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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1925)
BREEME HOUSE | By Katherine Newlin Burt f To do him justice, Tremont was neither spendthrift nor heartless. As the prospective Karl of Hreemc he was subject, proportionately, to the strain of poverty which ground down his father. Ilis personal expenses, in the extravagant set he fre quented, went far beyond the al lowance his father could make him. It had never occured to him that he could meet the situa tion in any other way than by dropping out of his “set”, which was unthinkable, or by borrow ing the wherewithal to keep his tnd up. Ilis friends had already reach ed their limit on loans, arid at the last influx of pressing bills from tradesmen and fliers, he had had resort to a .professional money-lender: It was only in tho dilemma of the latter’s untimely threats that Tremont had at last found himself forced to put the matter up t&> the Earl—a predica ment from' which he shrank quite as much' out of consideration for his father’s ill health as from a feoUng of shame at the repeated mismanagement of his affairs. With characteristic- light heartedness, once the matter bad been decided, Tremout had set forth on his mission to Canada, with every resolution to make this the last of his unpleasant fi nancial experiences. He had .(planned his return so as to escort Bins sister and her American hlniendi to England, where Claire Wilton was, at the Earl’s urgent Invitation and to Jane’s great de light, to pay a long visit to Breeme House. Lady Jaue had been sitting in the lounge tor five minutes, with -carefully suppressed nervous ness, waiting for her brother, be fore he came sauntering in. He came over to her, and with English coolness nodded to his sister as if they had last met but half ati hour since. “Do, Janey. Had a good time in Yankee land with your little Miss Croesus?” he asked, «miling. “Very nice, thanks Alec. It’s rather too rapid for an old fogey tike me—hut they are awfully i kind and open beared. I never kenw anyhing like it.” “Makes us feel a bit slow doesn’t it, what?” he drawled. “Yes—and so horribly inhos rpita'ble!” she added in her quiet, I "Whispering voice. “It makes us lashamed to think how little we -ever do for any of them, when they come to England; no won der we get a reputation for being •cold and snippy!” There was a pause. “Well—how about Canada?” Jfoe asked. “I do hope it came -out all right?” “Ripping, Janey!” We’ve -made our eternal fortunes!” She looked up with such happiness in her eyes, and such a flush of relief from anxiety, that he hastened to tone down his exaggeration. “At any rate I can wash my hands of that usurious Unter berg—the money-lender, you know. It’s like a mill-stone off one’s neck. And there’ll he a hit over, besides.” “Oh Alec, how splendid 1” Lady Jane’e eyes were moist; her face radiant. “Dear old hoy— "won’t father be delighted. It ■will he such a load off him; it will do him more good than any thing else.” Alec felt a twinge of compunc tion; by inference his sister’s comment touched him on the •raw. “Where’s Miss Wilton?” he •esked. “She’s dressing; she'll be here •directly. I know you’ll like her, Alec. It was too bad that you were away when she was at Breeme before. Father’s simply •devoted to her—I never saw him take to anyone so quickly. She seemed to put new life into him.” “We must give her a good time; what does she go in fort” Lady Jane laughed. “When she was staying with us those few weeks, she didn’t go in for anything but just Breeme itself. It seems to fasci uate her—the house and every thing in it, the grounds, the people,—the whole place.” “Does she ride?” “Yea—she loves it; but wc rffally hadn't anything decent to a mount her on, before.” “Well—we must get some thing, then. We’ll all have a regular gala time, Janey, eh, whatt” Alec drawled it out with a glance of real tenderness at Lady Jane’s almost pathetically happy fq.ee. It cut him to realizo why he/ so seldom saw her look ing Jike this. “■'You’re a brick, Janey—al ways were,” he said. And her smile seemed to him like an af fectionate hug. Lord Tremont turned away, lie was suddenly aware of a tall, graeeul figure standing beside them. ‘Oil! I bog your pardon,” he said. “Let me introduce myself. Miss Wilton, this is Alec Tre most, the unworthy brother of my little sister, Jane, here.” “And this, Lord Tremont,” laughed Claii'e, completing the introduction, “is Claire Wilton, the fortunate friend of your littje sister, Jane, here.” fjfhe bugle sounded the men caft for dinner, and they took their way down to the brilliant ly lighted saloon, alive with pe->ple trying to find their ae*ta, and buzzing with conversation. Jane, retiring within her habitual reserve of silehee, noticed with quiet satisfaction the spontaneous ease with which hfcr brother quickly established himself in Claire’s good graces. His relief from harassment had enhanced all the natural charm of his personality. He responded to Claire Wilton’s quick wit With a readiness and warmth that seemed to promise con genial in