Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-05-18


ceeding, came away AT the same time
he did. and we journeyed together as
far as Edinburg.
At Inverness an old lady got into
our carriage, apologi2ing for the intru-
sion, and explaining that there wasn't
a corner anywhere in the train. OF
course, we both put out our cigars, and
protested that there was no necessity
for the old girls apologies, although |,
for one, felt intensely aggrieVed at her
presence. What's one TO do on long
journey if one maynt smoke" l
thought it simply cruelty TO animals,
and then ana there made up my mind
to join the smokers league If any
such association exists for the protec-
ton of helpless males.
| must say that this sort of adyen-
ture showed Algy at his best. He was
charming to our travelling companion,
stutling his own things out of the way
and oisposing of her multitudinous
hand luggage in the places best suited
to their various and wonderful shapes.
were as thick as thieves, ana l ceased
grumbling at the presence of the old
girl for she broke the somber black
ness of Algy's gloom.
At the Perth station, where we
lunched he looked after our fellow
traveller with such tender care that, al
though there was now plenty of room
in the train, she utterly declined to re-
move herself and her luggage from our
carriage. Algy had drunk a lot of
the beastly champagne you get at
Perth. | noticed that he was very
much flushed and excited when he re-
turned to our carriage. He began
giving our travelling companion details
of his career, borrowing largely from
the pages of Rudyard Kipling, the most
blood-curdling adventures following
each other in rapid succession, while
sat furious in my corner, cursing him
for fool. The old lady was complete
ly fascinated, and kept on saying it
sounded like a romance-which, in
deed, it did, There really was nothing
Algy hadn't done; he had been in
Jameson's raid, he had fought at Sua-
kim, he had held fort with handful
of men against thousands of Afghans,
he was one of the three survivors of
the wreck of the Drummond Castle.
| wondered how much the OLD girl
would stand, but she swallowed it all
down like milk, and when we got to
Edinburg, where we parted, she begged
Algy to tell her his name. To my
disgust | saw him hand her his caro-,
and she warmly entreated us both, If
we We're ever in Edinburg again, to
come and see her in Drumsheugh Gar
dens.
| thought Algy was going altogether
too far, giving his name, with the regi-
ment and all, to be discredited like
this for the sake of silly joke and
pitched into him well as the train
numbered out of Waverly station.
Algy laughed boisterously. 81 didn't
give her my name, you old duffer," he
said, Il gave her Percival's. | hap
pened to have a card of my immaculate
cousins in my pocket, and | HANDED 1t
over to the old girl. Percival will be
rather surprised if he meets her some
day to hear that he is the hero of
hundred fights that he has read OF in
the newspapers"
saw that it was no use saying any
more, so buried myself in my cigar and
railway rug. After a bit the effect of
the champagne beginning to wear off
Algy grew more morose again and
raved against fate and Percival and Old
Lafone until finally he dropped off to
sleep. to my great relief and | was at
last allowed to do the same.
A day or two after we had rejoined
Algy came into my room in the bar
racks with a face as white as sheet
and letter in his hand. 1t seemed
he had thought better OF his conduct to
old Lafone, and had written and tele-
graphed, implorng Maude to forgive
him. AND now she had written TO say
that the separation must be final, that
on knowing him better she felt she
IpuIdi u uoL MN, anu LHdt a MAJ ilt-N
would not be for their happiness. Algy
must take this as final.
| read the letter over and toiu him
| thought she meant il. And SO il
turned out, for no bumbling in the dust
on the part of Algy han any effect.
i was all at an end The poor chap
was frightfully cut up; the whole thing
was his own fault, which of course,
wasn't a soothing reflection. There
was nothing to be done, however, but
TO try to bear It. Soon after he APP
piled to exchange into the White Lane
ors, and for some time ! saw nothing
Of him. They didn't care for him in
the White Lancers, and christened him
Melancholy Jacques Although |
confess that fate had been Bit rough /
on him, thought he should have
shown more pluck. What made
things worse for Algy. Perciyal was
going in strong for Maude Lafone, al
though her people did not encourage
him much, as he was even worse of
than his cousin.
One day Percival came into the mess