Evening star., 1924-10-12

buying Boldcrs farn,-said her old
man had thought of bidding for it,,
but Surge had neglected the place
too loEg. / said: Yes, and p'raps. 1T
wouldn't be convenient to pay for 1t
just now, after 'aving bought a lawn
mower Ha, ha. ha.' He. he, he. Oh,
N.Y.
IT shouldn't hayc said that" mum
bled MIR. Mounthead. Come on, let's
go and turn in, old girl"
An hour later James Mounthead was
| tossing restlessly between the sheets.
Queenie. of course. had given herself
away again to Mrs. Wonnicott. He had
probably as much money as Lewis Won
ncott, il not more. but there the matter
stopped. Wonnicott was gentleman {:
his wife a lady. WoEnicott led the kind
Of life he would like to lve-a gentle
man farmer, with some sound vested in
| terests; man with a great knowledge
of land, horses, finance and politics.
James loved Queenie in a queer, en-
during kind of way, but he knew that
he. could never attain the goal of his
vague ambitions. with her ciinging to
his heels. He thought of Lewis Wonni
colt. and his heart became bitter with
envy.
HT DON'T think l shall attend those
welfare meeting any more" re-
marked Mrs. Lewis Wonnicutt at the
breakfast table. They are getting such
awful people in. That dreadful woman,
the wife of Mounthead, the publican,
has joined
''Old Mountheads all right-not a bad
sort. He knows 4 gelding from a blood
mare"
That may be, but his wife is the
limit. An awful vulgar person, boasts
about the money her husband makes out
of selling whisky
wouldn't mind having a bit in his pub.
DO you see Canadian Paciiics are still
stagnant?"
Lewis, you think about nothing but
money.
"Oh. come. my dear. I'm interested in
a crowd of other thngs-things which l
don't make money out of. too
For instance"
The land. the pesp!e who work on it,
horses, cattle, game. the best way to do
things for everybody. Besides. amt l
interested in the children? The two girls
at BedaleS" Young Ralph at Rugby
Il think you might bestir yourself to
get among better people. The girls will
be leaving school soon and coming
home. You spend all your time among
horse breeders and cattle dealers and
call on the vicar but who is there of
any Importance that we know
Cad. What do you want" Do you
want me to go and call at Crawshay
Park and ask Sir Septmus and Lady
Letter to come and make up a four at
BRIDGE
Don't be absurd. You know quite
well that the Letters are entirely mac
cessible. He's not only an NJ. T.. and
-
country. but a millionaire. But We don't
even know the county
Who, for instance"
We'll, the Burnabys. You met st.
John Burnaby at the Constitutional
Club two or three times. They're very
nice people and neighbors And they
have three boys ali in the twenties, and
the girl Shei!a-she's just year
younger than Ralph
women are wonderful muttered
Lewis Wonnicott. without raising his
head. Mrs. Wonnicott swept to the door.
With her hand on the door handle, she
said acidly
IF you can spare half an hour from
your grooms and pigs. ] think you
might at least do this TO please me
call on Mrs. Burnaby today
And she shut the door crsp!y.
ooh, Jimmy -Piminy.' muttered Mr
He stood up. and walked through
the French window. down the steps
to the sunk rose garden.
Once among the rosebushes he
lighted his pipe. Oils wife object ed
to smoking in the house) Half buried
among elms he could just see the
five red gables of the Burnabys'
capacious mansion.
II can't do it, he thought II can't
do it, and l shall have to do it
He had been introduced TO ST. John
Burnaby and had spoken to him once
or twice. Burnaby had never given
any evidence of wishing to follow up
the acquaintanceship. Bit of a swell.
Burnaby, connected with all sorts of
people. Some said he had political
ambitions, and meant to try for Par
Lament al the next election. He had
a son in the diplomatic service,
daughter married to a bishop. Over
at the Five Gables they kept nine
gardeners and 90 odd servants
Everything was done tip-top.
Lewis Wonnicott turned and re-
garded his one old man gardener. try
ing the new mower. Poor Dorothy
OF course she did think Of the chill
dren-no getting away from it. He
hadn't accomplished all he ought to.
JiminyPiminy. 1t would be a squeeze
to send Ralph up to Cambridge next
year!
He looked across the valley at the