Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-10-18
COLONELQUARITCH,V.C.
Rr Il. RIDER HAGGARD.

Mr.. Quest who was above all things a stu
dent OF character TO observe how wonder.
fully the old Gentleman threw of his troublo.
To listen to him energetically arguing away /
with the Rev Mr. Jeffries as 70 whether or 4
no it would be proper, as had hitherto been /
the custom, 20 devote the proceeds Of the
harvest festival collection lRl los. 3D. and a |
brass BUTTON 10 tho county hospital. or
whether it should DO applied 70 the repair Of |
the woodwork in the vestry, was, under tho
circumstances, most instructive The Rev. |
Mr.. Jeifries, who suffered severely from the
condition OF the yestry, at last gained his
point by triumphantiy showing that no pa
tient from Honham had been admitted TO
the hospital for fifteen months, and that
therefore the hospital had no particular
claim on this particular year, whereas the
draught in tho sestry was enough TO cut any
Clergyman In two
swell, well, said the old gentleman, II
viii consent for this year, and this year
only. l have been church warden OF this
parish for between forty and afty years.
and we have always given the harvest festi-
val collection TO tho hospital, and although
under these exceptional circumstances IL
may possibly be desirable to diverge from
that custom. cannot and win not consent
20 such thing in a permanent way. So l
matter, and tell him tina next year aud in
the future generally the collection will be
devoted TO its original purpose"
Great heavensw CIRCULATED Mr. Quest 10
himself And all the time the man must
know that In all human probability the
place will no sold over his head before he is q
year older wonder II he puts IL on or IL
be dsceives himself ] suppose be has lived
here 20 long that he cannot realize a con-
dition of things when he will cease to live
here and the place will belong TO somebody
elsa Or porhs - he is only brazsning 1t outs
And then he strolled away 20 the back Of tho
house and had look at the condition Of tho
outhouses, rejecting that some Of them
would be sadly expensive TO repair for who
ever came into possession here After that
he crossed the moat and walked through the
somewhat extensive plantations at the back
Of the house, wondering II 1t would not be
possible 10 get enough timber out OF them, IL
one went to work tudiciously. TO pay for
putting the place In order. Presently he
came TO hedgerow where there had been a
line Of very fine timber oaks OF which tho
squire had been VIGOROUSLY fond and OF
which be had himself taken particular aud
ndmiring notice in the course OF the previous
winter. The trees were gona In the hedge
where they had stood were q series of gaps
hke those in an old womans jaw, and about
upon the ground were Uttered remains Of
bark and branches and Of fagots that had
been made up Of the brushwood.
"Cut down this spring fellI" was Mr..
Quests ejaculation. Poor old gentleman.
be must have been pinchsd before he CON
scented 10 part with those oaks"
Then be turned and went back TO the
house, just in time 10 ses Ida's guests arriv-
tner tnr fiaa In Ia
was standing on the lawn bshind the house,
which, bordered as it was by the moat and
at the further end bY a row Of ruined archea,
was one or the most Picturesque In the
country, and very effective setting 10 any
young lady. Az the people camo they were
shown through the house on to the lawn, and
here she was receiving them. She was
dressed in plain, tight-itting gown vi bius
flannel, which showed OF her perfect figure
Co great advantage, and a broad brimmed
hat, that shaded her fine but somewhat dig
nified face. Mr., Quest sat down on q bench
beneath the shade of an arbutus watching
her closely. and. indeed, IL the study Of q
perfect Rngisb lady OF the noblesi .ors he.
any charms. hs sas not without his reward
There are SONS women-most OF Us know on,
or two-who ars born 10 hold great position
and 20 sail anros, the world like q swar
through msaues fowl Ii would be YER
hard TO any To shat their peculiar charm an,
dignity is sowing. IL Is not TO beauty only, foi
though they have presence. many u thss
women are not beautiful, while some are
even plain Nor does It spring from nativ,
race aud tact alone, though these things
must be present. Rather, perhaps, is il til,
reflection Of cultivated mind acting upon q
naturally pure and elevated temperament
which makes these ladies conspicuous, anc
4.
ting aside the mere charm Of beauty and tn,
natural softsning OF Judgment in the atmos
phere of sex, must recognize in them al
equal mind. and presence mors noble thar
their own
Such 9 woman was Ida de Ia Noble, and Il
any one doubted IL il was sufficient to com
pare her In her simplicity to the various
human items 10y whom she was surrounded
They were a lyrical county society gather
ing, such as needs no description, and woult
not greatly interest IL acknowledgements
very good nor very bad, very handsome no
very plain. but moving religlously within
the lines u custom. and on the ground o
commonplace
II was no wonder, then, that a woman lik
LA do la Noble was sac,!e princeps anon,
such company, or that Harold Quaritch, oh
was POLITICALLY inclined for man OF his Ags
at any rate where the lady In question wa
concerned. should in his heart have compare
hor 10 queen Even Belle Quest, lovely g
she undoubtedly was in her own way. pale
and looked shop girlish in face Of her gentl
dignity, fact OF which abe was svidentl
aware, for although the two women yer
friendly. nothing would induce the latter I
stand long near Ida in public She woui
tell Edward coasey that 1t made her look lik
wax doll by live child
IL was while Mr. Quest was still watchin
Ida with complete satisfaction She az
rcaled TO the artistic side Of his nature-tha
Col Quaritch arrived upon the scene looI
ing, Mr. Quest thought, particularly plat
with his solid form, nis long thin nose, ligh
whiskers and square and massive chin. Ais
he looked particularly imposing In contras
10 the youths and maidens and domestlcats
clergymsn There was gravity, almost
soiemnity, about his brunzed countsnanc
and deliberate, ordered conversation whic
did not. however, favoraely impress th
aforesaid youths and maidsns, II . Judgmen
might bs formed from such samples Of cor
vsr<ational criticism ~ Mr. Quest heard *
ing on on the further side of bis srbutuA
CHAPTER xI
IDA's BARoAis.
When Ida saw the colonel coming she pu
ON her sweetest smile and took his hand
How do you do Col QuAritchf she sald
All "a wary yrnd or du m ,snrs. asfasslal N