The Red Cloud chief., 1880-09-30

The pipes and cigars we had added TO
give Q little present life 10 the old room.
haunted by countless ghosts OF . dead
and gone past
Sydney was as handsome q fellow a.
six feet Of height, . corresponding
breadth of chest, . fine complexion
and a mass Of coal-black c~uriy-hair
could make him. We agreed that he
was the ornament of our class In n
physical sense as truly rs in an intel
~iectual one. He was q good-natured
fellow, too; easy-going, full OF fun. |
prone to see the best in everybody and
everything, and his popularity was i'm
mens. He graduated with high
honors. and was q lawyer with a suc-
cessful and growing practice when we
met four years later; but here. At h
end of ten more, was the mere sug-
gestion Of his old self. The brilliant
ewes and teeth were there, though the
lips smiled less often. the hair was
thinner and straighter than in the old
college days. But it was not the
physical change that was so plainly
marked. The spiritual was trans
formed, and not for the better. He
had become cynical, skeptical. re-
served, and at times even morose-a
disappointment: and a puzzle to all his
friends. He spoke Of it himself; L
had hoped he would grow confidential,
as our talk wore on toward midnight.
That had been the old fashion.
You know how 10 make some al
lowances for a fellow. jerks"
/ laughed. alt is something new
TO have to make allowances tor you,
Meredith"
There is need enough now a-days.
/ have TO be introduced to myself every
six months, and even then find it hard
work to keep up the acquaintance
I'm not going to beat about the bush,
| Meredith. He'll me- straight, what is
the matter with you. I've a right to
know, and | believe it will be a blessing
10 YOU To tell me"
Everything has gone wrong with
me, jerks. and the ex~asperating thing
| about is that | cannot for the life OF me
see how. or in what way | have been TO
blame"
Not business, surely" | began.
.'Oh bother b~usinessT' he interrupted.
..business isn't everything in life"
"A man has lived to little purpose II
he has not learned that before he Is
thirty five" l asScnted.
II have a fine Office" he went on,
countless clients, plenty Of money,
and my recollections of the woman
| loved"
| felt that l had the explanation at
last.
..Where is she?" l asked.
..Grand Canal, Venice; at least L
heard SD the other day-located there
for the winter. went abroad a year ago
with her married sister and will stay
there very likely with the family"
Then, of course, everything Is over
between you. But it vas a long en-
gagement to be broken at last"
''And she broke it, jerks; the most
faithful and loving oma | ever con-
ceived of. Read this!" He took a note
from his pocket. tossing it towards me.
Tell me what 1t means. for l have
never found out" 1t bore a date of two
years previous:
my DEAR SIDNEY:-In reply TO your mes
sage I can only say, IL will be better Tor Us
AGNES KINGDOM"
"Agnes Kingdom" l exclaimed. i
had not recognised the writing.
You do not know herr!" he asked,
quickly. =.
You wrote to me of her, you know"
/ answered, evasively. "but l have no
memory for names"
but tell me what it MEANS" he re-
peated, absorbed in his first thought.
al have studied those few words more
than all my cases put together"
"What was the messenger" i asked.
"Oh. of course. l ought to tell you
that. Agnes was thrown from a carriage
between two and three years ago, and
her head was badly hurt. They sent me
word that day, but l could not go to the
house before the next evening. For 8
month there was but little change. ]
went to see her as often as l { could
every week or ten days. AS she could
hardly speak or look at me, 'twasu,,
much comfort. One day L called and
was told by her sister that her husband
had taken Agnes to Colorado and had
been gone a week. She had left nc
message and / could not find that she
had any thought of me in leaving.
'Twasn't a pleasant surprise. She was
away five months-and never wrote Il
me. One evening | caught a glimpse
of her at the opera, as the audience wa
leaving the theater. L met her brother
in a stage the next day. ''Oh yes" hi
said, in answer TO my question, "Agne:
has been back several weeks" l leave
you to Judge how you would have acted
in nv place. l was hurt more than
can tell. | wrote her a note telling hel
that in view of the way she had left the
city and her silence from that time on,
| should wait to hear whether q cal
from me would be welcome. This was
her reply. OF course, l did not 60 to
see her-I have never seer her SINCE"
And up to that time" l said, "had
GU suspected no change of feelingP"
"Nothing. She was always her OWL
sweet. loving self, and in thinking Of
her since l have never been able to re
call an impatient or angry word"
Had YOU ever given her occasion fol
anyP" was my very natural question.
"Not that l know of. You have al
ways found me a pretty g~ood-natured
sort of fellow, jerks, easy to get along
with. haven't youP"
Tell me-" / said. ignoring the ques
ton, "why you were not married
long ago. 1t is ten years at least since
your engag ,ment to Miss Kingdom"
"Oh. as to that" was his answer
.you know I would never marry unles,
1 could support my wife in luxury. Fol
a long time my practice was not Suffi
cient for that. Then l was in Europe /:
couple of years, working up those Gov
eminent cases"
"And travelling a good deal, too
interrupted, enjoying yourself prett.
well on the whole, 1 recollect."
"Oh, yes, l enjoyed it, certainly"
) "And after your returnP'
|, Then l got into politics, a goo,
. Hau horond my danfh DC SOON as no