The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-18
!, Colonel Drury. :
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IN all the country there was no
Nj batter liked man than Colonel
Drury of the Chase, Elmhurst,
n that quaint old red dwelling
house Of two stories stories ,Sa,,n5s which S'UUa t(s
off the high road between Sele-
hurst and Hastings. The colonel
had served with the great Marlborough
and had named his only son John
Churchill, after the chief whom he still
worshiped and still regarded as a hero
without flaw or stain.
Long since had the fever blood and
war faded from the coloners life; and
now, in summer days, he loved to daily
in the terraced garden, with its box
hedges and FLASHING fountains, and Its
riot of blossoms and color and perfume,
plucking here a flower and there
half-opened bud that looked coyly for
the first time upon the morning, and
yelling them with lacy ferns of tender
green. Then he would carry the whole
bunch of sweets within doors to dark
eyed Mistress Betty, his niece, and pre-
sent them to her with a word OF loving
grace, like the old courtier that he
was; and Betty, who loved the dear
old man and his flowers too, would fill
great china bowels with the treasures
of the garden. and drop them into slen-
der vases, and altogether work such
wonders OF loveiness among them with
her slim white fingers that the coloneps
admiration was scarcely to be eX-
pressed.
Tall and erect, his white hair queued
In club, always dressed with almost
foppish precision, the colonel, with his
fine features and bronzed face, was 4
man whom no one would pass un-
noticed Grave. yet kindly, and easily
pleased, he had marched through life
with as little concern for danger as 6
brave and not foolish man may have.
Four times he had been wounded and
at Families he had defended the colors
against such odds that Marlborough
had said: "Drury has more devil in
him than the greatest flre-eater in the
army"
Always the same calm gentleman, in
battle or at home, was the colonel. He
had led the way to danger and fol.
lowed to safety. Few officers at that
time were so beloved by their men, fol
1t was too generally the custom Ia
treat the private soldier as a brutal
gladiator, bought and paid for, SOU
and body--a debased creature drilled
and forced to fight, to whom hardship
was but a right measure, and death the
final reward of a slavish service. Cap
tain Drury-as he was then-treatet
his company as men of honor, and ex.
pected implicit obedience and respec
in return.
Il respect every honest man, sir" hc
would say, land if he does not respe2
me, then I would avoid him, for either
he or / cannot be fitted for the position
we ocupy."
Now in his latter days he employn,
himself with the management of the
property he had inherited, and of tn,
larger Inheritance of Betty, an estate
which, under his care, increased ir
value year by year.
One great wish the colonel had ant
It was that Betty. whom he loved as
daughter, should marry her cousir
John; but 1t seemed that his wisl
would not be gratifed, for the lady
who was at this time not much owe
IS, had many admirers, and was Of
capricious and naughty disposition. Sh
loved her cousin as a brother 50 sh
Sdlus anu john, lIlnul vi lndl she wa
an heiress, would not press his suit
second time. Betty might haye re
gretted her words when the bright
faced, handsome young man left he
and Joined his regiment; but she neve
showed it, for she was proud, and o
that nature which can suffer in silence
Never had she been so gay as on IT,
morning when John left the Chase, an
the good colonel, who knew naught O
the ways of women, lost all hope of til
fulhllment Of his cherished wish.
Betty had many suitors. and her es
tates had some ardent admirers. an
among these latter was Sir Davi
Noakes, who was in the same regimen
as John Drury, and whose heavil
mortgaged lands adjoined the Chase
When at length creditors beCam
pressing, Sir David determined to pu
his fate to the test, and rode to tn
Chase one afternoon, and requested q
interview with Mistress Betty.
He found the heiress in the garder
among her rainbow flowers, and ad
vancing across the soft turf, he gaze
at her critically, and told himself tina
the prize had other attractions tha
its money value. Betty was arraye
all in snowy white muslin, and had
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