The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-08-13
OUGHT I NOT TO HAVE DONE IT ?

obtrusively moral people who would have Gale
1t q cruel and criminal act, yet cannot help r.
GREETING that did not do it.
The circumstances of the affair cannot be pre-
sented in all their enormity unless the peculia
relation in which stood toward Dick Fal rell
frst fully understood. 1t will, therefore, b
necessary to go back to the period of my frs
acquaintance with that Individual. met hin
in this wise: Undoubtedly you remember tn
rocky ravne in which is situated the little tow
OF st. jean de Maurienne formerly the terminu
on this side of Mont Gents of the railway from
Paris to Turin. l had reached this place ont
morning. on my way to Italy, and found that
owing to some accidental delay, no dUigenc
would start to cross the mountain until evening
Consequently, having several hours at nv dis
posal, devoted them to an exploration expedi
ton of the valley and finally attempted to clint
the steep face of the northern side of the ravine
Now, had never been good climber, even in
my boyhoOd. and, as l was at this time more
than-well. was in the prime of nhood, al
all events-I ought to have known better than
to have made the attempt. However, did not
know better, and so laboriously climbed up the
precipice until found myself on narrow ledge,
where further progress upward became impossi.
BILE. 10 my great annoyance, l found, too, that
could not retrace my steps, since any attempt
to look down into the valley, which lay some two
hundred feet below, made me excessively giddy
At this distance of time am willing to confess
that was decidedly frightened as thought of
the probability of remaininga hopeless prisoner,
starving to death in full sight of the hotel
which had an excellent t,Jle ID h0e-and of the
railway station. Hope, which we are led to be-
lieve springs eternal in the human breast. for
tunately inspired me with the happy thought of
firing my revolver as signal of distress. No
sooner had acted upon this idea, than the en-
tire population of St. Jean appeared to become
simultaneously aware OF my position, and focked
to the foot OF the precipice to watch my anxious
ly expected fall. Owing to their natural stupid
lty, or their reluctance to spoil prospective
tragedy, these people did not make the slightest
effort to rescue me. Finally. after they had
waited two hours in the vain hope that would
lose my foothoid, they set up an idotic shout at
the appearance of young man carrying coil
OF rope on his shoulder. Presently he disap-
peared, followed by the greater part of the
crowd, and was about to resign myself to DIES.
pair and an utter-hopeless attempt to Chamber
down the rock, when l was delighted by the re-
appearance OF the young man, who landed sud-
denly beside me- having been let down by rope
from the top of the precipce
NOW, old boy" he remarked, with indecent
familiarity, as he unfastened the rope from about
his waist, "let me just fasten this rouad YOU.
and you'll be all right in couple of minutes.
Tell them not to forget me when you get to the
top, for haven't had any dinner vet"
30 saying, he tied the rope under nv arms,
SHOOK IT as signal to those above, encouraged
me with the remark, "Steady, now, old fellow
and good luck to you !" and calmly proceeded 20
relight his extinguished cigar, while was ran.
idly hauled through the air to place of safety.
This young man was Dick Farrell.
The rope was again let down, and he soon
made his appearance beside me. Luckily he
could speak French, of which l did not know
single word, and appealed to him to rescue me
from the police, who had promptly arrested me
on the charge of having attempted to commit
suicide. Dicks persuasive oratory secured nv
release, and, being thus doubly indebted to him.
-! felt obliged to invite him to the hotel and to
dinner.
He proved to be painter of some sort-I
know nothing about art-on his way to Rome,
and, though he was in the main honest, and al.
ways good.tempered, he was altogether too much
OF a vagabond to be a suitable travelling com.
panion for gentleman of my age and position.
felt this strongly, when, after much consecu.
tive champagne. he proposed that We should
journey to Rome together. But what WAS to
do! Clearly l could not say to the man who
had Just saved my life, "Sir, cannot consent to
travel IN your company, because1you wear pre-.
posterous hat, and are addicted to perpetual
smoking and untmely singing" OF course 1
lacked the courage to say this, and hence it fol-
lowed that for tho next two weeks we were con.
stantly together. l will do him the Justice to
say that he never attempted to borrow money
rom me, and that he rendered me considerable
service oy acting as an interpreter between my.
sell and the natives. Still, his undignied habits
were constant source OF annoyance to me. He
wouid insist upon my accompanying him into
third class cars, where he smoked and sang. and
drank cheap wine, out of casual BOTTLES. with
chance acquaintance, in a manner disreput,ble
IN the extreme. acquit him of any Intentional
alsrespect IN representing to the police at ST,
Jean that was lunat'c, and that he was INV
keeper since he solemnly averred that by no
other pretence could he have saved me from ar.
rest. | cannot, however excuse his habit of
calling me "old boy" aud ,lc eros, Familiarity
with which ne criticised my personal appearance.
and what he wa. pleased TO call my iolly green.
ness
After reaching Rome, war quite natural.
We saw good deal Of each other Il 40 han.
pened that We one day visited the Catacomb, Of
st. Calixtus. The guide who WAS with IA OK.
planned the skeletons and thing. with great
apparent eloquence, and Dick was trauslatipv
his remarks to the with comments and additions
Of his own, when we came upon another marty
VI n'uoAe'skeo iaoy' her daughter,
and, Of course, their gulds. A. they were eyi.
IDENTITY Americsns we stepped and conversed a
few moments with them, aud ultimately accept
ed their invitation 70 accompany them through
the rest Of the CAtscoplbs-Dick escortinv the
mother, while walked by the side Of her pretty
daughter .f
Pretty as just the wsrd which described her.
She wAs net strictly tssstifal. but her maunsr
was extremely attractive, and she had, moreover,
an idea q the respect das to . msa Of my char.
actor sad pos'tica in. life. which I have found