Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-23

water Armour poured out a stiff | draft, added n very little water and drank it. He drew great sigh and stood looking at the paper.
 ''Is there anything can do for you, ] Mir. Armour?'' urged the trader.
 Nothing, thank you, nothing at all. Just leave the brandy here, will you? feel knocked about, and I have to go through the rest of these letters ''
 He ran his fingers through the pile, turning it over hastily. as if searching for something. The trader understood. He was a cool headed Scotsman. He knew that there were some things best not inquired into. and that men must have their bad hours alone. He glanced at the brandy debatingly, but presently turned anl left the room in silence. In his own mind, however, he wished he might have taken the brandy without being discourteous. Armour had dis covered Miss Sherwood's letter. Before he opened it he took q little more bran dy. Then he sat down and read it de- liberately. The liquor had steadied him. The fingers of one hand even drum i med on the table. But the face was drawn, the eyes were hard, and the look of him was altogether pinched. After he had finished this he looked for others from the same hand. Ho found none. Then he picked out those from his mother and father He read them grimly.
 Once he paused as he read his moth ] CTS letter and took a great gulp of plain brandy. There was something very like q sheer on his face when he finished it. l He read the hollowness of the sympathy extended to him. He understood the far from adroit references to Lady Agnes | Martling. Re was very bitter. He read no more letters, but took up The Morn ing Post again and read it slowly through. Tho look of his face was not pleasant. There was a small looking glass opposite him. He caught sight of himself in it, He drew his hand across his eyes and forehead. as though he was ill a miserable dream. He looked again. He could not recognize himself He then bundled the letters and pa. | pers i! his dispatch box. His atten- tiH,' ,;as drawn to one letter. He picked 1t up. It was from Richard. He started to break the seal. but paused. The strain of the event was too much He winced. He determined not to read it then, to wait until he had recovered | himself. He laughed now painfully. It ! had been better for him-it had maybe avCrted what people used to term his tragedy-had he read his brothers let ter at that moment, for Richard Ar mour was sensible man, notwith- standing his pcculiarities, and perhaps the most sensible words he ever wrote were in that letter thrust unceremoni- ously into Frank Armour's pocket.
 Armour had received terrible blow. He read his life backward He had no future. Tine liquor he had drunk had not fevered him. It had not wildly ex- cited him. It merely drew him up to a ! point where he could put a sudden i'm 1 pulse into practice without f1inching. He was bitter against his people. He credited them with more interference ] than was actual. He felt that happi- ness had gone out of his life and left him hopeless. As we said, he was q man of quick decisions He would have made dashing but reckless soldier. He was not without the elements of the gamester It is possible that there was ill him also a strain of cruelty, unde- veloped. but radical
 Life so far had developed the best in him. He had been cheery 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 girl who had spoiled his life. Some one thingl It would be absolute and lasting. It would show how low had fallen his opinion of women, of whom Julia Sher- wood had once been chiefeEt to him. In that he would show his Ecorn 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 6 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 thero 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 a strictly superior person A Jesuit might havo been of advantage to Frank Armour at that moment The Protestant missionary is not above cora.
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