St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-03-30

hOoi w ehS WSli - 40 VI DIS Il lime
kiln, and with hccxception of about
d couple of gallons a day that we
are pumping out of the bore hole, we
haven't a drop Of water about the
place-and no signs of any. You
deserve better luck, old man; you do
indeed AS for me, didn't know
what bad luck was until-until-"
Until when2" quietly asked Greg
DRY from the couch.
1t was now Selcotes' turn to be
silent. For few moments he
pulled savagely at his pipe, as if
mentally debating whether or no to
reply to the query. Then he laid
aside his pipe quietly and turning to
his chum he took the plunge
Since my wife ran away with
another fellow. Curse him" he
blurted out, fercely.
Gregory rose from his recumbent
position at this startling piece of
news and placed his hand gently on
Toms shoulder.
Don't tell me any more, Tom"
he said, sOothingly. II never
thought-never guessed that it was
so bad as that. I'm sorry | asked
you to tell me now. Forgive me,
old man, and don't think about it
any more. It's too painful for you."
Then he tried with tender consid-
GRAFTON to turn the conversation
by reverting to the present momen-
tous question-the drought.
But Sellcotes was not to be put off.
He had made up his mind to con6de
his sad story to his chum so, taking
no notice of Gregory's well meant
attempt to change the subject, he
proceeded:
Yes, it's painful SUBJECT; but l
don't see why | shouldn't tell YOU
about it. At one time couldn t
bear to think about it, much less
speak of it. In the first place, my
name is not Tom Sellcotes at all,
but Austin Ashunt-Hon. Austin
Ashunt, if YOU like that better, for
my eldest brother is L ord Chescott. y
GO on" said Gregory, beginning
to evince keen interest in the
story. II remember something
about it. was at Kimberly at the
time, and saw some mention of the
, affair in a stray copy of one the Lon
don dailies that happened to come
across.
Then there's no necessity for m,
to tell you any more"
. Eyes, there is, it was only a refer
ence to the scandal that was in tn,
paper saw but if my memory doe,
not play me false, | can tell yot
something that may be connected
with it. Mind you, only say MAY
7 be-"
What is it ?"
} go ahead with your story am
= I'll tell you afterwards. "
! well, then, six years ago wen
on Ashunt, II married the lovelies
D.. girl that ever drew breath, an,
4 for six months lived in a fools par
a adiSe. Just before my marriage
! had thrown up my commission i
= the Guards, and, thanks be to tn
c family interest, was successful i
n obtaining a diplomatic appoint
= ment After a few months of III
i clouded bliss | was dispatched o
+ secret service to ConstantinoplC
p and was reluctantly compelled t
# leave my wife behind in London.
could have staked my very existenc
= on her honor, and yet-and-well, t
make a long story short, before
t had been away month she ha
bolted with blackguard-an oil
admrer, it turned out afterward-
Ii who had turned up from AuStrali
: immediately after my departure
:. We tracked them as far as Liverpool
n and then all trace was lost.
t And you never saw the black
' guard who wronged YOU w
t mo, never cIapped eyes on him i
t nv life, as far as | know. But if
l. do come across him, Gregory-Go
t help him. for if the devil in me
II once thoroughly aroused, shall XII
him. know shall.
z, and he deserves it, What wa
h his name2 You know that''
o George Draytou.'
+ That's the namc'
n "What do YOU know abou
g him ?" exclaimed Ashunt, eXcitedly
/ mot much, replied Gregory, wit
his habitual camnesS. when
t was store keeping in Cape Town,
$ knew a man who called hlmse
d George Dalton He was a custom(
e Of mine, and as he had no settle
e abode, he asked me as a favor to a
t low him to have his letters directe
= to my store. One day when til
e mail was in from England, a lette
:, was brought into the store dlrecte
e to George Drayton, and Dalto
" claimed it.
d "Where is he now asked Ashur
- breathessly.
\ 81 don't know. He told me nea
II " two years ago that he was goin
g up-country, and I've never seen any
r thing of him since. Eve heard Dutc
l. Sam speak of man called Dalto
t somewhere out CRAFT Reynet way