The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-03-24
ICONTINUED
CHAPTER ".

SITS all Earn GOEscnSc; bit ~; do u 10
BbiigC BoU," Sdid Iniga.
Jocclyn and the impresario staid over
night Al the Randolphs, and 'complet-
ed the details of the agreement for
Mademoisolle Mariana appearance. She
was to come to the city in agew days.
tate mp her abode at hotel. and begin
arsals immediately. Before leaving
handed Mr.. Randolph check for
Q, as advance salary, to enable him
lake the necessary arrangements;
and the two gentlemen took their de.
partune with nnany professions of good
will ON both sides.
Late in the afternoon tall. rather
stern booking young man, with grave
blue eyes under thick. level brows. and II
short, dense brown beard covering the
lower part of his face, walked into Gen.
Inigo's office, and was informed that the
general was expected every minute, lie
seated himself mt u table, unGid the roll
of paper that he carried, aud proceeded
to busy himself in making calculations
and sketches.
This young man, whose name was
Geoffrcy Bellingham, was a New Eng.
Lander, whose family had lived for many
generations in an ancient town not very
far frou Boston. From the early part
of the present century, however, their
prosperity began to recede. along with
that oe the town with which they were
so closely allied. Large families of chill
dren divided and dissipated the prop.
erty; nuny of them moved to.cther parts
of the country: those who .remaincd.
proudly mindful of their past grandeur,
and unwilling TO descend to a lower level
i'll search of new ways to fortune, grad.
ually faded out of sight or existence, re.
tanning to the,end the old traits of char
acter, rendered harsher and glcomier by
their more restricted circumstances. AT
length. about thirty years ago. ,Geoffrey
Bellins ham was born. He was child
of unusual intelligence, and with
strong appetite both for reading and nd
venture. But the monotonous and life
less existence of the sluggish old town
vexed and wearied him; he wished he
had come into the world hundred
years earlier. when men went forth to
battle, and to sail the seas, and the days
were full of novelty, activity and excite
iiaS hOstib Will W
bear hand in the work and movement
Of the world, and such echoes as reached
him Of what was going on in other places
and lands kept alive this longing and de-
veloped it. He met with no sympathy,
however, from his own family circle,
and at length ceased to make them CON
tfidants of his desires and projects; yet
this encouragement to the utteranee of
mis- thoughts led him TO cherish them
not less but more ardently. Finally, in
his twelfth year, he ran away to sea,
taking passage on board q Boston vessel
bound for the Pacific.
He was absent three years, and he
came home first mate on hoard an En-
giish blockade runner from Liverpool
1t was in the midst of our civil war; the
blockade runner was captured and Bel
hngham was taken prisoner. On his an
nouncing his readiness TO take service
under the federal flag, however, he was
allowed to join the crew of Il govern
ment war vessel. He had the good luck
to see great deal of fighting, and was
promoted for gallantry and general eff
cheney. Before the year was out he met
q Confederate bullet. which put an end
to his participation in the war, and very
nearly severed his connection with all hu-
man affairs. Nevertheless he recovered
and made his way to the north with
$1,000 in his pocket. On reaching his
native place he found his father and
mother both dead, and his sister (the
only child besides himself) married.
He was ut this time about II years
old but MS tall and robust (barring the
temporary effects of his wound) as
much older man; with n premature
gravity and dignity of demeanor, ana
strong, penetrating and resolutcmind.
After remaining quiet for . month or
two, TO recuperate his physical powers
and to think over his position, he detes.
mined to be an architect He set 10
work at once, with his usual energy and