Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-06-14
It a5!1la0tun Stanaara
BEAUTIFUL jim.
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER,
CHAPTER XXX,

Early the following morning Sir Georet
-. Lcser came to ask for Nancy, and t,
ad out if there was anything be coull
a. to serve her, or in any way tighten tn,
duties which lay Immediately before her
There is something that you could d.
for Inc, Sir George" she said, when sh,
bad answered his greeting, and it is Il
i! graph out to BurinaL for me, to gel
t..5 last BOWS. The servants are very
god, and anxious to do all they can, but
ioile Of them know whom to send to anc
where 10 send, and | cannot tell them
~. thought you would be sure to know
or b. able to find out"
To be sure to be sure" Sir George
mad haste to reply. Il will do it a,
once
Il can give you the last address had
if hat would be any use"
OIL no. I'll go down to the war Office
and get the letest information as to route
and SO on"
And, Sir George, it would he best,
think, not to send my brother any news
from here" Nancy said, hesitatingly
You see it might be told to him sud
denly, and just turn the scale with him,
if he is very badly wounded, as they say
Il will be sure to word the message
very carefully" said little Sir George
feeling very suspicious lump rising in
his throat at the thought of the double
sorrow which had come upon this fragile
girl with the golden head and doves eyes
There was moments silence.
"And-and would you also inquire es.
recially after Mr. Beresfordg" she said
flushing lovely shell like pink over hel
sweet face.
Mr.. bereSford-that was tho Other
man who was wounded" Sir George e1.
claimed. as he q friend Of yours. nv
dear? Did you know him?"
Il am going to marry him some day, D
she said, then she at once began to sol
pitoously, 'if-if"-
"No-no-let us hope for the best.
Don't think Of that the little man cried,
almost beside himself with distress.
while there's life there's hope, you
know, my dear. and they are both young
and strong-not like our dear old friend
who went away from US yesterday, but
young men in the very flower Of their
strength. The chances are q thousand to
one III their favor; but III 60 along at
once. my dear, and then your mind will
DO more at rest about them" and off the
good hearted little man went, and Nancy
was once more left alone.
There was great deal for her to dc
naturally, but it was really only in the
way OF giving orders. The family solici.
tor came as soon as he received the news
of Mr. Earle's death. and ell the weight
Of arranging for the funeral and the
other business fell upon him.
The day wore slowly away. but Sir
George did not return with news from
Burmah. Then Darby brought in the
evening papers, and Nancy saw from the
expression of his face that the worst had
happened to one or both out at the front.
Which is it, Darby" she asked, faintly
feeling a deadly numbness stealing over
Miss Earle" he said, very gently,
'yOu are the last of tho name now. MIR.
Stuart only lived few hours after they
got him into camp"
And Mr.-Beresfordt" Nancy whis
pered.
NO mention of him. ma'am," the ser
want answered, $50 he is alive at oil
events" and then he put the paper into
her hand and pointed to the place whore
she would find what she wished to SEQ.
1t was SO short, cruelty short, as wal
dispatches always seem to those who orc
the most keenly interest d ;eiust saying
that Lieut.. Stuart Ehrlo and ono private
Of the Rlankshire regiment had died,
shortly after reaching camp, Of wounds
received In an engagement with Dacoits
On the --th.
And there was not single word about
the condition or fate Of Lieut.. james
DcresfOrd. However, in O certain sense,
there was relief in the very fact; at ali
c7cnts he was not dead, SO that there
was chance for him yet.
She had to wait o long time, OF what
seemed so to her. poor girl, before she got
any definite news about him, for although
20 papers contained various short dis
PATCHES he was not mentioned In any OF
them.
Still no news was good news, and at
';''t sir George st. Lcger came to her in
tiaiaph with telegram which had come
y various stages right from the foun
;.a head.
Maj. Seton to Sir George St. Lcger:
i..rle died almost Immediately after
i--.ching camp. Beresford badly wounded
head and arm, but is going on very
.scll. II no fever every chance of his
i-tting through 1t. VIII wire to you II
Zero is any important change"
And after this Nancy had no choice but
I, sit down and wait, Still she was not
I'd could not be idle. for there WIS much
'bc done. The putting Of largo house
id into mourning. the hearing and ap-
loving Of arrangements for o funeral
which IVES almost o public one, Of the
melancholy journey down to Earles Hope,
tic ordering of baked meats and SO on for
the tenantry who would attend 1t, the
answering Of letters, tho receiving and
arranging of the dozens Of wrcaths and
other remembrnrccs, of flowers which
ca-nc from far and near to show the affec-
tioa and respect in which the old man had
seen held; all these offices fell upon her.
Then the day before that Of the funeral
came. and carly In the afternoon they
went down to Earlcs Hope, and the last
OF tho Earlcs was carried into the house
Of his fore -elders for the last time. Yes,
the last Of the Earles after al. for young
Stuart had been dead already some hours
when the news Of tho engagement in
which ho had been wounded reached his
father and sister. So the long sad evening
wore away, and the following day, amid
binding snow. the lengthy procession
passed from hall to graveyard, and
Nancy. tho ono who had never been Of
any account before, was the only Earle
left Of all tho proud old rsco who had
ruled at Earles Hope for many and many
year
She was the last Of them all. the owner
OF that wide estate, of all their great rent
roll; she YVES the solo mistress Of every.
thing around. FREQ and unencumbered to
do exactly as che chose-to como and go
as she liked--to remain an Earle to the
end of her days. or to wed with whom
she pleased
And Jim Beresford. the man she loved
s,,rcf in oil thu xvslo vrrrlI ~rao Irsu,x -
that moment lowering between life and
death on the other side of the globe. lying
in discomfort and misery. TO endure the
cruel torture Of CHASTITY wounds inflicted
by the weapons of Burmese Dacoits-a
striking instance Of the irony of fate.
1t was several days after Nancy had
returned to town that Sir George came to
her, in something like triumph. with Q
dispatch. or moro correctly telegram.
from Maj Seton.
Great news. my dear-great ncws!"
ho said
And SO it was. For 1t told that, after O
sharp attack of fever Dercsford had taken
decided turn for the better. and IL he
went on as he gavo every promise at that
time of doing, he would DO moved home
ward in about fortnight or So By
bomcwsrd no meant to say that they
would get him down to Calcutta. where
he would be able to have more comforts
and better chance Of recovery
Sir George" said Nancy suddenly. II
am going out to Calcutta by the next
steamer
Alone, my dear?' asked the little man.
somewhat in dismay
''Ohl no. ! shall tako servants with
me; but shall CO." she answered
And you will lie married out there?"
1T is very likely"
"But you cannot go alone"
ssOht vca Mrs Scfnn l., tLoro. I ,l,on