Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-07-23
fHEfRlIsLI1IOI OF lSIVlrE
By GILBERT PARKER.
Copyright. 1919, by the J. b. Lippincott Col
CHAPTER I.

. CHATTER
| It appeared that Armour Ind made
the great mistake of his life. When
people came to know, they said that to
have done it when sober had shown him
} possessed Of kind of maliciousness and
cynicism almost pardonable, but to dc
it when tipsy proved him merely weak
and foolish. But the fact Is he was less
t;pSy at. the time than was imagined, and
q could have answered to more malice
and cynicism than were credited to him.
To those who 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 10 be pitied. He had
married her, and she was only an Indian
girl from Fort Charles OF the Hudson's
Bay company, with little honest white
blood in her veins Nobody, not even
her own people, felt that she had any
thing at stake OF was in danger Of un-
happiness or was other than person
who had ludicrously come To bear the
name of Mrs. Francis Armour. II 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.
/ kol laa, m 10
man in London. His club might be
found in the vicinity Of Pail Mall, his
fathers name was high and honored in
the army list, one of his brothers had
served with Wolscley in Africa, and
himself. having no profession, but with
a taste for business and investment, had
gone TO Canada with some such inten-
| tion rs Lord Selkirk's in the early part
| Of the century. He owned large shares
in the Hudsons Bay company, and
when ho travelled through the north
west country prospecting he was receiv-
ed most Hospitality.
OF an inquiring and gregarious turn
Of mind, he went rs much among the
half breeds-or metis, as they arr called
and Indians rs among the officers Of
the Hudson's Bay company and the
white settlers He had ever been credit
cd with having philosophical turn.
and this was accompanied by "A certain
strain Of impulsivencss or daring. He
had been accustomed all his life TO
make up his mind quickly, and because
he was well enough off 10 bear the con-
sequences Of momentary rashness in
commercial investments he was not
counted among the transgressors. He
had his own fortune. He was not draw
ing upon n common purse. IL was
different matter when he trafficked rash
~ in the family name, so far as 10 mar
~ 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 was his promised wife,
and she, if poor, was notably beautiful
and of good family. 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 and was most hap
PLY endowed with wealth and good
looks also. When he left for Canada,
they were inwardly glad (they imagin-
ed that something might occur to end
the engagement)-all except Richard,
the wiseacrc Of the family. the book
man, the drone, who preferred living at
Greyhope, their HertfSrdshire home, the
year through To spending half the time
in Cavendish square. Richard was very
fond of Frank, admiring him immense
" for his buxom strength and clever
ness and not 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 he was an immense
reader, but made little use Of what he
read. He had an abundant humor and
remembered every anecdote he ever
heard. He was kind to the poor, walked
much, talked TO himself as he walked
and was known by the humble sort rs
"a centric" " But he had wise head,
and he foresaw danger to Franks happi.
ness when he went away. While others
had gossiped and maneuvered and were
busily idle, he had watched things he
saw that Frank was dear TO Julia III
proportion TO the distance between her
and young Lord Haldwell, whose father
had done something remarkable in guns
or torpedoes and was rewarded with
lordship and an uncommonly large for
tune. He also saw that after Frank left
the distance between Lord Haldwell and
Julia became distinctly less. They were
both staying at Greyhope Julia Sher-
wood was q remarkably clever girl.
Though he felt it his duty to speak to
her for his brother-a difficult and deli
cate matter-he thought it would come
better from his mother.
But when he took action it was 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 little and was soothed
by motherly Mrs Armour, who was
inwardly glad, though she knew the
matter would 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. Straightway 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 Haldwell's emotions. at
the end of the week her 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 first were the last
to reach him. That was how he receiv-
ed a newspaper announcing the mar
riage of Lord Haldwell and Julia Sher-
wood at the same time that her letter,
written in estimable English and with
admirable feeling, came, begging for
release from their engagement, and,
toward its close, assuming, with
charming regret, that all was over, md
that the last word had been said between
them.
He was sitting in the traders room
at Fort Charles when the carrier came