Connecticut western news., 1920-11-25
friends and begins a brilliant career

at the Debating Union, at dinners and late suppers. with his wit, eloquerce, poems and commanding self-cona- dence. Wild without being vulgar, ex- travagant beyond his means and neg lecting his studies, he becomes deeply in debt and Is "plucked" In his degree examination though many a fellow he has despised for dullness or crushed in debate passes with honors.
 Unselfish, he would leave the gayest party to go and sit with sick friend and yet, selfish, he forces his mother to pinch herself to keep him In college and he accepts Laura's savings to pay his debts. He fees "oxbridge" in dis grace, though later he tries again and passes his "exams" with fair credit
 Coming home from college, Pen, now a young man of good figure, medium height, blue eyes and auburn whiskers finds Laura grown from the simple little girl, into a tall, slim, handsome young lady with large gray eyes, long black lashes, pale face with rose tinge in her checks which fiushes easily into a deep blush.
 Now comes on the scene Sir Francis Clavering, Bart, who opens Clavering Park, which has long been closed. The papers a few years before announced his marriage with the rich widow of the late J. Amory, esquire, from India. He brings Lady Clavering, her daugh- ter, Miss Blanche Amory, a young lady, and his son and heir. little Frank Clavering. Blanche has fair hair, dark eyebrows, long black lashes yelling brown eyes, slim figure, small feet, and constant smiles showing sweet pearly teeth and deep dimples- Sir Francis himself is a weak crea- ture, a gambler, fond of low company and rapidly wasting his wife's prop erty with constant demands on her generosity. Lady Oavering. a good. kind soul, irliterate and murdering the kings English, is hardly more for tunate in her second marriage than in her first with the sailor and convict Amory. #E
 Shadowing the Claverings Is a mys- terious Colone Altamont, with a strange influence over Sir Francis and power to get money from him.
 Pen becomes enamored of Blanche. writes her love poems, and meanwhile she leads him on only to drop him again for anyone with better pros pects When thus dropped. Pen offers himself to Laura, but in a half-hearted way. Laura replies. ~when next you offer yourself, do not say as you have done to me. I have no heart-I do not love you but am ready to marry you because my mother wishes for the match-'- After Laura's refusal. Pen tires of the country and goes to Lon don to study law. He settles in chambers at the Lamb Court Temple and makes a friend of and rooms with George Warrington, an older graduate of '&Oxbridge." In London Pen leads a life not of study, but of joviality, though not of vice. He is too lofty to stoop to vulgar intrigue. When re- duced to his last few pounds, Pen, by Warrington's help, gets a poem ac- cepted in a magazine, is given books to review, becomes a contributor to the new Pall Mall Gazette, writes the popular novel "waIter Lorraine and becomes well or and well known. His uncle is proud of him, gets him invi- tations to dine in high society, and introduces him. among other celebri- ties, to the great duke of Wellington.
 One night, the mysterious Colonel Altamont half drunk, forces his way into the Clavering dining room in Lon don and Major .Pendennis recognizes him as an Indian acquaintance. Soon after this, he urges Pen to marry for money, saying, Tt Is as easy to get rich wife as a poor one" and en- courages him to court Miss Blanche Amory. Somehow the major per suades Sir Francis to give up his seat arrange for large dowry for Miss Blanche. Finally, in lieu of any better prospect, she accepts Pen.
 The secret of Colonel Altamont's in- fluence over Sir Francis becomes pub-. lie property and reaches Pens ears, for Altamont is none other than Anrory, the husband of Lady Claver-- ing. He was reported to have died, but in reality Is alive. This makes. biN SioNNtitH AhahtAuRt hhN Miss Amory heir to the fortune ln- stead of young Frank. Pen then re-, fuses to benefit by the fortune or to. take the seat in parliament and writes. Blanche he is still willing to marry her though he admits he does not love her deeply. Later, when he calls, he finds his old schoolmate Poker, rich through his fathers death, now in- stalled in Miss Blanche's affections. Still the fair Blanche confidentially confesses to Pen that she would prefer him if he could lay aside his absurd scruples." This he refuses to do, so the Poker and Amory wedding is ar- ranged.
 Then Pen, freed from this merce- nary alliance, finds his heart all the