The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-15
CHAPTER I.

possessed Of kind Of maliciousness and
cynicism almost pardonable, but to do
it when tipsy proved him merely weak
and foolish. But the fact is he was less
tipsy at the time than was imagined, and
he could have answered to more malice
and cy1licism than Were'oredited to him.
To thosewho know the world it is not
singular that Of the two Armour was
thought to have made the mistake and
had the misfortune or that people vast
ed their pity and their scorn upon him
alone, Apparently they did not see that
the woman was to be pftied. he had
married her, and she was only an Indian
girl from Fort Charles of the Hudson's
bay company, withsa little honest white
blood in her veins. Nobody, not even
her own people, felt'that she had any
thing at stake or was IN, danger of un-
hsppiness. or was other than person
who had ludicrously come to bear the
name of Mrs. Francis Armour. If any
one had said in justification that she
loved the man, the answer would have
been that plenty Of Indian women had
loved white men, but had not married
them, and yet the population Of half
breeds went ON increasing
Frank Armour had been O popular
man in London. His club might be
found in the vicinity Of Pail Mall, his
father name was high and honored in
the army Est one Of his brothers had
served with Wolseley in Africa, and
himself, having no profession, but with
a taste for business and investment, had
gone to Canada with some such inten-
tion-as Lord Selkirk's in the early part
of thelcentury. He owned large shares
in the Hudson's Bay company, and
whenthe travelled through the north
west~country prospecting he was receiy-
ed most hospitality.
Of anmquirmg, and gregarious turn
Of mind, he went as much among the
half hreeds-orm metis, as they are called
and. Indians as among the officers Of
the Hndson's Bay company and the
white-settlers. He had ever been credit
ed with having philosophical turn,
and this'was accompanied by certain
strain, of impulsiveness or daring. He
had been accustomed all his life to
make up,hislmind quickly, and because
he was well enough off to bear the con-
sequences Of momentary rashness in
commercial investments he was not
counted among the traBgressors. He
had his own fortune. He was not draw
ing upon common purse 1t was a
different matter when he trafficked rash
ly in the family name, so far as to mar
ry the daughter of Eye-of- the Moon, the
Indian chief.
He.was tolerably happy when he went
to the Hudson bay country, for Miss
Julia Sherwood washis promised wife,
and she, if poor, was notably beautiful
and Of good f,tnfly. His people had not
looked quite kindly on this engagement.
They had. indeed tried in many ways to
prevent it, partly because of Miss Sher-
woods poverty, and also because they
knew that Lady Agnes Martling had
long cared for him andwas most hap
PLY endowed with wealth and good
1ooksealso. When he left for Canada,
they'were mwadly glad (they imagin-
ed that something might occur to end
the engagemere-an except Richard,
the wiseare Of the family. the book
man, the.drone, whoWefeued living at
Greyhope, theirHRtfordshire home, the
year through tospendmg half the time
In Cayendish square. Richard was very
fond Of Frank, admiring him immense
ly for his buxum strength and clever
ness andnot little, too, for that very
rashness which had brought him such
havoc at Last.
Richard was not, as Frank used to
say, perfectly sound on his pins''-
that is, he was slightly lame-but he
was right'at heart Hewas an immense
reader, but made little use of what he
read. He had an abundant shnmor and
remembered every anecdote he ever
heard. Hewas kind to,the poor walked
much, talked to himself as he walked
and was known by the humble sort as
"a centric" :" But he had wise head,
and he,foresaw danger to Frank happi.
ness whenYhe went away. Whileothers
had gEsipd and mIneuvered andy
'busilyvidle,. no had watched things. He
saw THAT Frank was dear to Julia in
proportion to the distance between her
and young Lurd Haldwell, whose father
had done something remarkable in guns
or torpedoes and was rewarded with a
lordsiip and an uncommonly large,for-
tune. he also saw that after Frank left
the distance between Lord HaldWen and
Julia became distinctly less. They were
both staying at Greyhope. Julia,Sher-
wood was remarkably clever girl.
Though he felt it his duty to speak to
her for his brothers difiicultand deli
cate matter-he thought,it would come
better from his mother
But when he took action itwas too
late. Miss Sherwood naively declared
that she had not known her own heart
and that she did not care for Frank any
more. She wept a little and was soothed
by motherly Mrs Armour, who was
inwardly glad, though she knew the
master wouid cause Frank pain, and
even General Armour could not help
showing slight satisfaction, though he
was Innocent of any deliberate action
to separate the two. Sraightway Miss
Sherwood dispatched letter to the
wilds Of Canada, and for week was an
unengaged young person. But she was
no doubt consoled by the fact that for
some time past she had complete con-
troll Of Lord HaldweIl's emotions. At
the end of"theweek herp perceptions were
justified by Lord HaldwelPs proposal,
which, with admirable tact and obvious
occurrences, was accepted
Now Frank was wandering much
in the-wilds, so that his letters and pa
pers went~careering about after him,
and some that came frstwere the last
to reach him. Fhat was how he receiy-