Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-04-05
THE BLACK STOCKINGS.
Their Assistance in the Recovery
of Stolen Property.

of Stolen Property.
Poor Jack! he was fellow among a
thousand; brave as a lion, merry as a
lark, and SO handsome and dashing
Shoulder to shoulder we had marched
many a long mile under the baking
African sun, and when Jack succumbed
to fever and died. there was not dry
eye in the regiment
Larry, old man." he said to me,
watching, through the opening in our
tent, the last sunset his mortal eyes
were to look upon, Il can trust you
to give these trinkets to my sister
Mora, can't l? She will prize them.
She always had tender spot in her
heart for her good-for- nothing brother.
Poor child! she will be alone now
quite alone. A risky fate for pretty
girl of twenty. Dysart has written to
her, telling her you would hand over
the little traps; all l have to leave. He
will be to the fore if any thing goes
wrong; but Dysart is not Well,
never mind, My little Mora-Larry, l
The sentence was never finished, and
the voice which. with it's merry ring,
had given courage and hope to many a
fainting heart of late, sank into eter-
nal silence.
Reverently l took charge of the poor
boys legacy to his sister, his medals
and crosses. won at the peril of his
life, and soon afterwards fate led me
back to Europe.
Jacks sister was in Paris, and
thither 1 was eager to betake myself
with all possible speed, to resign my
charge. and, if possible, on the strength
of my intimacy with Jack. to win a
place in his sisters regard
If fellow can fall in love with a
photograph and a glowing description,
l. thanks to poor Jacks affectionate
eloquence., was in love with Mora
MoncriefE 1 believed that my COM
rade's half-uttered wish when dying
was that l might win the right to pro-
tect Mora. But, then, there was Dy-
sart Who was Dysart. any way?
Clearly l had better remove all I'M
certainty upon this point as soon as
possible.
Arrived at Marseilles. found a let
ter from my aunt, Mrs. Carriston. beg
ging me to visit her for a few days at
Mentone, as she had an important
matter to discuss with me. This invi-
tation, interfering as it did with my
desire to seek out Mora at once, was
most unwelcome; particularly as !
strongly suspected the reason of my
aunt's ardent wish to see me. She had
doubtless been playinga little too reck.
lessly at Monte Carlo-thc love OF
gambling being long-established in
trinity with her-and wanted me to
help her out of tight place. Well.
one good turn deserves another; in my
bread-and-jam days many half sove-
reign had found its way from Aunt
Carriston's purse to my jacket-pocket
why should l not put cheerful face
upon the matter and befriend her now?
though devoutly wished the sum-
mons had come at any other time.
Accustomed as l had been of late to
the very light attire of African ladies
on their native soil. my aunt's toilet
and appearance struck me forcibly.
She was a handsome woman. perfectly
aware of the fact and the rustling.
tinklng and faint odor of patchouli
which accompanied her movements at
tracted an attention which was not, on
the whole, ill-paid for the trouble it
took to look. She wore her silky.
white hair high above her still fair
forehead; some soft-tinted shawl hung
usually about her silken shoulders in q
loose. picturesque fashion; glitterins
profusion OF costly rings detracted
from the beauty of her hands. and
pendant from her waist dangled BE-
wildering array of ornaments. mostly
Of considerable value-a velvet BAG
with massive silver clasps. embossed
and jewel-studded scen.-bottles. and 8
ehatelaine so loaded down with trink-
ets that it was as if she had dragged q
silver grappling-hook across jewel
s er's counter. retaining all the miscel-
laneous haul