Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-12-22
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Wonderful Story!
Colonel
Quaritch
BY the Famous Novelist,
|H. RIDER HAGGARD,

ny Tue 8UOub ~ |
RIDER
CHAPTER l..
RARoLD QuARlTcH NEDITATEs.
There are some things and faces which,
when felt or seen for the first time, project
themselves upon the minds like a sun image
on q sensitive plate and there remain unal-
fixed. To take the case Of q face
We may never zee it again, or it may become
the companion Of our life; but there the pict-
ure IL Just as w first know It, the same smile,
the same look, unaltering and unalterable,
reminding US In the midst Of change Of the
absolutely indestructible nature Of every ex-
p~erience, oct and aspect Of our life. For that
which has been Is, since tho past knows NJ
change and no corruption, but lives eternally
In its frozen and completed self.
These are somewhat large words to be born
Of q small matter, but they rose up sponta-
neously in the miRd Of a soldierly looking
man who was leaning, on the particular
evening when this history opens, over q gate
in an eastern country lane, staring vacantly
at q ripe field Of corn.
He was a peculiar and rather battered look.
ing individual, apparently over 10 years Of
age and yet bearing upon him that unmis-
taxable stamp Of dignity and self respect
which, IL 1t does not exclusively belong to, is
yet n Of the distinguishing attributes Of
the English gentleman. In face he was ugly;
no other word can express it. Here were not
the long mastaches, the almond eyes. the
aristocratic air of the colonel of flction-for
our dreamer was a colonel. These were
alasl that the truth should be SO plain-repre-
sented by somewhat scrubby, sandy colored
whiskers, small but kindly blue eyes, a low,
broad forehead, with q deep limo running
across It from side to side, something like
that to be seen upon the bust Of Julius Cesar,
and a long, thin nose. One good feature,
however, no did possess, q mouth of such
sweetness and beauty that, cot as it was above
q very square and manly locking chin, 1t had
the air of being ludicrously out of place.
''Umph," said his old aunt, Mrs. Massey (who
had just died and left him what she had, on
the occasion of her first introduction to him
ave-and-thirty years before, ''unphl Nature
meant to make a pretty girl Of you, and
changed her mind after she had finished the
mouth. Well, never mind, better be a plain
man than a pretty woman. There, o along,
boy, I like your ugly face"
Nor was tho old lady peculiar in this re.
spect, for plain as the countenance Of Col.
Harold Quaritch undoubtedly was, people
found something very taking about It when
once they got used to its rugged air and
stern, regulated expression. What that some-
thing was it would he hard to define, but
perhaps the nearest approach to the truth
would DO to describe 1t as a light Of purity
which, Notwithstanding the popular idea to
the contrary, is to he found quite as often
upon the faces Of men as upon those of NO.
men. Any person Of discernment In looking
at Col. Quaritch must have felt that he was
In the presence Of o good man, not q prig or
mtlksop, but a mar who had attained to vir-
tue by thought and struggle that had left
their mark upon his face, q man whom 1t
would not be well to tamper with, and one to
be respected by all, and feared Of evil doers.
Men felt this, and hs was popular among
those who knew him in his service, though
not In any hail fellow-well-met kind Of way.
But among women he was not popular. Al
q rule, they both feared and disliked him.
His presence Jared upon the frivolity Of the
lighter members Of their sex, who dimly
realized that his nature was ~antagonistic,
and the more solid ones could not understand
him. Perhaps this was the reason why Col.
Quaritch had never married, had never eveu
had q love affair since he was 6ve-and-twenty.
And yet 1t was Of q woman's face that he
was thinking as he leaned over the gate and
looked at the field Of following corn, undu.
lating like a golden sea beneath the pressure
Of the wind.
Col Quaritch had twice in his life been OF
Honhan before the present time, when be
had come to abide there for good and all
once ten and once four years ago. His old
aunt, Mrs. Massey, had q place in the village
"a very small place-called Honham cot
tago. or Molehill, and he had on these two
occasions been down to stay NTH her. Nov
Mrs. Massey was dead and buried, and hae
left him the property, and he had given W
his profession, In which he had no further
prospects, and come to live at Honham. Thi
was his first evening in the place, for he hat
arrived by the last train OF the pleviou
night. All day he had been busy trying Ii
get the L-s,se a little straight, and now
thoroughly tired of the task, he was. refresh
ing himself by leaning over q gate. It is
though q great many people will not believ
1t, n Of the most delightful refreshments il
tho world.
And then 1t. was, as ho leaned over til
gate, that tho image of q woman's face ros
before his mind as it had been continual,
rising for the last five years. 1t was fiv
years since no had seen it, and those fv
years he had spent in India aud Egypt. I
seemed but the other day that no had bee
leaning over this very gate, aud had turne
to see a young girl dressed In black, with
spray OF honeysuckle stuck in her girdle, al,
q stick in her hand, walking le:surcly dow
the lane. There mas something about til
girls air that had struck han while she wa
yet a long way of-a dignity and a grace
and a set Of the shoulders, and then as SD
came nearer he saw the soft dark eyes an
the waving brown hair that contrasted s
strangely and effectively with the pale an
sticking face. 1t was not a beautiful fact
for the mouth was too large, and. tho nos
was not as straight Els it might have bee,
but there was q power about the broad brow
and a force and solid nobility stamped upo
the features which had impressed hi,
strangely. just us she arrived opposite I
where he was standing . gust Of wind, fc
there was a stiff breeze, had blown the lady
hat of, taking it right over the hedge, an
The, as in duty bound, had scrambled into tt
field and fetched it for her, and she hn
THANKED him with a quick smile aud o ligh
ing up Of the brown eyes, aud then passe
on with q bow.
Yes, with q little bow she had passed o,
aud he had watched her departing down tt
long level drift, till s':e melted into Il
stormy sunset light, and Was gone. Whe
he returned to the cottage lie had describe
her to his old aunt, aud asked who she mig
be, to learn that her nnme was Ida de
Mole, which sounded like a name out Of
novel, the only daughter Of the old soul
who lived at Honham castle. Aud tn,
next day he had left for India, and saw Nj
q de la Molle no. more.
And now he wondered what had become
i hor Probahlx sha WAC naairial. so St.il.i