Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-04-15
CHAPTER v.
rri\Iiaiitias

marks that failed to add to his popu
larity. He tried to be agreeable, be
cause that was his nature. That even
tenor-of-his-wa condition made il
Incumbent On him-yes. made it his
sacred duty to be bright and ami
able. So it was Hence, loathed Mel
ancholy!" and brave endeavor to be
as jocund as the poets lines. Only
those little unfortunate moments
airy preludes to larger misfortunes--
had to occur, and just when he would
4 fiatter himself he was not doing SO
badly.
For example, when Mrs Augustus
Ossenreich Vanderpool said: Don't
you adore dogs, Mr.. Bennett
.'No. I like them" 1t became ne.
cessary to qualify that That is-not
the little kind"
The lady stiffened. Her beribboned
and perfumed five-thousand-dollar
toy-dogs were the idolized darlings OF
her heart The children might be
relegated to the nursery but the
CANNES had the run of the boudoir.
They rode with her when she went
out in state while the French bonnie
took the children for an airing. And
!. why are the little kind excluded from
the realm of your appreciation? OBJ
4 served Mrs. Vanderpool coldly
II was quite a contract to answer
that. Bob wanted to be truthful; not
to say too much or too little; only
lust as much as he was In honor bound
Z to say. Il think people make too
much fuss over them" he answered
at last That reply seemed quite ade-
ouate and he trusted the lady would
change the subject. But people had
a way of not doing what he wanted
them to, lately.
what do you call too much fuss'?"
pursed the lady persistently.
Bob explained the best he could. 1t
was rather thankless task and he
floundered a good deal as he went
about it. He wasn't going to be bit
more disagreeable than he could help
only he couldn't help being as dis
agreeable as he had to be. The fact
that Miss Gwendoline Gerald's starry
ewes were on him with cold curiosity
did not improve the lucidity of his
explanation. In the midst of it. she to
whom he was talking, seemed some.
how to detach herself from him. grad
sually. not pointedly, for he hardly
knew Just when or how she got away.
She seemed just to float off and to at
&tach herself somewhere else-to the
Esbishop or to certain Judge Mrs. Raj
atom always asked to her house parties
that they might have judicial as well
AS an ecclesiastical tOuch-and Bob's
explanation died on the thin air. he
let It die. He didn't have to speak
truth to vacancy.
Then he tangoed, but not with MISS
Gwendoline Gerald. He positively
dared not appoarch that young lady.
He didn't tango because he wanted TO,
but because someone set big music
Skox going and he knew he was ex-
bected to tango. He did 1t beautifully
and the young lady was charmed She
was a little dark thing, of the clinging
variety, and Dickie had gone with her
some. Her father owned properties
that would go well with Dickie's-
fhere'd been some talk of consolida-
ton. but it had never come off. Papa
was inclined to be stand-offish. Then
Dickie began to get attentive to the
little dark thing, though nothing had
vet come of that either. Bob didn't
own any properties but the little dark
thing didn't mind that. At tangoing.
he was dream Properties can't
tango. III,
eYou do it so WE'LL said the little
dark thing breathlessly.
.'Do IT, murmured Bob. thinking OF
stately young goodness, now tango
ing with another fellow.
"Don't you adore it," went on the
little dark thing, nesting as close as
was conventional and proper.
81 might" observed Bob. That was
almost as bad as the dog question. He
trusted the matter would end there.
She giggled happily. Maybe you
disapproye of modern dancing. Mr..
Bennett?"
"That depends" said Bob gloomily.
He meant it depended upon who was
adoing the modern" with the object
of your fondest affections. If you
yourself were engaged in the arduous
pastime with said object. you would
naturally harbor no particular objec.
lions against said modern tendencies.
but If you weren't?-
Bob tangoed more swiftly. His
thoughts We're SO bitter he. wanted to
run away from them The irony OF
RllOlQR ruytululCdliy dAu POclAIolly ~
seeming joyous abandon of movement
when his heart weighed ton. II
that heayiness of heart were COM
municated to his legs, they would in
reality be as heavy as those of deep
sea diver, weighted down for ten
fathom plunge.
And in thus trying to run away from
his thoughts Bob whirled the little
dark thing quite madly. He couldn't
dance ungracefully If he tried and the
little dark thing had soul for rhythm.
u It was as If he were trying to run
away with her. He fairly took away
her breath She was painting little
dark thing on his broad breast now,
but she didn't ask him to stop. The
music box ceased to be musical and
that brought them to a stop The
eyes of the little dark thing-her
name was Dolly--sparkled, and she
gazed up at Bob with the respect OF
her tender and impressionable years
has for masculine whirlwind.
"You quite sweep one off ones feet,
Mr. Bennett" she managed to ejacu-