The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-10
the most sensible words he ever wrote
were in that letter thrust unceremoni-
cncIxv into Era,,L Ar.pour,a porkaf

INC nOSt heusiDfc Wo1uS ho O'ok VAo'o
were in that letter thrust unceremoni-
ously into Frank Armour's pocket.
Armour had received q terrible blow.
He read his life backward. He had no
future. The liquor he had drunk had
not fevered him. IL had not wildly ex-
cited him. 1t merely drew him up to
point where he could put sudden i'm
pulse into practice without fiinching.
He was bitter agaiast his people. He
credited them with more interference
than was actual. He felt that happi-
ness had gone ont of his life and left
him hopeless. AS we said, he was a
man Of quick decisions. He would have
made dashing but reckless soldier.
He was not without the elements OF the
gamester. 1t is possible that there was
in him also strain of cruelty, unde-
veloped, but radical.
Life SO far had developed the best In
him. He had been CHEEKY and candid.
Now he travelled back into new avenues
Of his mind and found strange aborigi-
nal passions fully adapted to the present
situation. Vulgar anger and reproaches
were not after his nature. He suddenly
found sources Of refined retaliation. He
drew upon them. He would do some
thing to humiliate his people and the
gisl who had spoiled his life. Some one
thing! Itwould be absolute and lasting.
1t would show how low had fallen his
opinion of women, Of whom Julia Sher-
wood had once been chiefest to him. In
that he would show his scorn of her.
He would bring down the pride Of his
family, who, he believed, had helped
out of mere selfishness to tumble his
happiness into the shambles.
He was older by years than an hour
ago. But he was not without the facul-
ty Of humor. That was why he did not
become very excited; it was also why
he determined upon a comedy which
should have all the elements of tragedy.
Perhaps, however, he had not carried
his purposes to immediate conclusions
were it not that the very gods seemed to
play his game with him, for while he
stood there looking out into the yard of
the fort Protestant missionary passed
the window. The Protestant missionary,
as he is found at such places as Fort
Charles, is not strictly superior person
A Jesuit might have been Of advantage
10 Frank Armour at that moment The
Protestant II visionary is not above COM
Portable assurances Of gold. So that
when Armour summoned this one in
and told him what was required Of him
and slipped a geasrous gift OF the
queens coin into his hand he smiled
vaguely and was willing to do what he
was hidden. Had he been q JesGs, who
Is sworn to poverty and more often
than not man of birth and education,
he might have influenced Frank Ar
mour and prevented the notable mishap
and scandal AS it was. Armour took
more brandy.
Then he went down to Eye-of-the-
Moons lodge A few hours afterward
the missionary met him there. The next
morning Lali, the daughter of Eye-of-
the-Moon and the chieftainess Of por-
tion of her fathers tribe, whose grand
father had been white man, was in
troduced 10 the Hudson bay country as
Mrs Frank Armour. But that was not
all Indeed as it stood it was very little.
He had only made his comedy possible
as yet. Now the play itself was to come.
He had carried his scheme through
boldly so far. He would not finch in
carrying it ont TO tho last letter. He
brought his wife down to the great lakes
Immediately, scarcely resting night or
day. There he engaged an ordinary but
reliable woman, to whom he gave in
structions, and sent the pair to the
coast. He instructed his solicitor at
Montreal to procure passages for Mrs.
Francis Armour and maid for Liverpool.
Then by letters he instructed his solic-
itor in London to meet Mrs Francis Ar
mour and maid at Liverpool and take
them TO Greyhope in Hertfordshire-
that is, if General Armour and Mrs. Ar
mour or some representative OF the fam
lily did not meet them when they landed
from the steamship.
Presently he sat down and wrote to
his father and mother and asked them
to meet his wife and her maid when
they arrived by the steamer Aphrodite.
He did not explain to them in precise
detail his feelings on Miss Julia Sher-
woods marriage, nor did he go into
full particulars as to the personality Of
Mrs. Frank Armour, but he did say
that because he knew they were anxious
that he should marry 'acceptably" he
had married into aristocracy, the oldest
aristocracy of America, and because he
also knew they wished him to marry
wealth he sent them wife rich in vir-
tues-native, unspoiled virtues
He hoped that they would take her
10 their hearts and cherish her. He
knew their firm principles of honor,
and that he could trust them to be kind
10 his wife until be returned to share
the affection which he was sure would
be given to her. IL was not his inten-
tion TO return to England for some time
yet. He had work 10 do i'm connection
with his proposed colony, and wife.
even "a native wife, could not well be a
companion in the circumstances. Be-
sides Lali---his wife's name was Lali-