Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-01-11
sRRINCE CHARLIE.

quiet awhie-an unusual thing for him
when he suddenly raised himself up ON his
elbow and looked at me
"S,e here says he. He spoke as plain as
could he, though he hadn't much voice; the
doctors said his lungs were all gone, but for
all that anybody could tell that he'd always
had real pleasant way OF speaking. Some
how he did have coaxing way with him,
different from any man ever took care Of.
No matter what he said-and he had no pa
tience whatever-you couldn't get angry and
you couldn't help trying 10 please him.
"rell me now Just what they say he went
on. II suppose | can't last much longerr
"Oh, we can't none OF us tell what turn
you may take" says 1, helping him TO lie
down as easy as | could and fixing the spread
over him. He never was suited II it wasn't
all Strengthened up rs nice and smooth as
could be, though he wouldn't keep IL 50 for
i've minutes.
Ho looked at me with those big, dark eyes
OF his. His face was thin that his eyes
did look out Of all reason, but even then you
would have known him for n handsome man.
II want TO tell you my story" says he.
They often begin in that way. 1t appears
like when they're away from all their own
folks, and feel that they've got TO go, they
can't rest till you know all about 'om. Land
knows It don't do any good; but always hui
NOR my patients, though some Of the nurses
do call me a fool for my pains. IF IL does
EN- any good, let EN- talk, says |. always
listen. But sometimes they get all mixed up
and can't tell you anything straight after all
sometimes they drop off in the middle. But
this one was a real gentleman and knew he
had a story-coming TO the hospital as he did.
straight from his office, and the young man
that came with him saying: He hasn't got
any friends 10 go to-
~ thought you was going TO sleep tonight"
says l, sitting down by him comfortable like
But he didn't take no notice of me; he Just
stretched out his hand and looked at IT, He
had the whitest little hands, as slender and
white as any lady's, aud on his third finger
he wore handsome seal ring. 1t was a
green seal, with kind OF tigger on IT, 1T
belongs 70 my family coat of arms" says he,
and he laughed kind o. scornful And then
he looked up mt me with that wishfu look Of
his, and, says he: II want you to send it TO
somebody when it's all over with me. I'm
going To tell you who she is before | finish
my story
Then he shifted himself little and went
right on without looking ut me / couldn't
have stopped him II had tried TO-
"To begin WITH says he, 81 was born at
sea. I'm the man without country.
never had one. My mother had been anus
ing herself in Europe, and she went on anus
Ing herself for good many years after.
don't think she troubled herself much about
me, though l have heard her say / looked
like All angel, in long curls and knickerbock-
ers. IL isn't what should have supposed;
but women ought 10 know best about those
things
I'VE had plenty of money in those days
My father in business. l didn't know
very much about it, except that he furnished
the wherewithal We had 10 ask him for It,
and sometimes he clustered a little about our
spending much, but It always came
went TO school and 10 college. had plenty
Of friends, plenty of fun, aud didn't want
for anything in those days"
He stopped for a minute and looked at me
real pitiful.
"Tisnt much of n story when you come to
tell It," says he Somehow IL seems like
more than IL is"
But pretty soon he looked at his ring again
II was too loose on his finger and he began
turning 1t round with the other poor, thin
hand
They had all sorts OF names for me, !" he
began. MY own name Is Charles Edward.
They say there has always been one In the
family since the time Of King Charles. But
IL was Prince Charlie oftener than anything
else. She would laugh and call me the Pre-
tender Heaven knows didn't pretend with
her. 1t had got down 10 dead earnest by
that time. But haven't got TO that yet.
II came home from college, and there didn't
seem TO be anything very pressing for me to
do Father never spoke of my going into a
profession, and / hated business Mother and
Anns-Anna was my eldest sister, then there
H..
have me TO 60 about with them, for father
was sick enough of II by that time. We trav-
eled, too. We spent one winter In the Ber-
mudas and Anna and went over to England
for year. We made regular dig Of 1t,
seeing all the English cathedrals That was
Nau's idea. But we had no end of a good
time. Then we came home, and father got
slower and slower about supplying the sinews
of war. To tell ale truth, got pretty deep
In debt, thoughJ had mistrusted something
for good while.
"At last the crash came, and il was a had
one IL was all up with Hurd and Enderby-
father was the Enderby. He came home and
shut himself up in his bedroom; he wouldn't
sce even rother, and there was the very dick.
ems TO pay. What could dot had no more
idea than n baby. Anna-that girl has tire
mendous pluck, and good-she's one Of the
best girls alive-Anna went 10 governessing.
Ned and Mortimer, the two younger boys,
came home from school and went In stores
II strikes me that's good way TO be a cad,
but j didn't blame them. Father-well,
father was found dead one morning. sup
pose II was all right-apoplexy of the heart,
or something OF that kind they called IL.
Mother went home TO her eldest brother aud
took Alice with her. Everything went under
the hammer, and WINS fairly turned out OF
doors.
Show little women know about lifel An
ma, poor girl, though. could do anything.
With your talents she used TO say-bless
you'll my talents were all for ornament and
not for use. They wouldn't bring sixpence
In the market. Some of fathers old friends
wanted 10 help me. i tried government
clerkship, but that was worse than being q
galley slave To come in Mt Just such min
ute, like n barber or bootbacki couldn't
stand that. Then l went to Mexico with q
party. IL was big thing; there was n min
ing scheme, and piece of railroad to bt
built, and "a long pay roll l was In the
Office. was there nearly two years, but
got down with the fever and had a pretty
bad time, 80 one day started for New York
When got in sight of land, had Just one
dollar In my pocket"
what did you doln says l.
"Oh, gave that 10 the steward SAYS he
trying to laugh. ~ had my trunks put ON q
hack and drove up to the Brunswick.
registered, and turned to go out. Sec
herer called out TO the clerk, give that
fellow couple OF dollars for mo when they
get my trunks in'-and of walked and left
him TO pay the driver
stopped there for n week, and hunted
up an old friend and borrowed a fifty. Then