timacy. They were among the last to leave the saloon, Lord Tremont making his way to the smoking room. “Your Englishman,” com mented Claire to Lady Jane, with that little furrowing rff the brows and half closing of the eyes which marked her generali zations, “when he once decides to drop the national mask of cold indifference, can make a particularly charming impres sion.” CHAPTER IT A SCRAP OF PAPER To talk of the democracy of ship-board has become a common place ; but like most such com monplaces it does prevail. Lord Tremont gravitated towards an elderly man who sat comfortably secluded, enjoying his after-dinner cigar in the smokiRg-room, sipping his coffee and liqueur. Tremont pressed the bell, and a steward hastened to serve him —having already informed him self of the identity of his lord ship, who struck him ns a good prospect for a generous tip at the end of the voyage. “Yes milord, certainly mi lord”, he bowed, and hurried off. Tremont’s quietly ruminating elderly neighbor was idly hold ing in his hand a copy of the pas senger list. After a moment ho opened the booklet and scanned the names, glancing in Tremont’s direction. Resting his head against the leather back of his chair, he cudgelled his brain con cerning the name he had found —Lord Tremont. Presently he nodded, as if he had found the clue for which he had been searching, and as the steward returned with Tremont’s coffee, he looked at the younger man as if weighing a subject for de cision. After the steward had disap peared, the elderly iuan turned to Tremont. “I wonder,” he said, “whether I may ask an important ques tion?” Tremont looked directly at the questioner for the first time, and decided that lie liked his ‘cut’ “Certainly—go ahead”, he re plied. “Your famous Van Dyke at Breeme House, it is still not on the market, of course?” Tremont’s reply was an icy stare. “I warned you my question would be an impertinent one,” smiled his questioner. “You’ve replied most eloquently, Lord Tremont. And now, in apology, I must explain, if I may.” There was such delightful ur banity in the manner of the man, that Tremont had already voted against himself in the little con test. “Do—I’m interested ! No idea I was such an—er—a marked character," he added smiling. “Oh, the passenger list, you know, coupled with the ste ward’s familiarity with the peerage did that," laughed the older man. “But once I’d been given your name, I was stumped for a few moments before I could connect it with my business. My name’s Northby,—pictures, you know." Of course Tremont knew! Mr. Northby’s name was as familiar to owners of famous paintings on both sides the Atlantic as Paquin or Worth to leaders of fashion—the famous picture dealer, Northby; of cour^! “And now let me tell you why I asked such a grossly imperti nent question^more as a joke than anything else. It hap pens . . . . “Ah, Lord Tremont,” an oily voice interrupted the speaker with sauve assumption of famili arity. “My cabin companion, Mr. -er - Mr. - ” Tremont’s delicate snub to the intruder was so perfectly con trived as to be apparent t« Northby while it missed its di rect object. Tremont’s habitual procrastination had resulted in his finding himself cabined with this unpleasant bed-fellow. “ Cardoni’s the name, Car doni,” he minced. “Glad to meet you,” and he extended a much be-ringed paw towards Northby, who, to avoid it, nodded towards a. third chair in the hope that this disturber of the peace might at least subside into it. “You were telling me about your interest in your Van Dyke,” remarked Tremont, quietly re suming the conversation with Northby. “Van Dyke? What's that? Van Dyke?” sputtered Cardoni with superabundant excitement. “A picture by an artist of that name, Mr. - er remarked Tre mont. “Don’t I know that? I know a thing or two about pictures, Lord Tremont — But, for reasons best known to himself, Mr. Cardoni left his knowledge unspecified, and dropped into the chair which he had drawn up. “As I was saying, Lord Tre mont,” Northby proceeded, “I happen to have a special interest in your Van Dyke—‘Lady Jane’ it’s called, isn’t it?—a family portrait with quite a romantic history. I once took the liberty of writing to your father about it. His reply was only a little less eloquent than yours,” he laughed. “Your silence was gold en; the Earl’s being in writing, could not be wordless. But it was next door to it, and quite as effective. The fact is that some years ago a man of your name, a Mr. Tremont, in Ameri ca—somewhere out West if I recollect—had written to me ask ing if the picture was for sale, and forwarding me a substantial deposit on account of whatever price might be put upon it. On receiving Lord Brecme’s reply I informed Mr. Tremont accord ingly, and returned him his money. It came back to me, doubled, with instructions to de posit the amount and hold it to his credit on account of the pur chase of the picture if it should ever bo on the market.” “I hope you’re getting the interest on the money, and that Mr. Tremont’s successors will leave it on deposit with yours on the same terms,” replied