The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-01
A "MODEL FATHER;
Story Of a Scheming Tragedian
and His Pretty Daughter.
Low Cunning and Selfish Ambition on
the One Hand, and Innocent Purity
and .DutifuI Devotion on
the Other.
BY DAVID CHRISTIE MURRA
CHAPTER IX-CovTrHrrD.

you make proposal for Miss Bassett' 5
hand at ali? Forgive me if distress
you? You see how we have both been
PLAYED with:?'
IN tell Won all about it." said
Weatherley, mastering his emotion.
The story Was soon told. 50 far as he
was concerted. and by a swift compari-
son of experience they began TO appre-
ciate Mr.. Rassett's ia herly maneuver.
''Pve got one thing | ought TO do, = sad
the yoUn@-ter, when this WAS over.
land II 10 it if you'n have the good
ness TO come back 10 the other nut. "
Cameron in turn followed Weatherlev
as Weatherley had followed him, and
in the presence OF the two doctors. who
could make neither heal no" tail OF the
whole proceeding, the Legionary with
drew his libel. Il SPOKE under a mis-
take, gentlemen" he said, '.and have
30 apologize to Mr.. Cameron"
''And /, said Jack, "think that Mr..
W6atherley's language was very natu-
raj, and thai he had good grounds for
his evil opinion OF me-"
lis a bit of pity, tOO," said Ho-
gan w.Jh 2 cheerful grin. '''Twould
have ben coed practice for Leary and
me-elt had We pinked each other. and
we'd have Sc oaded you like brothers.
Wouldn' we, Phil?'
- Faith, we would, them" re-
.sponded Phil. regging solidly at the
black bread and the un~peakable wine. "
The two SURG ons had al the talk to
themselves, and all the breakfast.
though tire Others sat down with them
and did their best to share it. The
rain came pouring down ceaselessly,
and they al marched through it until
twilight fell Cameron had plenty to
think of on that memorable ride, and his
thoughts were a torment to him. Would
Mary ever forgive him for his want
OF faith in her? II he had only believed
in her as he ought to have done, if he
had been the downright loyal lover he
had thought himself neither she nor
he would nave suffered. And it is to lie
regretted, but not the less to be set
down in a faithful chronicle, that under
the pressure of this reflection he felt so
forlOrn and helpless that within himself
he decided that he would never 90 back
again. She had suf, rel so much
through his want OF faith-fOr he knew
the story OF her illness row, and could
guess the rest-and had so dcseryedly
rooted him from her Affections that he
could never face her any more
She need never hear of him
again; never be vexed with him:
ncel have 10 Knowledge of his late
Repentance. There were ways enough
out of life in a campaign. and if he car
red his life I'll through it after all, why.
that was 4 misfortune to be borne.
Perhaps these wicked thoughts may be
forgiven 10 lad so heart-sore. They
are set down here in candor for the best
construction O. the charitable.
That foolish Polish Legion never had
a chance. a al TIE world knows So
bicski, VINO should have headed it, was
eating his heart in the capital, and all
the eat tlroa.S of various natiOnalitieS.
and all the fiery sympathilrrs with tie
Turk. ana AL the hcart-broken Young
lovers. and all the dcfaulting cashiers
from C0rnhill 20 Cairo who made up
that curious contingent, were scattered
and divided. Some joined various
regiments of { rcaSSianS, and others the
native SGwarree ranks, and others went
home, and many like Young Wcathcr'y,
simply doiled the uniform and STAYED 10
see the fun. One or two blOsSomed in
to 5 ecial correspondents. and. being
actually on the ground, had no difficulty
in finding work.
Jack and Weather,ey stuck together
and made friends, and the sumner
found them both in Shipka keui, while
the long-drawn battle of the Pass went
on in the hills above them. The artist
was popular. quiet rs he was, hut he
had no concern with the roaring fun
which went on at times among the nom
combatants, who lightened labor and
danger by many genial dew ,ceS. He
kept lonely for the most part. sketch
ing or writing, or hammering ut his
Turkish grammar; and it came to pass
one morning. Us he sat at work, that he
bethought himself Of BasSett's return
of the ring, and, an idea suddenly oc-
curing to him in respect 10 it, he drew
1t at once from his purse and looEed at
it carefully for the first time. Before
he had given the sacred symbol to
Mary he had scratched his own initials
within it. The lines, as he remcm-
bered well enough. had been delicatelv
traced with an etching needle. 1t had
never seemed worth while to look ut
them until now. And now he could
find no sign of them, and for the first
time the full extent of BaSsett'S villainv
broke in upon him. But he could find
no excuse for his own faith in the de-
ceit. though he saw ut last the dabolical
cunning of it all. 1t was bitter and en-
raging to know that 4 mere glance at
this instrument of mischief might have
saved him from misbelief, and spared
Mary heartbreak also.
In telling a story like this, il is best to
tell the whole truth a. far as it can be
known. When Jack Cameron slipped
that ring back into. his purse, picked
up his sketch-bOOk,. lit his pipe. and set
out for the Notifications in the Pass, he
had made up his mind not 10 come down
again alive if he could help If. 1t mat
tered to nobody whether he died or
lived. so he told himself And if he fell
with Russian bullet through him in
the execution of his duty. that was the
lookout of Chance. or Providence. or
whatever guideI the concerns of this
dirty world. So, nursing these deSper-
ate and wicked thoughts. the sore
hearted lad walked out of the village
and Sauntered up the winding hillside
path. The sun was shining gayly. and
the only clouds in the sky were born of
gunpowder, but they floated as fieecy
and as whitley innocent as the children
of the dew on peaceful fields. The big
guns were banging away, as they did
for three or four days in every week,
aud the shells shrieked like demons as
they swept through the air. Behind