Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-10
CHAPTER I.
The Discovery of America by Lord

AoVelan0.
Even the Last Resort has refused me"
Loveland broke the news to his mother
when he had kissed her
Miss Mecklenburg?"
Yes. I begin to realize that I'm a
sinking ship. The early rats are desert
ing me-or declining to come on board.
Clever little animals!''
You shan't sink" protested Lady
Loveland, clasping the pretty hands
whence all save the wedding ring and it's
guard had gone to pay a visit of indefinite
length to Messrs. Peterborough. 1.-The
idiot, to refuse you-with her nose. too
"She didn't do it with her nose mater. -
"Val, you know what I mean. And
after you'd overlooked her being a
Jewess!'
Yes. it was kind Of me. wasn't II? An
italian prince has Just overlooked 1t. too.
Her engagement to Doriana was an
nounced the morning after she'd offered
to be q sister to me. 1t was the size OF
her purse, not her nose. which caught his
eye. But sooner or later he'll beat her.
IT hope so. She deserves it for taking
world"'
Don't grouse, mater. ] might have
beaten her II I'd got her. and then there'd
have been scandal. can't stand
women with important-looking teeth and
noses which throw their other features
into perspective. Besides Lillah Neck
lenburg isn't as young as she's painted
so few women are nowadays. dearest,
sighed Lady Loveland. who. in living for
her handsome son. did not trouble to live
whose way Of doing her hair was alone
enough to show that though lenient to
Walls weaknesses. she would not condone
those Of her sister women. "Oh. Val. it's
hard you should have to think OF such
creatures. But what are we to do?'
That's just where I want your ad-
vice. said Loveland. who had come a
long way to get 1t. For the distance from
London to the north of Scotland is for
midable when birds are out Of season.
Lady Loveland was f1attered that Val
should ask for her advice. which. when
offered gratuitously. he had never been
known to take.
my advice!' she echoed. sadly. That $
all can give you now. Although ! did
hope, dear boy. 1 must confess. II have
been trying for limericks. 1t was for
your sake and I hoped to win large sums
I thought of lines all night long. and
did send in some splendid ones. thou
sand times better than those for which
| other people dreadful people. my dear
with names like Hogson and Dobbs) have
won hundreds OF pounds. l gave the
editors permission to use my name. too;
one would have thought. a valuable ad-
vertisement for their papers. But all I've
won after the greatest efforts has been
fifteen and siX-an insult-while these
Dobbs and Hogsons--I believe the editors
must be socialists. And-the shillings for
the postal orders have counted up into
pounds. I am crushed with remorse."
Never mind. dear. you meant 1t for
the best" said Val, who cared more for
his mother than for any one else in the
world-except himself. And that he made
this exception was largely Lady Love
lands fault. for she had brought him up
to believe in but one person Of paramount
val George Victor Edward Gordon. thir-
teenth Marquis Of Loveland. What
would a few pounds matter-or a few
hundreds even. II you'd won them? The
ships too far under water to be raised
with limericks."
'Dearest-is it as bad as that?"
IT'S as bad as anything can be. Look
out of your window at the snow falling.
Well. that's nothing to the way it's snow
ing bills outside my window. II you and
weather I shall have to chuck the army
And even If 1 do. the bills will still keep
on showing"
What horrible creatures tradesmen
must be-" said Lady Loveland, whose
opinions had come down to her crusted
and spider-webbed from the cellars of the
stone age ITO think that we'd have had
power OF life and death over them II wed
lived few hundred years ago. I wish
those times could come back
The world at large doesn't agree with
you
ut oughtn't to be at large replied
Lady Loveland. without the smallest idea
Of a Joke. IT'S reached a pretty pass
when worms who make boots and uni
forms and"
"And sell wine"
"Oh, II you like
and jewelry-'
Very we'll. Admit the jewelry-''
And motors. I've wasted good deal
mater
"Oh, I suppose men of your position
have some right to enjoy their lives? AS
I was saying, it's come to a pretty pass
| when worms who make or sell what every
gentleman must have-things that ought
simply to come, like the air you breathe
| can turn and rend an officer of the
guards. a peer Of the realm without fear
| OF being crushed
eff I'd chosen to be a kind of secret ad-
vertising agent for tradespeople. ] might
| have been dressed and wined for nothing
motor CARED. too. perhaps" said Love
| land. Il know some fellows who do go ir
| for that sort OF thing. But I'm hanged
il could. I'd rather blow out my brains
decently.''
| "Oh. my darling. don't speak so wildly
| implored his mother. "There must be re-
sources we can call upon-if we could only
| think OF them
II have called on several peoples re.
sources without any good coming Of 1T
| Loveland grinned family. though he wa.
| in the depths Of depression and had suf-
fered from insomnia for at least q week
between 8 and 10 in the morning. wher
SO popular a young man should On his
own opinion) have been dreaming OF last
nights pleasures. instead Of worrying
| how to pay for them.
There is surely q last resort" went on
Lady Loveland.
Miss Mecklenburg was mine-and she's
| failed me-thank heaven!'
There must be something else
Something still worse?''
Don't be dippant, dearest I can't con-
| II we could have let Loveland Castle as
we'll as we did twelve years ago."
Its crlmbled a lot since. And were
castles
you. at least. don't need repairing "
said his mother: gazing at her son with
young man in the kingdom"
| Loveland laughed, though he believed
| her. AS a child he had been kissed by
all his mothers prettiest friends because
| he was so absurdly beautiful and so pre-
| cocious If he had been q plain or stupid
| boy he might have grown up to be ar
| estimable young man. az marQuises go
| why don't you say in the world'?'' he
asked.
I'm not a woman to exaggerate. dear
est. All the Lovelands have been good
| looking. One has only to go into the
picture gallery at the, castle to see
| that
Yes. AS we can't sell their portraits. .
| "If we could your father would have