The Meeker herald., 1892-11-19

=, S% open ,hs reaches earnes OF
Down in the valley below great palm
trees waved their graceful arms in the
twilight before each passing gust, and
plaintains whispered music to the low
hum OF insects. Within, all was lamp
light, and flowers, and perfume. A
more delicious tropical night | can
hardly remember-a night OF soft
'breaths, faint sounds, sweet odors.
And the talk, too-the talk was
most brilliant and interesting! Our
host, the Governor, Sir Everard
Spence, is well known throughout Eu-
rope rs the man of science, par excel
lence, in the English colonial service.
His bronzed and sunburnt face, deep
SCARED with the lines of many early
privations and self-sought hardships,
always rouses ready cheer OF welcome
at the British Association and gen
erous greeting at the Royal Society
soiree. His knowledge OF tropical
beasts and birds and flowers in par
ticular is probably unequaled among
living Englishmen. He has spent his
days i'll collecting, observing, arrang-
ing, classifying, and has been reward
ed accordingly by grateful country
with the ill-paid governorship OF n
fourth-rate colony. Yet more dig
nitied specimen OF natures own gentle
men you won't find in the world than
the snowy-haired author OF Life and
Its Origins"
As we loitered over our wine, carried
away by the charm OF the Governors
conversation, black servant came in
with n scrap OF paper for Sir Everard.
Our host took it in his spare hands
and glanced at it carelessly. "Who is
the man, Thomas" he asked, in his
kindly way. And Thomas made an
swer with profound bow. "iim
says him is an unfortunate English
man, sab; don't got no work wish to
speak with your Excellency."
The private secretary smiled
somewhat cynical smile. In my ex
perience OF the West Indies" he said,
with a careless twirl OF his mustachc,
1--WE always found that an UNI
fortunate Englishman means in very
plain words drunken reprobate."
But Sir Everard rose at once, and
went out anxiously to the door. IAN
unfortunate Englishman in the trop.
les" he answered, in n very slow
voice as he went, always enlists my
profoundest sympathies. He may be
drunken, OF course; he may be idle and
disreputable-nost often he is; but
the question remains, even then
who or what made him so?"
"The governors always too gener-
GUS to tramps," the private secretary
went on, as Sir Everard disappeared.
Hes quixotic in his way don't you
know. Takes Utopian view OF
things"
"Better that than be cynic,"
answered quietly, as / drained the
last drops of my strong black coffee;
for Sir Everard's personality always
chained and cnthralled me.
At the end OF a few minutes the
Governor returned with a very sad
face. "Wade," he said, to his secre-
tary, "take this man round to your
rooms at once, please; give him what
food he wants, and a shelter for the
night; but, mind you, no liquor.
"Capt. Mortimer" to the aid. camp
you can go.with him ii you like.
Pearson, Ito me. a. want half an
hours talk with you
Certainly, sir" j answered, you sir
a colonial Governor every now and
again, exactly as ii he was disobedi-
ent man servant; and / lighted my
cigarette and composed myself to lis
ten.
The Governor paused and looked
steadily at me for half a minute.
pearson, The began at last, did l
ever tell you hos! came tohave ideas
OF my own abou. tramps in the trop-
ics?"
"Why, no; think not" said, gaz-
ing hard at the slim figure in the even
ing suit and irreproachable tie. the
very picture OF a distinguished old CO.
lonial satrap.
"Well, the wonder OF it all is" he
went on Relatively. "thet | didn't
take to drink myself, and go to the
bed utterly. There was time. / be-
lieve, when only twenty-four hours
stood between me and that poor pen
niless creature there"
"Indeed," cried, gazing still hard
err at the grand old head, and respect
ing him all the more for that candid
avownl.
Eyes, it's true" the Governor went
on, musingly. True, every word CT
it. And this is the way it all came
about, if you won't think it egotisti
cal in an old man to talk about it,"
by no MEANS" with a quiet smile,
/ answered; "your "reminiscences are
always interesting"
He glanced at me curiously. "Well,
it's fifty years ago, now" he began,
"since my brother Fred and started
on our expedition to the lower slopes
OF the Andes. Fred's Governor of
North Australia at present, rs you
know: and I-well, I'm here at Port
OF France, MS you see me: but in those
days we were pair OF young city
clerks, without friend or II penny, in
London Office. However, even then,
we had our heads stuffed rs full OF
ideas as an egg is fu' OF meat; and We
were determined to work out our
great theories OF life in our own pet
way, if we gave the last drop OF our
blood to do it. Those were the days,
you know, when new notions were in
the air; and Fred and / had grand
views OF our own which we sprang on
the world at last in Life and its
Origins We were as poor as church
mice, to be sure, but we didn't mind
for that; between us we had laid up a
hundred pounds out of our Joint
cola ria. nv saving here and screaming