age. The old
eyes peered more than a trifie visit
fully, now, into Kirkwood's. you will
not fail to call on me by cable, deal
boy, it you need-anything? / ask Il
as favor. I'm glad you wished
to see me before going out of my life
One learns to value the friendship Of
youth, Phillip. Good-by, and good luct
attend you"
Alone once more, Kirkwood return
ed to his window. The disappointment
he felt at being robbed of his antici
pated pleasure in Brentwick's com
pany at dinner, colored his mood un
pleasantly. His musings merged into
vaculty, into a dull gray mist of hope
Lessness comparable only to the dis
NAL skies then lowering over London
town
Brentwick was good, but Brentwick
was mistaken. There was really moth
ing for Kirkwood to do but to SO
ahead But one steamer-trunk II,
NAMED to be packed; the boat-train
would leave before midnight, the
steamer with the morning tide; by the
morrow's noon he would be upon the
nigh seas, within ten days in New
York and among friends; and
then
The problem of that afterwards per,
picked Kirkwood more than he cared
to own: Brentwick had opened hi,
eyes to the fact that. he would be prac.
tically unless in San Francisco; he
could not harbor the thought of going
back, only to become charge upon
VANDERBILT No; he was resolved that
thenceforward he must rely upon him.
self, carve out his own destiny. But
would the art that he had cultivated
with such assiduity, yield him a live.
lihood if sincerely practised with that
end in view? Would the mental and
physical equipment of painter, here.
tofore dilettante, enable him to be.
come self-supporting
knotting his brows in concentration
of effort to divine the future, he
doubted himself. darkly questioning
alike his abilities and his temper unde.
trial; neither ere now had ever been
put to the test His eyes became
somberly wistful, his heart sore with
regret Of yesterday-his yesterday Of
care-free youth and courage, gilded
with the ineffable, evanescent glamour
of romance-of such romance, thrica
refined of dross, as only he knows who
has wooed his art with passion pass.
ing the love of woman.
Far away, above the acres of hud.
died roofs and chimney-pots, the storm
mists thinned, lifting transiently
through them, gray, fairy-like, the
towers of Westminster and the houses
of parliament bulked monstrous ami
unreal, fading when again the fugi
| tive dun vapors closed down upon the
city.
Nearer at hand the shade of care
nudged Kirkwood's elbow, Whispering
subtly. Romance was indeed dead !;
the world was cold and cruel.
The gloom deepened.
In the scant of modern metaphf.
sizes, the moment was psychological.
There came rapping at the door.
Kirkwood removed the pipe from
between his teeth long enough to say
Come I'M pleasantly.
The knob was turned. the door open.
ed. Kirkwood, turning Oh one heel
beheld hesitant upon the threshold a
diminutive figure in the livery of the
Pless pages.
MIR. Kirkwood?"
Kirkwood nodded.
Gentleman to see you, sir,
Kirkwood nodded again, smil:ng il
somewhat perplexed Encouraged, the
child advanced, proffering silver card
tray at the end of an unnaturally rigid
forearm. Kirkwood took the card dub
iously between thumb and forefnge1
and inspected 1t without prejudice.
George B. Calendar he read
George B. Calendar But know
no such person. Sure there's no mis-
take, young MANI
The close-cropped, bullet-shaped
British head was agitated in vigorous
negation, and "Card for Mister Kirk
wood!'' was mumbled in dispassionate
accents appropriate to a recitation by
rote.
Very we'll But before you show
him up, ask this Mr.. Calendar if he
is quite sure he wants to see Philir
kirkwood"
"Yessir.''
The child marched out, punctiIiously
closing the door. Kirkwood tamped
down the tobacco in his pipe and puff
ed energetically, dismissing the intel.
ruption to his reverie as a matter u
no consequencevan obvious mistake
to be rectified by two words with this
Mr.. Calendar whom he did not know
At the knock he had almost hoped il
might be Brentwick, returning with :
! changed mind about the bid to din
| ner.
| He regretted Brentwick sincerely
| Theirs was a curious sort of friend
ship-e extraordinarily close in view o
the meagerness of others information
about the other, to say nothing Of The
disparity between their ages. Con
corning the elder man kirkwood knew
little more than that they had met o.
shipboard, coming over; that Brent
| wick had spent some years in Ameri
ca; that he was an Euglishman b,
birth, a cosmopolitan by habit. by pro
fession a gentleman employing tina
! Scott S Emulsion