University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-06-18
CHAPTER /.
A Sporting Proposition.

Outside a gilt-lettered door on the
seventeenth floor of New York Of
fee building, tall young man in a
fur-lined coat stood shivering.
Why did he shiver in that coat? He
shivered because he was fused, poor
chap. Because he was ratified, from
the soles of his custom-made boots
to the apex of his Piccadilly hat A
painful, palpitating spectacle. he
stood.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the
door, the business of the American
branch of that famous marine insur-
ance firm, Lloyds, of LOndon-usu-
ally termed in magazine articles The
Greatest Gambling Institution i'm the
World''-went on oblivious to the
shiverer who approached.
The shiverer, with a nervous move
ment. shifted his walking-stick to his
left hand and laid his right on the
door-knob. Though he is not at his
best, let us look at him. Tall. as has
been noted, perfectly garbed after
London's taste, mild and blue as to eye,
blond as to hair. A handsome, il
somewhat weak. face. Very distin-
guished aristocratic-in ap-
pearance. Perhaps-the thrill for us
democrats here.-of the nobility. And
at this moment sadly in need of a
generous dose of that courage that
abounds-see any book of familiar
quotations-on the playing fields of
Eton.
Utterly destitute of the Eton or any
other brand, he pushed open the door.
The click of two dozen American
typewriters smote upon his hearing.
An office boy of the dominant New
York race demanded in loud indis-
Greet tones his business there.
'My business" said the tall young
man weakly, lis with Lloyds' of Lon
DON"
The boy wandered off down that
stenographer+ +bordered lane. In
moment he was back.
"Mr. Thacker'll see you," he an
nounced.
He followed the boy, did the tall
young man. His courage began to re-
turn. Why not? One of his ancestors,
graduate of those playing fields, had
fought at Waterloo.
Mr.. Thacker sat in plump and
genial prosperity before a polished
flat-top desk. Opposite him, at desk
equally polished. sat an even more
polished young American of capable
bearing. For an embarrassed mo-
ment the tall youth in fur stood look
ing from one to the other. Then Nh.
Thacker spoke:
You have business with Lloyds?"
The tall young man blushed.
T-I hope to have-yes." There
was in his speech that faint sugges-
ton of lisp that marks many of the
well-born of his race. Perhaps it is
the golden spoon in their mouths in
terfering a bit with their diction.
What can We do for you?" Mr..
Thacker was cold and matter -of-fact,
like a card index. Steadily through
each week he grew more businesslike
and this was Saturday morning.
The visitor performed a shaky but
remarkable juggling feat with his
walking-stick
"I-well-I-" he stammered.
Oh, come, come, thought Mr..
Thacker impatiently.
WELL said the tall young man
desperately, perhaps it would be best
for me to make myself known at once.
1 am Allen, Lord Harrowby, son and
heir of James Nelson Harrowby, Earl
of Raybrook. And II have come
here"
The younger of the Americans
spoke, in more kindly fashion:
You have a proposition to make to
Lloyds?"
Exactly" said Lord Harrowby, and
sank with sigh of relief into a chair,
as though that concluded his portion