Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-16

was trembling with excitement; ne
seventh, and she could scarcely keep sti1
for a mensns. Bat the post earne-and
10 letter. AT first feeling Of num5ing
despair seized On her. bat she lnan-edl-
sIely rallied.
HOY stupid / am, There may not
have been tine To catch the mail, or
George may have been out shooting
So y make sure, and leave enough
margin, she begged her father for three
days grace, for che never doubted
George. But the three days passed. and
there was no sign
Lucy wa. married 70 MeAllster fort
night afIsrWard.
A very short engagement, my dear
said The majors wife 70 her bosom
friend. "but you SEQ the poor dear
colonel must be OF at once; can't wait
any longer, the doctors say, and IL Is
everything TO have Lucy settled before
he goes. / wrote and told George Far
leigh II was coming off-an awful blow
for him, poor fellow. unless he has for
gotten all about her, which is probable.
But be had not forgotten all about
her, and four hours after receiving the
good lady's Information he SAT- like enc
Ia a dream Then he shook himself to-
gether, and ia due course read the do
nestle occurrence IN the paper quite
calmly. The McAliisters and George
Farieigh never met, for he went into
= r.s.Ifra.at
native state 10 another without once re-
turning TO his former presidency. But
be now aud again heard Of them-how
they led an apparently happy life in a
quiet way. no particular love perhaps
on her part, but sincere attachment 10
her husband. And presently McAllister
retired and settled in England.
Il was Just fourteen years since George
left his regiment. He had got on well,
and was now resident az the court of an
imbecile prince with an unpronounce-
able name. IL was hot night, and his
solitary dinner was scarcely over when
the days post came in-the English mail
with it-sO he lighted cigar and left
the table for long armchair in the We
randa. The bearer placed the lamp con-
veniently and retired 10 doze. The first
letter that caught his eye was from the
postmaster general, and wondering what
that exalted functiOnary could want with
him be opened it before looking at the
English letters and newspapers. The
following IS what he said;
SIR have the honor 10 inform you
that an old man died lately az the vii
lage of Screepore, in the state of Achin-
abad, who was formerly tappal runner
in that state. On his deathbed he con-
fessed 10 having stolen one of the letter
bags many years ago, under the belief
that there was money in it, but that he
then became frightened and hid the let
tiers in a box without opening them.
This box he buried, but after some trou-
bic it has been found, and the contents
are now being distributed as far as the
addresses can be traced. The inclosed
is apparently for you, as on inquiry it
has been ascertained that it was you
who were at the time in Achinabad. !
have the honor, etc"
George knew the writing on the in
closure at once; il was Lucy's. The
faithful bearer wondered why the sahib
was so long in coming 70 bed; also he
did not seem TO be reading, for there
was no rustic of paper, so with catlike
tread he crept to the veranda- The
sahib was lying back in the chair with
his hand over his face. Three and four
times the man returned, and always to
find his master in the same position.
1t was not till the gray dawn made
the lamplight pale that George reused
himself from long dream of what
might have been and of what had been,
and even then ne did not feel in the
least sleepy, so for sheer lack Of some
thing 20 do he took up an English paper
that had just arrived, and CHANGING to
open il at the deaths read:
April 10, at 104 Greenfair gardens
Cheltenham, John McAllister, Esq, late
OF the indian civil service. Indian pa
pers please copy"
Next month George Fairleigh started
for England on urgent private affairs
Million.