The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-01-30
A CURIOUS OVERSIGHT,

She's Like nothing on earth-but 3 womanl
A CURIOUS OVERSIGHT.
"Price!"
Eyes, Major"
where's Mr.. Douglas?
Gone to the Priory, sir. Back at l,
o'clock"
you've put the whiskey outp"
"Yessir.n
"And the cigars?"
"Yessir."
"And you've put the kettle o n ?"
"Yessir."
That's all l think. You may turr
in, Price, if you like.
Thank you, Major. Good night
And Price, with q stoniness of vlsaee
and a setness of figure when under ex.
animation by his superior officer strong.
" suggestive of pipe-clay in the present
or the past. stalked from the room and
left the major alone. The latter
walked to the window and look
ed across the landscaps to where,
seen through q gap in tho en-
clrcllng woods, the spires and pianacles
OF Oakenham Priory bulked black
against the last few fading CLEANS OF
sunset color in the west.
Gone to the Priory-eh? Where
else should he have gone? Why didn't
he go there six months ago, and stay
there? She wouldn't object. And it
would be q better bivouac than this, I
think. The boy used to have pluck
enough. What's gone with it ALL"
"This" vas Oakenham Cottage, a
small two storied edi6ce, standing in its
own strip of garden. 1t had been a
pretty place not SO long ago, and per-
haps wa so still, though its every de-
tail showed neglect. The garden was
dowerless and its trees looked ragged
and forlorn-sympathizing, as vegeta-
lion has a knack of doing, with the de-
cay about them.
The room i'll which the major sat
showed signs kindred to those which
marked the exterior of the house.
Its furniture was battered and
rheumatic, but the books, papers
whips, foils, fishing rods and h~eterogen-
Gus lumber of a bachelor menage scat
tered carelessly about it. gave it some
thing of the air of cheerfulness which
every constantly used haunt of human
lty is sure to acquire. Over the man
tel hung a water-color sketch of a girls
head, fanked by two pen and ink
sketches. The first of these represent
ed the present tenant of the room, plant
ed in q frantically theatrical attitude on
a bastion, waving on his followers, who
were omitted for want of space. Tho
second represented a young man,
clad in wig and gown, heranguing, with
an inefable, daindiied air of self-com.
placency q sleeping jury, and a Judge,
who held q %trumphet to his ear with n
hand and an opera glass to his eye with
the other. The first of these efforts
bore the inscription, "My Friend the
Majah," and was signed 'R. d." and
under the second was inscribed "Dick
Douglas a doing of it," and the initials
NJ. NJ"
The major shook his head at the GEN.
ter-piece of this decoration, lit the
lamp and a cigar, and betook himself
to the study of a chart which lay upon
the table. be was q small fat man,
with a ridiculous likeness to the conven-
tional cherub, a likeness which q bald
head. an eye-glass and a pair of mus.
taches Of military pattern, nncherubic
are those accessories, failed to de-
stroy. His nose had the tinge of red
which, as an acute and learned physi-
ognomist of the present day has OBJ
served. is just sufficient to impart be-
nevolence of aspect. He renamed alb
sorbed in the examination of the chart
until his study vas interrupted by the
arrival OF the original of the second
caricature over the mantel.
well, Dick" said the major.
Dick nodded with a c~ountenance of
gloom and took his seat beside
the freless crate, contemplating
the portrait at which the major
had shook his head half an hour before. |
Then he began a whispering whistle,
finally lighting his pipe, went over
the table and sat upon it.
Tell me something more about !
Cpopo," he said.
The major smiled a smile of doubtful
meaning, and with a finger on the chart
The nearest port is Sydney, which
Is 500 miles away-calli it q three days
lovely climate, beautiful soil.
Coasts rich in coral and beche de mer.
Forests oak and teak principally
alive with game boar, deer and birds.
Rivers swarming with fish. I'm sure
there's gold, and Tn more than half
inclined to think that there's oil. It's
. perfect little paradise, my bov, and
there isn't q snake nor an alligator, nor
> white man, MOI any other kind Of
'ermin within 100 miles"
"Natives?"
YES, quiet and peaceable and beauti-
,ully Ignorant"