The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-07-03
AM BR0SE MALET.

my first holiday l was lresh-looklhS
young follow in those days holding serious
views OF life, and though young for my
years. had the full ST sense G! the dignity
no less than the Responsibilities, OF the
sacred profess on | had lately entered.
To 10 right myself. and 10 So, cveryNo iy
else right, seemed to me the most important
thing in lille, and the first part OF the propo'
sition, Al any rate is not bad tormu a for
u man to star. with on his hte's career
had set GU On my travels alon' N
plugging at once into some Of the more T.
ures que Belgian scenery, founi my Sc m
the ey ning OF the third day, suppins IN tn,
big hotel Of title village lying among the
hills and woods | was surpinS aone at
the end OF long table OF an empty sale a
manger when young man entered, ana
calling for coffee and ccgna", sat down IN
the circle Of light Just opposite t. me- he
was a mar OF about 80, with a pleasant AMI
remarkably clever face and, presently fall,
ing into conversation with him, dScoVeFei
he was the village doctor. lie was native
Of the place, able to give me Information, OF
which was in need. conc ming tbs sur
rounding country; and we wer5 engaged III
talking, with my travelling map spread on
the table between us, when a waiter entered
and addressed few words 10 my compln'
ION IN a low voice.
Excuse mo for a moment, he said, turn
ing to ms courteouSly, there is sex man
upstairs who re .ure3 my atten lance l
shall not be gone many N mute,
In loss than quarter Of an hour no re-
turl ed, and sat down opposite to mo again;
but hs did not at once resume our CONVEX
sation He sat with his hands claspei be-
hind ais head, gazing before him in silence,
"A sad case" he said at last letting his
hand, fall to his side; a life thrown away.
A young fellow wounded morthlly in a
duel and bi ought in here yesterday to die.
All tho doctors in Europe could not save
him Ho won't live through the night
In a duel' | said, surprised such
thing SO far, had lain outside the TSnge of
my experience.
"Yes, with some Fren Imam They had
come, here across the frontier Such affairs
are not uncommon hereabout, but they
rarely terminate fatally. Tho other'fellow
has made OIL. This one, by the bye, IS "A
countryman Of yours Stay, | have his
name somewhere.
He fumbled IN his 30 ket for notebook,
and abs'racting a card, handed it to mo
acros, tho table. | read tho name | let
the card drop
"Gooi God" said. Ambrose Malet"
do you know him said tho do tor
a know the name-it may LIE another
man." answered, in profound agitation.
rs he young--a big, -limbed man, with
marked features a large nose, dull brown
hair lying straight across his forehead and
the kindest, the most genial smile imagin
ablel'
"Your description answers in every par
ticular," sail the doctor, except, indeed, as
regards ths smile, which have not seen
He looks sad enough, poor fellow He is
young, about your own age, should think.
He looked at me with momentnry humor-
Gus CLEAN that seemed to say; "In all other
respects a, un Ike you a. possible He has
gray eyes and wears no beard on hi, little
finger is green signet ring Ii you are u
friend of his | shall be glad. | asked him
TO day if should send TO any one, and he
replied that he hal no relations aul not
friend in the world that would come to him
Tie b ars rushei to my eyes; could not
help il. ] rose. and, walking 10 ono of the
long windows. stood with my back turned
to the room, looting out Oh the moonlit
garden.
Thrccyenrs before, at Oxford, Ambrose
Maet had been my best friend A lonely
man a solitary soul, he had sou sht mo out
through one of these contradictions that
sonnet. mes provoke and cement ths iirmest
friendships He was little known personally
at Oxford, yet made his mark at once as a
man Of powers so unusual that everything
might be expected of him The eXpeata
ton was founded on misconception Of his
character; and yet perhaps not Who shall
say snce death came at six and twenty TO
solve the problem after its own fashion. A
prodigiou, ard unfailng memory, al almost
Incredible facility for acquiring AMI as uni
hating knowledge, were combined with one
of tho atron, est and most origin / min
have over come across H3 tDoE, without
appreciablo effort, every honor that Ok
ford la, 10 Ole, a. d he toJk t. III with alb
so'ute nil eren e KIN Wedge, an Always
mora o the knowledge that h acqui I'd
with such ease, seemed all that ua sir Il
He read Tor hours not rs tn, boo. worm
reads, or the ordinary student but with "a
Ir,dlgtous, Il vodring Curio ity, ah lnSati.
able craving, until i'll one direction or an
other dc rcach he'd TIA. final limit and faced
the bank beyond At su h times, a, |
learned TO know, he fell into da,poud ncy
that lasted sometimes for days, Tia using
himself he would start again on som other
track 20 arrive at the same result Hi,
mind | say was one Of the u angst have
met with but II had no ,mpgls that / ever
discovered toward original Gro ttipn, lit l.
even towurl original re earch.
Ils would take up some branch Of science
and deyour every booi on " la could ind :,
Tut thai done, h" made no in dependent oit ort
towatd fresh dis overy h, turned to some
thing el,e. some spring that moves to
ira teal action, some link 90 nmon brtwe n
nun and life, was lacking in him Ii ) soul
dwell solitary and apart thirsiing, drink
ing Unsuitable, only demanding ince,santly
what no man ever yet had-no, nor can
have ever until the end of time
He hal few acquaintance at Oxford and
no intimate friend but myself Sometimes
he would come to my rooms and silently
watching me as p'oided on at my reading
Ny vocation had early been fixed and |
never wavered in my choice, | hid nsver
any idea hut that u entering the chur h
Malet would sit smoking and watchiu. ms
An silence. Not unireluently We too. long
walks together.
Sometimes our walk would be lin aud IN |
in almost total silence At other tim,s his
flow OF conversation was almost unceasing
and have not yet met the man who can
talk as Malet did when the mood was upon
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