Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-10-09
VII.
The Would Be Brother-in-Iaw,

Curly. MI. Alfred Rodney, 4
teI"%In" in his hand. charged
do"M the hall to Mrs Med
croft's door With characteristic far
west ir", a.siveness he banged on the
door y sleepy voice asked who was
there
Its ne Rodney. Get up. | want
10 see Medrroft. Say. RoXbury. wake
up"
"~RoXbury:" came in shrill tones
from within He Isn't he upstairs?
Good heiven. Mr.. Rodney. what has
happened: What has %Iappened:"
"UIStalrS: What the deuce is he
doing ups,#irS:'
"He's-he'S sleeping: DO tell me
what's the NATTER"
isn't this MI M%"dcroft'S room:'
"Ye-es-but he isn't in He objects
to the noiS" Oh. has anything hap.
pened to iinNbmy:" She wns stand.
ing just inside the door. and her vGire
betrayed a=itation
My dear Edith. don't get excited.
! have Il telegram from
She uttered II Shrek.
Hes beer aSSnsSinated, Oh, Rox-
bury"
What the dev- Are you crazy? It's
a telegram from
"Oh. heavens. knew they'd kill him;
knew something dreadful would hap
pen if l left Here she stopped sud
denly, He distinctly heard her catch
her breath. After a moment she went
on waril.y. SIS it from a man named
Hobart?"
NO. It's from O~delI-Carney. Ho-
bart? | don't know anybody named
Hobart" How was he to know that
Hobart was the name that Medcroft
had chosen for correspondence pur-
poses? We're to meet the Odell-Car-
neys today in Munich. No time to be
lost. We've got to catch the 9 o'clock
train"
"Oh!" came in great relief from the
other side of the door. Then in sud
den dismay: But 1 can't do it. The
idea of getting up at an hour like this.'
"What room is Roxbury in?"
Il don't know" in very decided
tones. Inquire at the office"
Alfred Rodney was a ~persevering
man. 1t is barely possible that he &C.
cupied a lower social plane than that
attained by his wife. but he was a
man Of accomplishment. if not accom-
plishments. He always did what he
set out to do. Be it said in defense
Of this assertion he not only routed
out his entire protesting flock. but had
them at the West Bahuhof in time to
catch the Orient eXpress-luggage. &C
c%essories and all. Be it also said that
he was the only one in the party save
Constance and Tootles who took to
the situation amiably.
"Dash the Odell-Carneys!" was what
Freddie Ulstervelt said as the train
drew out of the station. Brock looked
up approvingly.
That's the first sensible thing I've
heard him say" he muttered. loud
enough to be heard by Miss Fowler.
Il say, who are the Odell-Carneys?
First I've heard of 'em."
The Odell-Carneys? Oh, dear, have
you never heard Of them?" she cried
in surprise. He felt properly rebuked.
They are very swell Londoners. 1t
is said"-
Then, good heavens, they'll know
Pm not Medcroft." he whispered in
alarm.
Not at all. my dear Roxbury. That's
just where you're wrong. They don't
know Roxbury the first. I've gone
over it all with Edith. She's just crazy
to get into the OIeil-Carney set. l re-
greet to say that they have allied to
notice the Medcrofts up to this time.
Secretly, Edith has ambitions. She
has gone to the lord mayors dinners
and to the Royal Antiquarians and to
Sir John Brodney's and Il lot OF other
functions on the outer rim. but she's
never been able TO break through the
crust and taste the real sweets OF Lon
don society. My dear ROXbury. the
Odell-Carneys entertain the nobility
without conjunction. and they've beer
known to hobnob with royalty. Mrs.
Odell-Carney was Il Lady Somebody-or-
other before she married the second
time. She's terribly smart. Roxbury."
How, in the lame of heaven, dc
they happen to be hobnobblng' as you
call it, with the Rodneys, may l ask?'
well, it seems that Odell-Carney Is
promoting a new South African mining
venture. l have it from Freddie VI
stervelt that he's trying to sell some
thing like a million shares to Mr.. Rod
ney. who has loads Of money that came
from real mines in the far west. Hed
never be such a fool as to sink a MIL
lion in South Africa. you know, Dut
he's just clever enough to see the ad-
vantage of keeping Odell-Carney IN
tow. as it were. 1t means a great deal
to Mrs. Rodney. don't you know. Rox-
bury. to be able to say that she toured
with the Odell- Carneys. Freddie says
that Cousin Alfred is talking in a very
diplomatic manner Of going to London
in August to look fully into the matter.
It is understood that the Iodneys are
to be the guests Of the Odell-Carneys
while in London. 1t won't be the sea
,> %Io,, won't ha mIch