Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-11

dancer who paraded back and forth
across the tea lawn. They discussed
her Jewels, her clothes, her escort.
and quite frankly her morals, which OF
the four was by all odds the most
popular theme All agreed that she
was handsome in a bold way. This
modification invariably distinguishes
the right sort OF women from the
wrong sort, from which there Is no
appeal to a higher court. They could
we'll afford to admit of her beauty,
since the dancer was outside what Is
called the social pale, for all that her
newest escort was a prince incognlto.
They also discussed the play at bridge,
the dullness OF this particular season,
the possibility Of war between
England and Germany. And some one
asked others who were the two we'll
gowned women down in front, sitting
on either side Of the young chap In
pearl gray. No one knew. Mother and
daughter, probably. Anyhow, they
knew something about good clothes.
Certainly they weren't ordinary tour.
lists, They had seen What's-his-name
tin his hat; and this simple act would
pass any one into the inner shrine, FOR
the general WstS HOI O. "a oAAASS~S -
There, the first half was over. All
down for tea! Thank goodness! :,
George was happy. He was proud.
too. He saw the glances, the mods or
approval. He basked in kind OF sun
shine that was new. What an ass he
had been all his life! To have been
afraid of women just because he was
Percival Algernon! What he should
have done was to have gone forth
boldly, taken what pleasures he found,
and laughed with the rest Of them.
There weren't two other women in
all Cairo to compare with these two.
The mother, shapely, elegant, with
the dark beauty of high-class Span
lard, possessing humor, trenchant
comment, keen deduction and appltca-
ton; worldly, cynical, high-hred. The
student Of nations might have tried IN
vain to place her. Spoke French of the
Parisians, the Italian Of the Floren-
tines, the German of the Hanoverlans,
and her English was the envy or
Americans and the wonder OF London
ers. The daughter fell behind her but
little, but she was more reserved. me
worldly critic called this good form:
no daughter should try to outshine her
widowed mother. "
y AS Fortune sat beside the young col
lector that afternoon. she marveled
why they had given him PerclVal
Algernon. Jones was all right solid
and substantial but the other two
turned it into ridicule. Still, what was
the matter with Percival Algernon!
History had given men Of these names
mighty fine things to accomplish.
Then why ridicule? Was it Tue to the
perverted angle of vision created by
wits and humorists in the comic week
lies, who were eternally pillorylng
these unhappy prefixes to ordinary
cognomens? And why this pillorying?
She hadn't studied the subject suffl-
GENTLY to realize that the business OF
the humorist is not so much to amuse
as to warn persons against becoming
ridiculous. ARID Percival Algernon
Jones was all that. 1t resolved ltsei1
into matter of values, then. Had ms
surname been Montmorency. Perclvai
Algernon would have fitted as key
to it's lock She. smiled. No one put
fond mother, would be guilty OF such
a crime. And If she ever grew to know
him well enough, she was going to
ask him all about his mother.
What interest had her own mother
in this harmless young man.? On,
some day she would burst through this
web. this jungle; some day she would
see beyond the second act! what
then? she never troubled to ask her.
self: time enough when the moment
arrived. as-
81 had an interesting adventure last
night. most interesting one began
George, who was no longer the shy,
laundering recluse. They were on the
way back to town. " =
"Tell it me-" said Mrs. Chedsoye.
He leaned over from his seat beside
the chauffeur Of the hired automobile.
! (Hang the expense on a. day like thisD
"a fellow brought me rug last night,
one Of the rarest outside the museums.
How and where he got it I'm not fully
able to state. But he had been In a
violent struggle somewhere, arms
slashed, shins battered. He admitted
that he had gone in where many
shapes of death lurked. It was bit
irregular. bought the rug, however.
Some one else would have snatched 1t
up II hadn't. I wanted him to recount
LnG adventure, DuL hC oAhiiCh etiih -
fused I tell you what it u.s. these east
ern ports are great places"
How interesting" Mrs. Chedsoye's
! color was not up to the mark. He was
not seriously wounded?' D
ooh, no. He looks like a tough in
dividual. I mean, chap strong and
hardy enough to pull himself out OF
pretty bad holes. He needed the
money" g. .t
did he give his name?" asked For
tune.
"Yes; but no doubt it was assumed.
Ryanne, and he spelt it with an ne,
and humorously explained why he did
So" "a
"Is he young, old, good-looking, or
what?" ,,, &C.,.
Mrs. Chedsoys eyed her offspring
through narrowed lids.
~ should say he was about thirty
five, tall, something Of an athlete;
and there remains some indications
that in the flush of youth he was hand
some. Odd. He reminded me OF