Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-12-18


Jocelyn and the impresario staid ovel
night at the Randolphs', and cOmpl8t,
ed the details of the agreement for
Na1emoiselle Marana's appearance. She
was to come to the city in few days,
take up her abode at hotel, and gin
rehearsals Immediately. Before leaving
lingo handed Mr.. Randolph check for
$1,000, as advance salary, to enable Inn
to make the necessary arrangements;
and the two gentlemen took their de-
parture with many professions of good
will on both sides.
Late in the afternoon tall, rather
stern looking young man, with grave
blue eyes under thick, level brows, and a
short, dense brown beard covering the
lower part of his face, walked into Gen.
Inigo's Office, and was informed that the
general was expected every minute. He
seated himself at table, undid the roll
of paper that he carried, and proceeded
to busy himself in making calculations
and sketches.
This young man, whose name was
Godfrey Bellingham, was New Eng
lander, whose family had lived for many
generations in an ancient town not very
far from Boston. From the early part
of the present century, however, their
prosperity began to recede, along with
that of the town with which they W re
so closely allied. Large families of c i'll
dren divided and dissipated the pl 5p-
erty; many of them moved to other 2. IT'S
of the country; those who remain ID,
proudly mindful of their past grande IT,
and unwilling to descend to lower Il vel
in search of new ways to fortune, glad-
ualiy faded out of sight or existence. re-
tanning to the end the old traits of car
acter, rendered harsher and gloomie by
their more restricted circumstances. At
length. about thirty years ago, Geof rey
Bellineham was born. He was a c Id
of unusual intelligence, and wit a
strong appetite both for reading and ID
venture. But the monotonous and fe-
less existence of the sluggish old I wn
vexed and wearied him; he wishel he
had come into the world hun ed
years earlier, when men went fort to
battle, and to sail the seas, and the Gays
were full of novelty, activity and exc te-
ment. His heart stirred within hin to
bear hand in the work and moveu ent
of the world, and such echoes as reac ned
him of what was going on in other pieces
and lands kept alive this longing ana de-
veloped it. He met with no sympa hy,
however, from his own family circle,
and at length ceased to make them Con-
fdants of his desires and projects; yet
this discouragement to the utteranca of
his thoughts led him to cherish item
not less but more ardently. Finally, in
his twelfth year, he ran away to sea,
taking passage on board Boston vessel
bound for the Pacific.
He was absent three years, and he
came home first mate on board. an En-
glish blockade runner from Liverpool.
1t was IN the midst of our civil war; the
blockade runner was captured and Bel
hngham was taken prisoner. On his an
nouncing his readiness to take service
under the federal flag, however, he was
allowed to join the crew of a govern
ment war vessel. He had the good lack
to see great deal of fighting, and was
promoted for gallantry and general Elf
cheney. Before the year was out he met
q Confederate bullet, which put an end
to his participation in the war, and very
nearly severed his connection with all hu-
man affairs. Nevertheless he recovered
and made has way to the north with
81 ,0o0 in his pocket. On reaching his
native place he found his father and
mother both dead, and his sister the
only child besides himself married.
He was at this time about IL yesrs
old, but as tall and robust (barring the
temporary effects of his wound) - a
much older msn; with q premature