Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-04-05
(Continued from yesterday.)
BEAUTIFUL jim.
By JOHN STRANGE WINTER


S1AI En- 49,
WAITING
Early the following morning Sir George
St Leger cane to ask for Nancy. and 70
find out if there was anything he could
do TO serve her, or in any way tighten the
duties which lay Immediately before her
There Is something that you could do
for me. Sir George" she said, when she
had answered his greeting. and 1t Is to
telegraph out to Burmah for me. to get
tho last news. The servants are very
good. and anxious TO do all they can, but
none of them know whom to send to aud
where to send. and l cannot tell them
But thought you would besure to know.
or be able TO find out.
ITO be sure, TO be sure" Sir George
made haste to reply. Il will do it At
once"
Il can give you the last address / had.
If that would be any use"
"Ohl no. III go down to the war Office
and get the latest information as to route
and SO on"
And, Sir George. it would be best. l
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. !"
II 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 dove 3 eyes
There was a moments silence.
"And-and would you also inquire es
pecially after Mr.. Beresford?' she said,
flushing a lovely shell like pink over her
sweet face.
Mr.. Beresford-that was the other
man who was wounded" Sir George ex-
claimed lis he friend of yours. my
dear, Did you know him1'
Il am going TO marry him some day, !"
she said, then she at once began to sob
piteously, tiff
"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 stronghold like our dear old friend
who went away from us yesterday, but
young men in the very flower Of their
strength. The chances are thousand to
one in their favor; but I'll go along at
once, my dear, and then your mind will
be 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 do
naturally, but it was really only in the
way of giving orders. The family solicit
tor came as soon as he received the news
of Mr.. Earles death. and all 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. family.
feeling deadly numbness stealing over
her
Miss Earle" he said. very gently,
you are tho last of the name now. Mr.
Stuart only lived few hours after they
got him into camp"
And Mr.-Beresford?" Nancy wills
pered.
No mention OF him. ma'am," the ser
want answered, 80 he is alive at all
events" and then he put the paper into
her hand and pointed to the place where
she would find what she wished to see.
1t was SO short, cruelty short. as war
dispatches always seem to those who are
the most keenly interested, just saying
that Lieut. Stuart Earle and one private
of the Blankshire regiment had died,
shortly after reaching camp, of wounds
received in an engagement with Dacoits
on the til.
And there vas not n single word about
the condition or fate of Lieut.. James
Beresford. However, in a certain sense.
there was relief in the very fact; at all
events he was not dead, SO that there
was chance for him yet.
She had to wait long time, or what
seemed so to her poor girl. before she got
any definite news about him, for although
the papers contained various short dis
patches lie vsj lot mentioned in any of
them.
Still no news was good news, and at
last Sir George st. Leger came to her in
triumph with a telegram which had come
by various stages right from the foun-
tain head
Maj. Seton to Sir George St. Leger:
Earle died almost Immediately after
reaching camp. Beresford badly wounded
in head and arm, but is going on very
well. If no fever every chance of his
getting through it. Will wire to you il
And after this Nancy had no choice but
to sit down ard wait Still she was not
and could not be idle, for there was much
to be done. The putting of large house
hold into mourning, the hearing and ap-
proving of arrangements for funeral
which was almost public one, of the
melancholy journey down to Earles Hope,
the ordering of baked meats and SO on for
the tenantry who would attend it, the
answering of letters. the receiving and
arranging of the dozens of wreaths and
other remembrance, of flowers which
came from far and near to show the affec-
ton aud respect in which the old man had
been held; all these offices fell upon her
Then the day before that of the funeral
came, and early in the afternoon they
went down to Earles Hope, and the last
of the Earles was carried into the house
of his fore elders for the last time. Yes,
the last of the Earles after all. for Young
Stuart had been dead already some hours
when the news of the engagement in
which he 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. the one who had never been Of
any account before, was the only Earle
left of all the proud old race who had
ruled at Larles 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 was the sole mistress of every.
thing around, FREQ and unencumbered to
do exactly as she chose-to come and 90
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
most in all the wide world, was lying at
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 .
dispatch, or more correctly a telegram,
from Maj Seton.
Great news, my dear-great newsl'
he said
And so 1t was For 1t told that, aftera
sharp attack of fever, Beresford had taken
decided turn for the better. and If he
went on as he gave every promise at that
time Of doing. he would be moved home
ward In about a fortnight or so By
homework 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, Il
am going out to Calcutta by the next
steamer
Alone, my dear?' asked the little man,