Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-06-22
CHAPTER I.
|P'ETEY
A Sporting Proposition.

Outside a gilt-letered door on the
seventeenth floor of New York office
4 building, a tall young man In fur.
lined coat stood shivering.
s Why did he shiver in that coat? He
Dhivered because he was fused us,
poor chap. Because he was ratified,
from the soles of his custom-made
boots to the apex of his Piccadilly hat.
IA 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 arm, Lloyds, Of London-usually
termed in magazine articles The
Greatest Gambling Institution in the
World"-went on oblivious to the
shivArer who approached.
The shiverer, with nervous move
ment shifted his walking stick to his
left hand, and laid his right on the
door-knob. Though he ID not at his
best, let US take look at him. Tall,
as has been noted, perfectly CARRIED
after London's taste, mild and blue as
to eye, blond as to hair. A handsome,
II somewhat weak face. Very disting-
utshed-even aristrocratic-in appear
ancO. Perhaps-the thrill for us dem
ocrats hereof the nobility. And at
this moment sadly In need OF gener-
Gus dose of that courage that abounds
see any book of familiar quotations
ON the playing fields of Elton.
Utterly destitute of the Elton or any
other brand, he pushed open the door.
The click OF two dozen American type
writer's smote upon his hearing. An
Office boy of the dominant New York
race demanded in loud indiscreet
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-border lane. In mo-
ment he was back.
"Mr. Thacker'l see you," ne an
nounced. :,
He followed the boy, did the tall
young man. His courage began to re-
turn. Why not? One of his ances-
tors. graduate Of those playing fields,
had fought at Waterloo.
Mr.. Thacker sat in plump and genial
prosperity before polished f1at-top
desk Opposite him( at a desk equal
ly polished, sat an even more more
polished young American OF capable
bearing: For an embarrassed moment
the tall youth in fur stood looking
from one to the other. Then Mr.
Thacker spoke:
"You have business with Lloyds?"
The tall young man blushed.
I'll hope to heve-yes." There
was in his speech that faint sugges-
ton OF a lisp that marks many of the
well-born Of his race. Perhaps it Is
the golden spoon in their mouths in
terfering 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.. Thack-
er impatiently.
well" said the tall young man des-
perately perhaps it would be best for
me to make myself known at once.
am Allan, Lord narrowly, son and
heir Of James Nelson narrowly, Earl
OF Raybrook. And IL have come
here
The younger of the Americans spoke
in more kindly fashion:
"You have a proposition to make to
make to Lloyds?"
Exactly" said Lord narrowly, and
sank with sigh of relief into a chair,
as though that concluded his portion
OF the entertainment.
Lets hear it," doomed the relent-
less Thacker.
Lord narrowly writhed in his chair.
Il am sure you will pardon me-" he
said, III preface proposition
with the statement that it is utterly
fantastic. And il l add also that