The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1897-02-26

/ lESy A1H4S:3&NuE.Sut CdlA dI 6ldIuOT&du
lA1RGaEy1IEl House. There he
MXN~A found large and
| WSMSS fashionable crowd
WeGY of visitors upon the
| VannSY same errand as
w himself, and spent
~ the greater part Of
short stay in talk
ing to strangers.
But when he rose to go, Lord Glamor-
gan. who had been keeping him in view
while hobnobbing with 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 inwardly at the
| sudden recollection of his promise so
lately made.
under the arm and leading him toward
corner OF the room, 1--we been doing
what little can for you, and only
wish i were more. Compton tells me
that the Favorite is almost ready for
sea; she's only thirty-two. but she's
the last ship to be commissioned for
W.
er be walking the deck of q 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, ST could real
~ wish that you had not taken so much
trouble for me; do not know what I
have done to deserve it,"
Nonsense. my boy" said the old
man. kindly; II owe your fathers son
more than that, and I'll pay 1t, too, If
ever we get our turn again: But now"
ne continued, returning to more mat
ter-of-fact tone, ''if were you, as this
is your last chance for the present, I'd
go down to the admiralty tomorrow
mot 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 I'D 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 well the very
| words:
you will follow your fortune wherever
and whenever it may call you" TIL:
bargain was but two days old, and heye
already, with grim mockery, the
had come to the CHEEKY tones Of =
| well-meantng old patrons voice. And
for what price had he thus sold his
birthright Of freewill? 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 q concession which
his own pledge had rendered valueless
before he could reap the slightest adj
vantage from it. If ever man entered
into a 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 q
letter and present 1t 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 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 un-
couth music, and fantastically 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 body rather more
compact than the rest, dozen or two
OF men whose dress and features
marked them even more clearly than
their companions for thoroughbred
lrishmen. They were apparently, in
some sort, under the leadership Of q tall
runian with high cheek bones. wide
mouth. and large side whiskers of a
flaming red color. and as they came
along they shouted. and waved their
sticks wildly above their heads with no
apparent provocation.
The few occupants Of the street fled
into their houses or up the neighboriag
by-ways. Estcourt contented himself
with drawing to one side, with the in.
tention of passing along under the wall
or OF waiting there until the densest
part Of the crowd should have gone by.
But his uniform made It impossible for
him to escape thus without notice, and
the temper Of the mob being at the
moment highly aggressive they DELHI
erately blocked his path.
At first he was rather amused than
apprehensiye. aud addressed them in q
tone Of good-humored 'riemonstrance.
Come, lads,",. he said; 'let ME pass:
I'm on business, and hate no time to
spare" and he pushed boldly forward.
The crowd swayed about. yelling and
hooting derisively, and with a rush of
half playful. half ferocious violence
bore him back against the wall where