Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1899-03-30


xrumpiinR at the presence of the OLD
GIRL. for she broke the sombre 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 that
beastiy champagne you get at Perth.
/ noticed he was very much flushed
and excited when he returned to our
carriage. He began giving our travel
ing companion details OF his career
borrowed largely from the pages OF
Rudyard Kipling, the most blood-curd-
ling adventures followed each other In
rapid succession, while sat furious In
my corner. cursing him for fool. The
old lady was completely fascinated,
and kept on saying It sounded like
romance which. indeed, It didl There
really was nothing Algy hadn't done;
he had been In Jameson's raid, ne had
fought at Suakim. he had held Tort
with handful Of men against thou
sands OF Afghans, he was one OF the
three survivors Of the wreck or the
Drummond Castle. l wondered
how much the old girl would stand, but
she swallowed 1t all down like milk.
and when we got to Edinburgh, where
we parted. she begged Algy to tell her
his name. To my disgust, saw him
hand her his card. and she warmly en-
treated us both. II we were ever IN
Edinburgh again. to come and see her
| In Drumsheugh Gardens.
l 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 | pitch
ed into him well as the train numbered
out of Waverley station.
Algy laughed boistercusly. Il didn't
give her my name, you old dufer." ne
| said. 81 gave her Percival's. ! happen
ed to have q card Of my immaculate
cousins In my pocket, and l handed IL
over to the old girl. Percival win be
rather surprised II he meets her some
| day to hear that he Is the hero of a
hundred lights that he has only read OF
in the newspapers"
| I saw that 1t was no use saying any
more. SO buried myself In my cigar and
railway rug. After bit. the effect OF
the champagne beginning to wear on,
Algy grew more morose again and
raved against fate and Percival and old
Lafone until finally he dropped or to
sleep, to my great relief. and was Al
last allowed to do the same.
A day or two after we had rejoined'
Algy came into my room in the bar
racks with q face as white as a sheet,
and a letter In his hand. 1t seemed he
had thought better of his conduct to old
Lafone and had written and telegraph
ed, imploring Maude to forgive him
And now she had written to say that
the separation must be hnal, that on
knowing him better she felt she
couldn't trust him, and that a marriage
would not be for their happiness. Algy
must take this as final.
| I read the letter over. and told him
thought she meant it. And so it turn
ed out. for no humbling In the dust or
the part Of Algy had any effect. 1t wai
| all at an end. The poor chap wal
frightfully cut up; the whole thing wal
his own fault, which, of course, wasn',
soothing reflection. There was moth
ing to be done, however, but to try and
bear 1t. Soon after he applied to ex
change into the White Lancers. and fol
some time saw nothing Of him. They
didn't care for him In the White Lam
GERS, and christened him "Melanchol!
Jaoues." Although confess that fat
had been bit rough on him, though
he should have shown more pluck
What made things worse for Algy, Per
cival was going In strong for Maud
Lafone, although her people did not en-
courage him much. as he was ever
worse of than his cousinl
One day Percival came into the mes
with an expression Of utter bewilder
ment on his face and long blue en-
velope in his hand.
81 say. you fellows" he said, here
the most extraordinary thing!
Did any of you ever hear Of Mrs. FL
len Macfee, of No. 9 Drumsheugh Gar
dens, Edinburgh"
looked up. Surely I had heard tina
name before .. but where1
Suddenly 1t flashed across me that
was our old acquaintance Of the trainl
well" contonued Perciyal, "Tv
Just had a letter from firm in Edin
burgh-writers to the signet whateve
. that may mean; something like a solic
tor in England, I suppose-to say tha
, Mrs. Ellen Macfee is dead, and has LEI
me the whole Of her fortune, amount
, ing to 5000 yearl I never set eye
: on the woman In my life-never eve
heard Of her. But here 1t Is, all col
, rect. TO Captain Percivai Mainwal
: ing, Of Her Majesty's Grey Horse It
; one Of those things no fellow can ur
Z derstand; but did any one ever hear Q
J such an extraordinary piece Of luck'
! A month later the Morning Post cor
/ tanned the announcement Of the maj
E riage Of Captain Percival Mainwarini
: Of Her Majesty's Grey Horse, to Mis-
I Maude Lafone.-The London Star.