Tre mont drily. “Funny chaps, these Yankees; won’t be downed, will they?” he drawled, without a glance at Cardoni. “Why don’t lie have il copied? Good copy’d pass for the genu ine article out in his section. I bet a dollar to a doughnut he’d fall for a copy himself. Try him l” wheezed the irrepressible person, slily. Perhaps it was a free-will exit that Cardeni effected, chuckling . at his own joke; perhaps it was precipitated by the kick which Lord Tremont mentally directed at his odious cabin-companion. He moved off towards the centre of the room, to the relief of both Nortliby and Tremont. “Queer fish,” drawled Tre mont with a yawn. “Live and learn 1 Book my passage earlier next time.” Northby smiled. “Your luck certainly wasn’t with yon, in that,” he said, and with a nod and ‘good night’, he rose and strolled out towards the lounge. Tremont got up from his seat ! with a motion of boredom, and was about to go and see if Lady Jane and Miss Wilton were still about, when a familiar face came within his vision. “Lo, Alec. Good manl Saw your name on the list. Been getting some of the dollars away from the yanks, or catching a billionairess, what? Come on and make a fourth at poker.” Ned Burnet was an old college friend of Tremont’s. “All right, Ned,” he replied. “Seems to me you’ve still got some of my I 0 U’s, unredeem ed,” he laughed. “With luck I might cancel a few of 'em.” , “Good—come on. I’ve scratch ed up a queer specimen for a third; the other’s all right. Wo won’t go high—can’t do it, my self,” he added. And Tremont let himself be pilotted over to a table. Jromont made the best of it, registering a vow that he would turn in early, even if it meant breaking up the game. Drinks were ordered, and the cards were cut,—Tremont and Cardoni against Burnet and the other. It was perhaps a pity for Lord Tremont that prohibition did not obtain aboard ship thftt night. His foreign-looking part ner proved an unconscionably careless player. They lost inex cusably. When at last the game ended, Cardoni brought out a roll of bills. * ‘ Don’t worry, Lord Tre mont,” he urged, as Alec fumbled i in his pockets to pay his share, “I’ll pay out of this, and you can settle with me down below.” Lazily Tremont complied. “Fact is, Cardoni,” Tremont informed his cabin companion as they prepared tor bed, I’ve brought so little cash with me that I’d better give you an I O U. “Suits me fine, Tremont,” swaggered Cardoni familiarly. “Got to much around with me already. Your bit’s only sixty five dollars,” he went on, as he jotted down something on a piece of paper,—“You can put your fist to that if you like, or just let it go.” Tremont had already climbed into his berth. He took the pa per and the proffered pencil, and scribbled his name. “Right-o; thanks; cheerio!” And he turned on his side and slept. The while Mr. Cardoni with a precision that belied his easy-go ing “take it or leave it” of a moment ago, folded the paper with due care, and put it in his letter-case. Then he switched off the light, and turned on his back and snor ed. (TO BE CONTINUE#) One Canadian Family Holds Farm 295 Years Quebec, P. Q.—Ismael Bedard, a French-Canadlan farmer, of Charles bourg, Quebec county claims the dis tinction for hlh family of having lived longer In one place than any other family In North America. His forebears have held the same farm, without Interruption In the succes sion, since 1629, according to the re turns of a questlonaire sent out to parish priests in the province by the Arts, Science and Letters society here. Ismael Bedard, the present own er, has been on the land thirty years. He has a family of grown sons, and the house in which he lives Is be lieved to be the original building erected In 1629. Electric Ground Cable May Guide Aeroplanes London.—The British air ministry is now expei Imentlng with an elec tric guiding cable for aircraft, which may be the forerunner of definite aerial routes possible for night fly ing and flying through fog. The pilot, from Instruments before him. would be able to tell when flying di rectly over the cable laid along the ground, and the device would auto matically correct the direction of the flight of an aeroplane which was off the set route. With the completion of such a scheme It would be pos sible to establish air routes as defin ite as railroad lines. Aregentine Anticipates Steady Growth in Numfvers Buenos Aires.—Countries with a high birth rate have a high death rate, but there is one exception in the world and that is Argentina, ac cording to Alejandro E. Bunge, econ omist and government statistician. In 30 years, Mr. Bunge says, Argen tina's death rate has dropped from 25 a thousand to 13.6 a thousand, one of the lowest fn the world, while a birth rate of 33 a thousand has been maintained. These two facts com bined produce a great natural in crease in population. The mortality of Infants before reaching one year of age is only 10 per cent, in Argen tina, compared with rates of from 9 o 25 per cent. In other countries^ Get back that lost weight! 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