Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-09
CHAPTER V.

malice. =.
CHAPTER v.
If any one wronged George, de-
frauded him of money or credit. he
was always ready to forgive, agreeing
that perhaps half the fault had been
his. This was not a sign OF weakness, 4
but of sense Of justice too we'll leay-
ened with mercy. Humanity errs in
the one as much as in the other, doubt
less with some benign purpose in per-
spectivey. Now, 1t might be that this
charming woman had really never re-
ceived his letter; such things have
been known to 60 astray. In any case
he could not say that he had written.
That would have cast a doubt upon
her word, an objectionable rudeness.
So. for her very beauty alone, he gave
her the full benefit Of the doubt.
"You mustn't let the matter trouble
you in the least" he said, his helmet
now nicely adjusted under his arm.
at was so long ago I had really for.
gotten all about it," Which was very
we'll said for George.
But l haven't. l have often won.
dered what you must have thought OF
me. Monte Carlo Is such place!
But | must present my daughter.
am Mrs. Chedsoye."
81 am glad to meet you. Mr.. Jones, z"
and in the sad eyes there was a. glim,
mer of real friendliness. More, she
extended her hand. ~ Eszaf
It was well worth while, that hum
I dred and fifty pounds. 1t was well
worth the pinch here and the pinch
there which had succeeded that loan.
For he had determined to return to
America with pound or two on his
letter Of credit and the success OF this
determination was based upon many o
sacrifice in comfort, sacrifices he had
never confided to his parents. II was
not in the nature of things to. contest
that the first woman he had met IN
his wonderings should have been the
last. AS he took the girls hand, with
the Interior intent Of holding It till
death do us part. he wondered why
she had laughed like that. The echo
of it still rang in his ears. And while
he could not have described 1t, he
knew instinctively that 1t had been
born Of bitter thought.
They chatted for quarter OF an
hour or more, and managed famousi:.
1t seemed to him that Fortune Ched-
soye was the first young woman he
had ever met who could pull away
sudden barriers and open up pathways
for speech, who, when he was about to
founder into some cul-de-sac, guided
him adroitly into an alley round 1t.
Not once was it necessary to drag in
the weather, that perennial II thread.
bare topic. He was truly astcnished al
the ease with which he sustained hia
part in the conversation, and began to
think pretty we'll of himself. It did
not occur to him that when two clever
and attractive women set forth to
make a man talk always excepting
! he is dumb, they never fail to sue
coed. TO do this they contrive to
bring the conversation within the
small circle Of his work, his travels.
his preferences, his ambitions. TO
be sure, all this is not fully extracted
in fifteen minutes, but woman OBJ
tains in that time good idea Of the
ground plan.
Two distinct purposes controlled the
women in this instance. One desired
to interest him, while the other sought
J to learn whether he was stupid or
only shy.
At last, he left them to change his
clothes and hurry down to Cooks to
| CoIuplSLc Iuc Ddl Sdlu lOI Lie L ANOuSS
he had advanced SO amazingly well
that they had accepted his invitation
to the polo match that afternoon. He
felt that invisible Mercurial wings had
sprouted from his heels, for in run
| ing up the stairs, he was aware Of no
gravitative resistance. That this an
omaly Gan acquaintance with two
women about whom he knew nothing)
: might be looked upon askance by
! those who conformed to the laws and
; bylaws of social usages, worried him
not in the least. On the contrary, he
| was thinking that he would be the
envy OF every other man out at the
club that afternoon.
| "Well?' said Mrs. Chedsoye, quiz
zical smile slanting her lips.
| "You wish my opinion?" countered
the daughter. "He is shy, but he is
neither stupid nor. silly; and when he
smiles he is really good looking
my child" replied the woman.
drawing off her gloves and examing
her shapely hands, Il have looked into
the very heart of that young man. A
thousand years ago, red cross on
his surtout, he would have been beat
ing his fists aaginst walls of Jerusa-
lem; five hundred years later, he
would have been singing chant-royales
under lattice-windows; paladin and
a poet
How do you know that? Did he
make love to your"
/ tTo BE Continued.l