Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-21
PRINCE CHARLIE.


when he suddenly raised himself up on his
elbow and looked Mt me-
"See here" says he. He spoke as plain as
could be, 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 l ever took care Of
No matter what he said-and he had no pa
thence whatever-you couldn't get angry and
you couldn't help trying to please him.
''Tell me now just what they say he went
on. Il suppose | can't last much longerr
"Oh, we can't none of us tell what turn
you may take says /, helping him to lie
down as easy as l could and fixing the spread
over him. He never was suited If it wasn't
all Strengthened up as nice and smooth as
could be, though he wouldn't keep it SO for
five minutes.
He looked at me with those big, dark ewes
of his. His face was so thin that his eyes
did look out of all reason, but even then you
would have known him for q handsome man.
81 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 'em. Land
hhONS ~ u'h uO dil1 BpOl, Out always nO-
NOR my patients, though some of the nurses
do call me fool for my pains. IF it does
'em any good, let 'em talk, says l. 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 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 to go to-"
81 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 lust
stretched out his hand and looked at it. He
had the whitest little hands, as slender and
white as any lady's, and on his third finger
he wore a handsome seal ring. 1t was a
green seal, with kind of figger on it. 1T
belongs TO my family coat of arms" saws he
and he laughed kind % scornful And then
he looked up at me with that wishful look of
his, and, says he: 81 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 at me. l couldn't
have stopped him if l had tried to.
ITO begin with" says he, ~ was born at
L
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 an angel, in long curls and knickerbock-
ers. 1t isn't what | should have supposed
but women ought to know best about those
things.
I'VE had plenty of money in those days.
My father was in business. l didn't know
very much about it, except that he furnished
the wherewithal. We had to ask him for it,
and sometimes he clustered a little about our
spending so MUCH but it always came.
went to school and to college. l had plenty
of friends, plenty of fun, and didn't want
for anything in those days"
He stopped for minute and looked at me
real pitiful
"'Tisnt much of a story when you come to
tell it," says he. Somehow it seems like
more than it is"
But pretty soon he looked at his ring again.
1t was too loose on his finger, and he began
turning it 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
it 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 to dead earnest by
that time But haven't got to that yet
u 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
"A Uvo al
was another little one-they both liked to
have me to go about with them, for father |
was sick enough of it by that time We tray
eled, too. We spent one winter In the Ber-
mudas and Anna and / went over to England |
for year. We made regular dig of it. |
seeing all the English cathedrals That was |
Naus 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 the truth, l got pretty deep |
in debt, though had mistrusted something |
for a good while.
AT last the crash came, and it was a bad |
one. 1t was all up with Hurd and Enderby-
father was the Enderby. He came home and |
shut himself up in his bedroom; he wouldn't |
see even mother, and there was the very dick.
ems to pay. What could dol had no more
idea than baby. Anna-that girl has ire
mendous pluck, and good-she's one of the
best girls alive-Anna went to governessing [
Ned and Mortimer, the two younger bows,
came home from school and went in stores. |
1t strikes me that's good way to be a cad,
but | didn't blame them. Father-well, |
father was found dead one morning / sup
pose it was all right-apoplexy of the heart,
OF something of that kind they called it.
Mother went home to her eldest brother and
took Alice with her. Everything went under
the hammer, and | was fairly turned out of
doors
"How little women know about lifei 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 to help me. | tried a government
cierKshlp, but that was worse than being a |
eaIey slave. To come In at just such min
ute, IKE barber or a bootblackl | couldn't
stand that. Then l went to Mexico with
party. 1t was big thing; there was a min
Ing scheme, and piece of railroad to be
QUILT, and long pay roll l was in the
office. was there nearly two years, but /
got down with the fever and had n pretty
bad time, SO one day started for New York.
when got in sight of land, had Just one
dollar in my pocket"
What did you dop' saysI
"Oh, gave that to the steward saws he.
trying to laugh. II had my trunks put ON
mack and drove up to the Brunswick.
registered, and turned to go out. See
nereP called out to the clerk, give that
fellow couple of dollars for me when thew
get my trunks inland off walked and left
him to pay the driver
Il stopped there for week, and hunted
1p an Old friend and borrowed fifty. Then
got taken on newspaper. But that was
WORK twenty-four hours a day. 1t pulled