Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-28
Continued from yesterday.)
BEAUTIFUL jim.
By JOHN STRANGE WINTER.
CHAPTER XIX
paTs EEg. NORM

PAINFUL HOUR.
The colonel, who was staring At hotel
In Walmsbury had betaken himself away
from the anteroom by the time BEAUTIFUL
jim returned to 1t. 50 FOR that night he
could do nothing further to promote the
scheme he had prepared for get ting Tommy
Earle sent back to headquarters. There
fore he had to wait until 10 o'clock in the
morning. when Col Barnes arrived in
barracks.
The funeral was arranged to leave the
door Of the officers quarters st in the
afternoon, so a. soon as the colonel ap
peared. BEAUTIFUL Jim vent into the Office
with him and asked him for ten minutes
private conversation before he saw any OF
tue others.
certainly, Jim, certainly" said the
colonel, kindly Now tell me, what
is IT."
Wei, SIR" said jim, gravely. young
Earle won't be able to go to the funeral
he's i'll in bed but Of course the doctor
will tell you about that. Still, wanted
10 speak TO you about him. The lad is i'll
in fact. he's been i'll and unlike himself
ever since we came here. The place does
not suit him physically or morally. and
am perfectly certain If he remains here he
VII! 20 to the dogs, nothing else.
But don't quite understand. said the
colonel looking puzzled
No, sir. but Ill explain. said jim.
1T Just here. Young Earle is very young
a. yet. his mind is OF the smallest, and
the lack Of society IN this place is driving
hlEi to seek society that will be the ruin
Of him In short, he has got mixed up
with a very dangerous, designing sort of
woman. and IL | could induce you to get
him away out Of this it will be the saliva
ton Of him. nothing less owen. poor
fellow was very ANXIOUS about this. and
almost tho last thing he said TO NE was
that he should try TO get you to transfer
him back to headquarters.
Was that the subject of CONVERSE
ton which you would not disclose?' the
colonel asked.
Beautiful jim hesitated for a moment.
We'll. sir. frankly, it was. thought
1t best to keep it to myself. because | was
certain that the lad did not know that
Owen had found out what was going on.
and it seemed hardly fair to him TO tell
it"
Il understand | will respect your
wishes the colonel said, hastily.
Thank you SIR said Jim Apart
from the fact that this woman will GER
taiEly marry him if she gets the chance,
OF raj her. # she does not find herself cir
cumvented BY US. Walmsbury is about the
worst place in the world for a lad of his
temperament. With proper bringing up
he might have been and probably would
have been n very fine fellow; but he has
not been properly brought up-quite the
contrary. in fact. He the last Of good
old family and the child of his fathers
old age and in consequence has been
taught from his cradle to think himself .
Young god-nothing short Of it. Now,
the lad isn't young god, he's very or
binary addle headed young ass. as you
saw for yourself. sir. the night he first
dined with u.s. as full Of self importance
and concet as it = possible to be. There
fore. apart from this ENHANCEMENT, this
Is "a very bad atmosphere Tor him to be in;
he is a most important person, and being
only one of four men practically isolated
for there is literally no society here, and
fancy the people hereabout look upon us
as 80 much dirt than otherwi se-hc is
able to give bis opinion far more freely
than i, good for him Now, with the regi-
neut he is scarcely able to open his mouth
at ali, ho is regularly at school, and a
pretty sharp one too, and is made every
hour to feel himself to be not Of the very
smallest Importance whatever
Well, I'll see what can do about 1t, ;"
said the colonel
There WAS not much sympathy In his
tone but then, rs beautiful Jim knew,
lie did not particularly like Tommy and
Wien Col. barnes dld not like person he
Was never very gracious,
Il suppose" said the colonel, after =
moment ; silence, that you would like to
go back to headquarters Yourself Beres
ford
just as YOU like. sir answered Jim,
! inadvertently, 1t is pretty much all the
Same to ne. shall not get entangled in
WalEsbury, and though OF course the
place Is dun. one place is very much the
same is another to the. But when all
this terrible affair is over. sir. should
like few days leave | should indeed. "
That is easily managed. returned the
colonel. kindly then hest ated, STAN
mered a little opened his mouth as if to
speak and flushed scarlet under his
bronzed face" Er the-the-er-well.
my dear boy, the fact is IL thought per
haps. after all that has happened the
the mistake Of your arrest and all that.
you might find it little painful toto
remain here.
Not a bit, sir said jim. promptly
1t will be painful to me ever to think
about Owen. no matter what part of the
world | might be in for he was the best
friend | ever had in my life but about
the matter of arrestng Newell. the pc
lice thought they had a clew and they
were quite right to follow it mp. am
not at all tender on that point, sir, as
sure you and besides. everybody who
knows me. who knew what friends he and
were. would laugh outright at the idea
. Chat | gnuli bavn if,urlprp1 him
Very well We Will see-we will see, -
said the colonel. it tone which signifed
that the in erview was at an end
/ So far as poor Owen was concerned, the
day was soon over At o'clock precisely
the sad procession left tho officers quar-
tiers and went slowly toward the cenle-
terry on the outskirts of the town. This
coffin WAS carried on a gun carriage and
the pail neij ~ officers of the dead man s
regiment. loi 5aiaes being on one side
and Beautiful Jim On the o,i..t IN front
was the band-or the greater part of 1t
which bad come over from blank hampton
and behind were the molirners, all mem
b,rs Of Capt. Owens fsHit,
These last had been specially demon
I st9ativc to Jim Beres ford showing him
by every means in their power that they
had no part whsteses IN the suspicion
winch Tor lew DONft Hitu Det't saoI uppu
him
it is very good Of YOU to meet me like
this sis. Jim said to his dead friends
father when THAI o,i gentleman held out
his hand before every oi.s assembled in
the anteroom and shook it heartily
''All can do for my poor lad now Is to
stand by his friend, returned the old
man sadly
/ "TAaus you, sir " said jim gratefully;
II shall never forget that you did stand
by me. never"
And then they had to take their places
and the sad procession started on its way,
to crawl N a foot pace through tbs
/ crowded streets, with arms reversed and
the band glazing the mournful strains OF
the Dead MaEd., while hundreds Of
eager heads were pressed forward to get a
glimpse of Jim. as he paced first on the
/ left of the gun carriage. and TO point Jim
out rs him as was took up for ii. YOU
know. but they couldn't prove naught
again him" 1t was painful hour but
Jim held his head up high and straight,
and bore himself like the brave, soidierly
gentleman that he was.
! II never believe that he did il. cried
woman in the crowd at the grave side
| II he ID had hand in sending the poor
/ chap there. he could never have looked
into the grave 50 sad and sorrowful as he
| did. No Ill never believe it of him
! Well. he's not clear of 1t yet aud
won't be until something more is found
! out about II. was the answer of her com