The Washington bee., 1892-11-19

was trembilnS with excitement the
seventh, and she could scarcely keep
still for moment. But the post came
and no letter. At first feeling of
numbing despair seized on her but she
Immediately rallied.
How stupid / am There may not
have been time to catch the mail, or
George may have been out shooting"
So to make sure, and leave enough
margin, she begged her father for three
days grace, for she never doubted
George. But the three days passed,
and there was no sign.
A very short engagement, my DEAR"
sail the Majors wife to her bosom
friend, ''but you see the poor dear Col
onel must be off at once can't wait
any longer, the doctors say, and it is
everything to have Lucy settled before
he goes l wrote and told George
Fairleigh it was coming off-;ln awful
blow for him, poor fellow, unless he
has forgotten all about her, which is
probable
But he had not forgotten all about
her, and for hours after receiving the
good lady's information he sat like one
in dream. Then he shook himself to-
gether, AMI in due course read the do
mestic occurrence in the paper quite
calmly. The McAllisters and George
Fairleigh never met, for he went into
the political line, and went from one
native State to another without once re-
turning to his former Presidency. But
he DOW and again heard of them-how
they led an apparently happy life in a
1uiet way, no particular love perhaps
N her part, but q sincere attachment to
ner husband. And presently McAllis-
.er retired and settled in England
1t was just fourteen years since
George left his regiment. He had got
on we'll, and was now resident at the
court of an imbecile Prince with an un-
pronounceable name. It 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 arm chair in the veranda. The
bearer placed the lamp conveniently and
retired to doze. The first letter that
caught his eye was from the Postmas-
ter General. and, wondering what that
exalted functionary could want with
aim, lie opened it without looking at
the English letters and newspapers.
The following is what it said:
SIR: l have the honor to inform you
that an old man died lately at the vii
lage of Sleepore, in the State of Achina-
bad, who was formerly tappal runner
in that State. On his deathbed he con-
fessed to having stolen one of the let
ter bags many years ago, under the be-
lief that there was money in it, but that
he then became frightened and hid the
letters in a box without opening them.
This box he buried, but after some
trouble it has been found and the con-
tents are now being distributed as far
as the addresses can be traced. The
:'vussasssa II. s.sanareptly for you, as on in
| have the honor, &C.
George knew the writing on the in.
closure at once ; it was Lucy's. The
faithful bearer wondered why the Sa-
nib was so long in coming to bed also
de did not seem to be reading, for there
vas no rustic of paper, so with cat like
tread he crept to the veranda. The Sa.
hib was lying back in the chair with
his hand over his face. Three sHd four
times the man returned, and dfways TO
md his master in the same position.
1t was not till the gray dawn made
the lamp light pale that George reused
himself from a long dream of what
might have been and of what had been.
and even then he did not feel sleepy,
so for sheer lack of something to do he
took up an English paper that hal Just
arrived, and CHANGING to open it at the
deaths read:
April Is, at 104 Greenfair Gardens.
Cheltenham, John McAllister, esq.,, late
Of the Indian Civil Service. Indian
papers please copy"
+ \
Next month George Farleigh started |
or England on urgent private affairs.
The Million.