The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-01-11

step were clean and its curtains white, il wa,
clearly very poor place, where none but very
poor people would live,
But the young man who came out was IN
the !ll dress of military officer, though that
was screened by The long gray cloak which
the wild March wind made so necessary. lie
looked back and waved his hand toward the
little houSc, lis if he knew somebody there was
watching him, though, ccrlainynohody could
ne seen from the outside. And then he turned
and Struggled against the strong gale which
blew in from the SEA
"lIe WAS quite young, and ms face was fine
" cut, and would have been pleasant but for
II look of stern and painful sorrow, not unmiX.
ed with bitterness, which seemed strangely in
cOngruous with his years and his dress.
ale walked on quite through the town.
There were few people taking exercise tor
pleasure in that rough weather, ami the crowd
Of shipping in the Downs made the seward
view almost less lonely than the shore 1t was
a very simple little town, with rcdtilcd, decent
dwclling-hOuscs crowded forward toward the
SEA, As II the inmates wanted to watch the boat
men and fisher, from rs near point AZ they
might. Wherever the houses broke apart, one
cxugh, glmpscs of wild flat country. dotted
here and there with weird trees III Indian file /;
and the youth looked wisttully toward these
desert fields, rs if he would tain have struck
a"ay ACROSS them, instead of going on, Us he
ibid, toward the grim old fort
yet there, II was CIcar. icstivty WAS going
forward, and friendly voices greeted him as he
passed the gray old portal. And then, over
his sad, stern face he dropped a mask of gay
lrtl, and though he rclapscd into silence at
times he was AS polite and convcrsible as the
best of them.
TT ere was preparation for a dinntr.party
in the fine stiff old hall, with its rows of mill
lary portraits, and its dngy, blood-stancd ban
nrrs. The castle the barracks and the fort
itself had eagerly furnished guests TO welcome
the visitor of the day, grand old General, re-
Gently returned from victories in the South of
Europe
TO our ideas of today" said Mrs. Martin,
shaking her dear vii c-cappcd head, there
was perhaps ii treat deal III that dinnertable
conversation which sht not have been. We
have lctl of openly dc>pising our then enemies
! the French, or speaking of any foreign allies
| Iuch a. II they were vcrmin, whom it was our
z od pleasure for The time being 10 support
aud protect. Let lis not he afraid To condemn
uur honorable grand-iathrrs in that wherein we
think they were Wong. Only let lis rcmcm-
! her that, strive IN We may, we ourselves shal
still say and do many things which, ;is We he.
licvc in God and progress, our still more for
,ulralr descendants will characterize rs i'll
oar very best according to the light which il
vouchsatrd To the world in our day.
| "AfeT dinner, whcn ceremony was ihawcd,
| he rood old General in the kindliucss and
prluc OF his heart, displayed little box, which
had beer given To him 10y some Grandce of
! spain think it must have been too small
for SnulboX and was probably one of those
Tiny irilcs IN which fashionable folk used oI
carry comiits and lohenycs. AT any rate this
box WAS set with diamonds and col0red gems
"i rare value, and it passed from hand To hand,
FISHING brightly in The lampight, while the
old warrior told dread stories of his campaigns
and Of the daring and honor If his men.
But suddenly, at the end of story so thrill.
ing that all heads had been cri,ned toward him,
while the military servant had throngcd the
door in wlapt att Wlion, the simple question
wan asked
'-'Whcre is the Generals jewelcd box
"Nobody knew; everybody said that he had
silently passed It ON to his fellow
The General rummagcd his own pockei,les
It had found lis way back to him and he had
haiconsciousy put it away. No, il WAS not
there AMI The brave old fighting face looked
little blank and he murmurcd an excuse
about how its loss would vcN Lady Elizabeth
But It cannot lie lost, General cried the
officer in command Of the fort In this room
must he still. No gentleman, to his kuowl-
edge, has it in his pOsScsSlon. Let The scrv.
ants al the door come in. though, to the hest Oi
my belief, not one OF them has approached the
table since the box WAS Lrough out Let the
door he made fast, and let our search he made
thorough
The candles were hrandlShel to and fro,
under the tables. under the chars, round the
lanlc draprry. But still from no point flash,
"d out the brilliant beauty OF the Generals lit
tie box.
"'Sllll 1t must he here insisted the Com
manlant, and surely no gentleman VIII
INK his honor lntringcd if each in turn is
asked To empty the contents "t his pockets up
N the table. | myself will br til, hr>t To do
80. And the servants shall he the last
Nobody could be expected To dcmur at so
simple and sensible II proposal, backed is It
VA, Ivy the honest old officer instantly rafting
out some crown pieces and IA tobacco pouch
halipcnce, and IN old pipe. One # or the
other, the gentlemen ON either suc of The table
followed his example, white sharp hut not nm.
I icndly eyes took eager note of strange pieces
o. personal property, and of dainty lhrrr-cor-
ncrcd noes, which might serve in the future
i.atrral for hadinagr aud quizzing
But one drew back when the Commpndant
made his proposal. That young man who had
ppcd suddenly into his seal, whence he had
- III the first cHgCrncss ct the .earch He Il
hnd pas cl his hand once or twice nrrvou>lv i
through his hair, leaving 1t wild and straggl.
M. and then he watched blankly, as the {
ruthless search drew nearer and nearer To him
elf. Within five minutes later one or two
# the officers were whispering to each other
hat any S,mplctun might have seen he did not {
'Xpcct il could bc found.
Ills turn was the very last. Ensign Ran.
ON, said the Commandant steadily. Ensign i
'ianNon WIS certainty the first who had To IL,
,'ailrd upon lay name.
"Ihc youth aro-e And though the rest oI
us face was of deadly Wilderness. there was u
p I vt burning red on either check
81 don't think any gentleman should be-
asked Ia Il" this he said i will give my Ii
word of honor that the box is not upon my
mrson did not even keep it in my hands
'"r moment | merely took il and passed i,