Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-10-21


had always done on great occasions, at
New Year or on birthdays, ever since
he was three years old, shook hands
with the rector twice over, and hurried
away off to Thomastown, and thence
to India. And, oh dear! it was dull at
Moyliscallan without him!
Five years later Capt. Edward Blake
was coming home on sick leave. 1t had
been "near squeak" as he said him
self. That wound on the head. at the
Burroo Pass affair, had set all Europe
talking about him, but had nearly done
for him all the same. Then came weeks
OF fever and the weary journey to Bonn
bay; the relapse on the road, which,
but for Mrs. Diamonds nursing, must
have finished him; the almost miracu-
lousy accomplished move on to ship
board, which the doctor allowed was an
experiment of kill or cure.
And now he was steaming home as
fast as the p. G. o. line could do it, and
| every day some fresh sense of power
in mind or body was reborn in him;
one day he could arrange his own pill
| lows, the next he could read few
| lines of the Times. A little later he
asked Mrs. Diamond if she could find
him paper and pencil, as he wanted to
| write note "home." Life was worth
| living again with Moyliscallon drawing
nearer day by day. Mrs. Diamond was
little widow lady, who, since her hus-
| bands death, had been keeping house
for brother in the civil service. 1.-THE
Judge" as she called him, had fallen
victim to the charms of an 1s-year-old
school girl, fresh from England, and
Mrs. Diamonds services were required
no longer. Coming down country she
had stumbled upon Teddie Blake, fever
stricken and virtually alone, and it was
undoubtedly to her care that he owed
his recovery from the relapse, which
had been worse than the original attack.
She had deferred her own plans to the
convenience of the patient, had super
intended his transfer to the steamship
from the Bombay hotel which she had
hardly dared to hope he would leave
alive, and was a witness of his con-
valescence on board ship, as day by day
his strength and spirits returned. So
it was not wonderful that Teddie turned
to her for paper and pencil on the very
first occasion that he felt he could
scrawl line, and imperiously demand
ed that he be allowed to write "to his
people,"
"Are you sure you can do it?" Mrs.
Diamond asked, producing the writing
board, but not giving it to him uncon-
ditionally.
"Quite sure-that is, not bit of it
but I'll try"
81 thought you said you had nobody
belonging to you?"
"No more have-no real relations
but an adopted family that is the dear
est in the world-not mere accident
of birth, like other peoples families.
1 must write them just a few words
to say that I'm alive and coming home,
and it'll be ready when an opportunity
comes for posting it, though it can't
reach Moyliscallan more than an hour
or two before do myself"
''Moyliscallan," repeated Mrs. Dia-
mond; what do you know of Moylis-
callan? I only heard of the place for
the first time month ago, and now it
turns up again!"
sits my home" Blake said, painfully
scrawling the date at the top of his
sheet of paper. "The castle belongs to
me, only I've never been able to live
in it yet. My people live at the rectory
it is to Mr.. O'Malley, the rector, that
I'm writing. And what did you hear
about Moyliscallan, the sweetest place
on all the earth?"
"Why," said Mrs. Diamond, excited
| ly. "this is the oldest thing! My cousin
George Strangways, rented the castle
from some one some years ago-from
you, it appears-and now he is engaged,
married probably by this time, to one
of the rector's girls, Ellen O'Malley, a
daughter, / suppose, of this very old
gentleman you're writing to! I had
the letter just before 1 met you at
Rahmednugger and had scarcely given
1t thought since"
One of the rector's girls!
Teddy Blake had seen death glaring
at him from a wall of black Afghan
faces; he had looked fever in the eyes
more than once, but he had never known
what despair meant till Marcia Diamond
told him her little story of odd coinci-
dences sitting on the steamship deck,
halfway through their homeward voy-
age. For moment he repeated the
words: ELLEN OMalley; there is only
one daughter at the rectory;" and Mrs.
Diamond, whose eyes were on the silk
sock she was knitting, went on cheer
fully: "Oh, then, that's the girl. !
did not hear from George Strangways
direct; the news came through my
brother, but of course it is the same
the young lady at the rectory. Fancy
old George succumbing to an Irish girls
destinations after going all over the
habitable globe unscathed till now!"
as he good fellow?" Teddy asked.
Something in his voice made Mrs.
Diamond give swift glance at her
companion, and in that glance she un-
derstood everything. 49,
"He is a very good fellow" she an