The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-07-12


had been better for hint had maybe
averted 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 peculiarities, 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. The liquor he had drunk had
not fevered him. 1t had not wildly ex-
cited him. 1t merely drew him up to a
point where he could put sudden inn
pulse into practice without fiinching.
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. 1t is possible that there was
in him also q 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
girl 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 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
to Frank Armour at that moment. The
Protestant missionary 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 q generous gift of the
queen s coin into his hand he smiled
vaguely and was willing to do what he
was hidden. Had he been Jesuit, 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 aIterwaIu
the missionary met him there. The next
morning Lali, the daughter of Eye-of-
the-Moon and the chieftainess of por-
ton of her fathers tribe, whose grand
father had been white man, was in
troduced to 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 III
carrying it out to the 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 Tic 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 tho 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 aristocrncy, 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, unspoilod virtues.
He hoped that they would take her
to their hearts and cherish her He |
knew their firm principles of honor,
and that he could trust them to be kind |
to his wife until he returned to share |
the affection which he was sure would |
be given to her. 1t was not his inten
ton to return to England for some time