The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-02-16

But when he rose to go, Lord Glamor-
gan, who had been keeping him in view
while hobnobbing with a couple of un-
der-secretaries, crossed the room quick
ly and caught him as he turned
away from taking leave of his hostess
Estcourt saw by the twinkle in his eye
that the genial old nobleman was in
his own opinion the bearer of good
news, but he shuddered inwardIy at the
sudden recollection of his promise so
lately made.
'Dick," said his lordship, taking him
under the arm and leading him toward
corner of the room, tive been doing
what little I can for you, and I only
wish it were more. Compton tells me
that the Favorite is almost ready for
sea; she's only a thirty-two, but she's
the last ship to be commissioned for
ever so long, and I thought you'd rath-
er be walking the deck of a frigate than
the pavement of WHITEHALL
Dick forced himself to return thanks
in terms of suitable fervor. 'This is too
kind of you, Lord Glamorgan,' he said,
with unintentional irony. II could real
ly wish that you had not taken so much
trouble for me; do not know what
have done to deserve it,
Nonsense, my boy,' said the old
man, kindly; 81 owe your fathers son
more than that, and I'll pay it, too, if
ever we get our turn again. But now"
he continued, returning to more mat
ter-of-fact tone, "if I were you, as this
is your last chance for the present, I'd
go down to the admiralty tomorrow
not too late, remember, it's Saturday
and just make, as it were, a casual
inquiry whether they've received your
application all in due form, or some
thing of that kind jog them up at the
right moment, dye see? That's it,
that's it!' he concluded, shaking Dicks
hand.
Dick escaped at last and hurried back
to his lodging without any clear idea
of where he was going. What was it he
had promised Madame de Montaut? He
remembered but too we'll the very
words:
"You will follow your fortune wherever
and whenever it may call YOU" The
bargain was but two days old, and here
already, with grim mockery, the call
had come to the CHEEKY tones of his
well-meaning old patrons voice. And
for what price had he thus sold his
birthright of freewil1? For permission
to meet one from whom he would soon
be separated by a thousand miles of
ocean, and perhaps by the wider gulf
of many years; for a concession which
his own pledge had rendered valueless
before he could reap the slightest ad-
vantage from it. If ever man entered
into one-sided bargain, surely this,
he bitterly felt, was one.
Should he give himself the vain con-
ISOLATION of seeing her? He felt instinc-
lively that it would be better to deny
himself until all had been done. But he
could sit still no longer; he rose from
table, leaving half his meal untouched,
and set himself to think over his visit
to the admiralty next day.
He decided at once that he would not
trust himself to make his inquiry by
word of mouth; he might say too much
or two little, or betray some noticeable
sign of agitation-a thought from which
he always shrank by nature, and never
more than now. No, he would write a
letter and present it in person.
Next morning he dressed himself
carefully in uniform, and started out
shortly before noon with the letter in
his pocket. He crossed Oxford street
and made for the straight line of ST.
Andrews street and st. Martins lane
But just before reaching the latter he
found himself face to face with a crowd
which blocked the entire width of the
thoroughfare. 1t was composed of a
wild and motley collection of men, wo-
men and children, accompanied by I'M
couth music, and Enthusiastically adorned
with punches of green ribbon, whose
freshness threw into more hideous
prominence the universal squalor OF
their clothing and appearance.
At the head of this strange process
sion marched. in a body rather more