Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-08-04

1
| ters. he began TO think Of his passage,
and resorting to an old Bradshaw was
d,smayed to find that at the lowest
computation it would cost him forty
pounds, Such sum was, OF course,
utterly beyond his means, and for
one miserable day he gave himself
up to despair. Yet what could he do?
To ask help OF any one was out OF
the question. He had. indeed been
reduced to actual begging once, but
that had been for Esperance, and I'M
der the conviction that she would die
if he did not force himself to do it; In
this case she was not so greatly af-
fected, and for himself he could MOI
| beg. What he had done for year he
| could go on with, he argued with
himself. The semi-staryation had
not killed him yet other work might
| be found which would not require
such an outlay Poor Gaspard' how
many times that day he arrived at
. the same conclusion, and how he
fought against it,
The privations which he was bear
! ing so patiently seemed unbearable
for the future, now that he had a
| hope of release. He faced all the
trials his poverty had brought him,
as he had never allowed himself to do
before and saw all too plainly how
much his bodily strength was begin
ming TO fail; he remembered the days
of ceaseless toll he had borne during
the siege and thought how a walk OF
! two or three miles would exhaust
| him now, and loathed the thought
Then he eyew angry with himself for
not haveing remembered the expenses
of the voyage during his interview
with Mr.. Seymour, and wondered
with a vague misery If his senses
were deserving him, as well as his
strength, turning sick at the thought
of this failing OF his powers. What
would the end be il he waited much
longer? There could be only one
answer to that question. and Gaspard
! could not repress a shudder. He was
so young, and chung TO life with such
ardor! moreover, he was so acustom-
| ed to think Of death as swift and
sudden, and sweetened by patriotism
/ like that Of his father, that the idea
of this slow, dreary starvation seemed
/ all the more terrible
, SHSXi. - ra 70 biiAirsS tFua al s
/ He was in the very depths Of
& misery when his solitude was sudden
ly invaded. There was a brisk knock
or fc tal
response could have been heard,
Claude Magnay entered
MAY come in?" he asked. your
landlady told me you were at home,
but there We're so many customers
heloy that she allowed Bismarck to
show me up"
Gaspard frightened little at the
sight Of his visitor, for he had great
liking for Claude, and during the
winter had seen a good deal OF him,
the only check to their intercourse
being that Claude was a little too
pressing in his Inequalities, and
Gaspard too anxious to elude civilities
which he could not return. They
were quite intimate enough to discuss
Gaspard's present difficulties, and,
indeed, Claude's very first remark
led to the topic.
so hear you are going out to
Ceylon next MONTH"
/ 'Yes-no-at least I was going, but
, | believe | have changed my mind"
Indeed l am sorry for that.
| thought everything was settled; Sir
Henrt Worthington certainly led me
to think So
Sir Henry Worthington! he has
had nothing to do with it, 1t was
through Dean Collinson l got the
situation"
The Worthingtons might have
heard Of it through your sister, per-
haps; certainly Sir Henry mentioned
it TO me this very day. But you have
changed your mind you say?'
Yes; | must wait till something
turns up in England replied Gaspard,
trying to stiae a sigh Of despair.
But, my dear fellow, If l may say
so, surely it is madness to give up
such a chance as this. Coffee-piant
ing is the best thing going now; you
will not hear Il such an opening
every day. Besides, have you not
spent this whole year In Mr. Micaw-
/ bars fashion-waiting for something
to turn up?'
Gaspard smiled a little
Yes, II is true. But there must be
work, you know; / never will believe
= that I shall not find # Ia time. If the
worst came TO the worst, | would
swallow my pride and turn into a
French walter"
All yes / can picture you al Cat
/ it's, for instance, with a napkin tucked
under your arm scoldingg the cook
( down the lift,' and Claude laughed
( heartily Then, suddenly growing
grave, But, seriously, De Mabillon,
( this IS all very absurd; you must not
give up Ceylon'
"Of course I should not. If # could be
, helped, but it can not be said he
! decisiyeiy; 80 help me by consider
! ing my other capabilities"