Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-16
CHAPTER v.

CHAPTER v.
A few days after this conversation the post
man delivered letter to John Longden, audit
| Office. He dropped the letter into his pocket
| clock struck the other clerks made haste to
leave their work. Longden fingered. When
they were all gone he drew out the letter and
| looked at it.
II knew her writing" he said. .'what has
she to say? She can know nothing" He
| opened the letter.
Dear Jack" it began in the most friendly
manner possible. 'Dear Jack" and from Lady
Dunkeld. the queen of the colony sole consort
OF King David. Why had she not written "Dear
Jonathan?" II have only just heard that you
| are in the colony. know and I appreciate the
reason why you have not come to see me. Yet
l must see you, If not in my own drawing room
in the presence Of the aid-de-camp, then
alone. I must see you. Come to the private
gardens of the government house on Sunday
morning at II 80, when the governor and every
body are at church. will meet you beside the
basin. For the sake of old times when we were
all innocent and hopeful together. Do not
fail: Your old friend, Eva"
II wonder what she meansT' Jack finished
the letter. which did not require . second read
she mean? She did not recognize me, though
he did. People don't talk about me at Govern
ment House. Who told her? II David the
King told her David the King must have felt
prickings. I will CO."
Soon after IL, when the governor. his daugh-
ter, his daughters governess and his aid-de-
camp were in their long pew at the cathedral
and the bishop was in his seat and the civil
chaplain was reading the service, Jack Long
den foundhimself in the private grounds Of the
an Indian gardener, was in the gardens.
He found a bench in the shade and sat down.
He had not long to wait He heard foot
step, and rose to meet . lady who walked
quickly along one of the paths. She was alone.
Thank you, Jack" she said, giving him
Il am here, Lady Dunkeld," he began. but
he broke down. ''Evaw he cried, "you have
not forgotten me-ths man who disgrsced
'No, no; you are here. learned it only the
other day, and you are quite low down in the
service. He told me. 1t 10 horrible 1t 10 dread
fulw
''Nay-some must rise and some must fall.
And after that ugly business
Jack. know all"
"What do you know There was an awful
row about 1t, and my father wouldn't have me
in the house, and my brother-you remember
my brother-he was always an awful prig-he
surpassed himself and made reconciliation i'm
possible, and everything else, so they found me
place out here, and l suppose my brother
kindly told them at the colonial Office, and SO
the story came out here, and-thst's all. OF
course, promotion is impossible for man with
such story as that behind him. Well, Eva
Lady Dunkeld-that is all. What does it mat
ter now?" For his old friend was looking
strangely at him and the tears were in her eyes.
''Oh!" she repeated, lit is horrible! It is
Dreadful
mo, not SO dreadful as you think There is
desire, a man with such q story as that behind
him?'
She sat down on the bench beside him and
bowed her head and wept aloud.
Nay" he said, at is too much that
'Jackp' she sprang to her feet again. ''You
tear my very heart. You tear me to pieces
for know all-sll-all-It tell you that know
You cannot know all. 1t is impossible"
81 have known it for ten years. He fell i'll
and was on the point of death and confessed it
all to me. Ipromised, thinking he was on his
deathbed. to carry his message of remorse. He
did not die, but the message remains. Take 1t.
His prayer for forgiveness"
''Yes, but he got better" said Longden,
dryly. $50 he told you, did he? It was not
well done. 1t was a breach of confidence. Why,
it was in the thought that you would never
know"
'.And do know. Jack, nothing that he
these years." ~
Nothing. And yet, you see, I took the con-
sequences, whatever they might be. They did
turn out rather more UNPLEASANT than /
thought, but have not complained"
If you were to stand up tomorrow and read
aloud the confession which he gave you that
would not give you back these lost and ruined
years."
mo" said Jack. 'Tt might astonish people
more than bit. BUTT wouldn't help me-
Have you ever thought that-about this
sublime self-sacrifice of your common youth
that it would be wholly destroyed and rendered
worse than useless were it to become knownY'
II do not understand. l have always, on the
somehow or other. my character should be set
right again-n only to disappoint my brother,
who is prig."
"He. who was then q young man like your
self, with mis- future all before him, is now q
man who has succeeded-he has won distinction
and reputation; he has a wife and children
children, Jack. If you ruirf him-as you may
as you canyon ruin the children and you do
stroy the wife,
II see," he replied. 'This is what You
wanted to say to me. To be sure hadn't con-
sidered that"
"When we landed, he saw you on the port
and recognized you. He said nothing to me
at the time, but perceived that he was anx-
ious and unhappy. 1t is three months, and
during the whole time he has been in an agony
the old story told again-the story that he
thought forgotten was repeated to him, at
tached to your name. 1t is common property
the talk Of his secretaries. He lis well-nigh
mad with the recollection and the hideousness
OF it."
"Confound the story. That's my brothers
doing"
II told him should see you. He has gone
to church this morning-to church-knowing
that am to meet you here. What am l to tell
him?"
why" said Jack, considering it is three
months since he came and that have not made
any sign he might take it for granted that
am not going to move or to speak don't
deny, Eva, that when heard he was coming
was good bit shaken. thought that might
send him copy of the confession and ask him
what he proposed doing. I say that this temp
tation did assal me. am ashamed to own
that it did"
Jack. she interrupted him quickly, "there
no safety possible for US 90 long as that paper
remains in your hands. Consider-you NAV
die; you may fall ill; you may even, God for
give me for saying so. fall away and betray US.
The noblest Inheritance Of my children is their
fathers honor. 1t lies at the mercy Of an acct
dent. His honor! Think Of what it is to him
I