The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-05-13

pfOphUlJ wdSuco ooaoho IL VIZ tohS =
ground swell which rolls in upon that
coast in the spring, and the Angra
man despoiled it of watch, chain and
pendant. Only the guinea will ever
be heard of again"
"Did you write Hufeland" queried
his friend.
"Yes, out of curtesy, thanking him,
and telling him where the coin had
started and how it had probably
reached him, and asking him not to
return it, but to set it on its travels
again in the regular course OF business.
I had no reply to my letter and doubt
whether the Boer ever received it.
Something more than year later this
third chapter arrived"
He handed the American large,
square envelope of rough paper, bear.
ing the strange postmarls, "Irkutc,"
Mackor Sunt," and the sheet within
was headed "Yakutsk." The letter
was in English.
To the Unknown: Except 10 drink vodka,
attend Greek church and gamble there re-
mains nothing for Christian CD to do In
this "heel OF the world" but write. Two
days since, when paying for some furs which
had bought from Tunguse Indians, one OF
them gave me In change an English guinea.
Happening to examine 1t later discovered
engraved In small letters near the head,
"Write P. O. Box 1901, London" As an
American have all Yankees curiosity,
and therefore am writing. l must insist.
however, upon reply. My personal
knowledge Of this coin begins only as stated;
but when I saw the inscription hunted up
the native and dragged from him bY bribe and
irrigation all that he knew Of the same. He
had received II months before from g. BUS
sian official, recently arrived from st. Peters
burg, whom he met on the Lena River.
Where that man got 1t Is only to bs con-
jectured. I shall probably spend it, set It
In motion again soon; but would be
pleased to hear why it bears this strange re-
quest. lam United States naval oficer
sent to this far land by my Government to
aid In the search for the crew OF the lost
Jeanette. Very respectfully,
JoHN N. HARLOW.
The American laughed.
"Quitea q characteristic letter. You
surely, wrote Mr.. Harlow?"
"Oh, yes" replied the other, ''and
have still an epistolary acquaintance
with him, maintained in desultory
manner ever since. He is now in
Washington, in your country. I think.
He has promised to vis,t me should he
ever get to England on leave. Of
course how the guinea reached Russia
from South Africa shall never know.
Here is the fourth letter."
"LoREro, LOWER CAL,
Dec. rs, 1889.
"For month have anticipated the time
when I should be strong enough to write P.
O. Box 1001, London. Dear old, smoky.
foggy London! II you only knew how
strong ia the love that wraps an English
mans heart about for his Great City, espe-
cially when far from the place OF his birth,
YOU win be able to estimate'how such love
and longing Ia increased when the English
man lies for weeks on his back In cot bed,
with fortycahber hole through one lung.
Ned-that's my chum-says I have slept with
the home guinea clasped in my hand night
after night. Well, may have done 50. 1t
Is the first thing that has come direct from
dear old England to me In three long years
and doubt II ever see anything 80 near
nv beloved home again. ! am one OF the
ne'er-do-wells who has drifted up and down
the earth, never content, never at rest, until,
uerchance, put to rest as have beeA, by an
enemy's shot from behind mesquite bush.
This little coin was paid me for gold dust
one wild night across the Gulf In Guayamas,
Mexico, three months ago, and although
guineas don't grow on trees in this blazing
desert, have chung to II.
"Wsite me, Box 1001-write me for hu-
rnanity's sake! They tell me I'm going to
get well, but I know better. The catch at
my heart and the hole in my lung don't mean
life, but something else. And perhaps 1t Is
inst as well. The world has not been the
better for me; 1t will not be much the worse
without me; but my soul Is hungry for let
ter. A big yellow envelope, with my name In
round hand on the outside. My friends do
not know where am, and II am to die 1t
is better so. Even my dearest sister, who
never gave me up, has lost me; for / have
been ashamed to tell fer how low I had
faller. But, Box 1901, you only know that
have your guinea, and you don't know all
nv foolish and my evi. deeds. Write me,
here; for shall never 80 away.
ARTHUR JAMESON"
'You see how long time had passed
since the third letter." said the Eng
lishman; ''six years. had all but
forgotten my golden wanderer when
this came; but you may know that 1
wrote at once and ut length to poor
Jameson, dying amid the horrible
wastes of Lower California. I even
wrote twice; but no answer came, and
I concluded that his course was run.
Sometimes I remembered the fellow,
.pitying his loneliness if living; but as
time passed the recollection slowly
faded from my mind, when, two
years ago, the fifth and last OF the
series came to hand"
The American took the letter. 1t
was written in a lady's hand, post
marked "Cranbrook, Kent, England, ="
dated May 10Th, 1892, and ran as fol-
lows:
'Dear Sir: Almost ten years ago my
brother Arthur, then a boy OF only seven
teen, ran away from home. For time he
used to write me and most gladly replied,
for he was my only brother, four years older
than myself, and greatly loved. He was
never quite successful, but always hopeful;
and finally reached the State OF California.
where heard from him In the summer OF
1887. I wrote him as usual; but his replies
were few and far between, and after some
months ceased altogether. In 1888 our faith
az died and I begged nv brother to come