The Opelousas courier., 1900-10-20

and matches. II
was his custom, ant
every night after dinner oil
John Tregony. who had served him
boy and man, as a Tregony has eve
served a Denzil, used to light the II
brary candles and lead Sir Jasper t
his seat beside the fire, placing tn
table handy at his side. Then h
would draw a large armchair to tn
other side Of the fireplace, as though
In expectation of a visitor, and, clos
ing the door, would leave Sir Jasper
to his thoughts.
There Sir Jasper Danzii sat alone
brooding v e the past till the clocl
on the mantel shelf struck ten. Ther
he filed a goblet and rose will
glass uplifted toward the empty chair
MANY happy returns of the day, my
dear boy" he said, with a stately bow
to the chair. "Gentlemen,!w he con.
tinued, with a sweep of his glass that
appealed to the long rows Of portraits
Of dead-and-gone Denzils that lined
the oak-paneled walls-"gentlemen all
/ give you a toast. Here's to the
health Of my dear son, the heir Of Mt.
Royal"
The other glass remained unemptied
and the brier pipe untouched. Sir
Jasper was no smoker, and the pipe
belonged to his only son, now lost ia
him.
Fifteen years ago they had parted
In anger and Sir Jasper had never
seen or heard of his boy beyond that
he had died in California of starvation
and fever. He had refused to believe
this report, and every night John Ire
gony. his butler, would lay the glass
and the pipe and place the chair for
Master Harry, who never came.
III will come tomorrow" Such
had been the burden Of Jasper Den
Ellis life for fifteen long years, to the
grief OF the faithful John Tregony and
the chagrin of Rufus Denzil, Sir Jas
per's nephew and his next heir.
Rufus could not bear any reference
to Harry Denzil's fate, for his mind
was uneasy concerning a certain re-
port which he had caused to be in
serted In a California paper. and GER
tain certificates which he had obtained
under false pretenses from a trusting
Justice of the State OF California.
Tonight he felt restless and uneasy
as he viciously cannoned the balls on
the billiard table.
What IL he should not be dead after
ALP he murmured. "Great Scott,
how it blows!" he added, as a violent
gust OF wind shrleked with a rattle
OF rain across the skylight.
He was glad when Tregony entered
with a cold syphon, for there
were no visitors in the house, and the
loneliness of the billiard room o.
pressed him.
From the sea sounded the deem
voice of the wet westerly gale. min
gled with the distant crash Of the
great waves as they fell with a thun-
dering boom on the black rocky lodges
OF Mount Royal Bay.
Its a bad night. john" remarked
Rufus to the old retainer.
"Ay. ay, sir! it's q black night, and
there'H be some fat wrecks along the
coast by the morning!. said John IRE
gony. shaking his head, less in sor-
row than in anticipation; for John
came of an old Cornish stock. and
found 1t hard to regard o wreck other
wise than as q gift from the sea.
You wouldn't mind if there was a
Wreck-eh. John?' queried Rufus Den
I'll.
Not a-zactly tha-a-t, SIR" replied
slowly, "but IL there is q wreck,
Well-there 1t is, and it's no use a-de-
splsin' what a blessed Providence may
send in the way of salvage. Us don't
put the ship ashore, anyway"
Then John Tregony left the room.
Rufus Denzil seated himself
o ponder over his affairs.
he was head over heels in debt, and
afs creditors were becoming clamor-
ous. An income of $500 per annum.
sven when eked out by d irst-class
land at whist and an unerring cue at
billiards. he had found insufficient to
'afisfy tastes that were hardly to be
ndulged in by those whose rent rolls
represented i've figures.
he turned uneasily in his seat as he
bought of tile old man In the library.
vho was 81 long a-dying. !,
sas
Iii.
he called to mind how Sir Jasper !,
az sent him, the next heir, to Cali
ornia, IN search of the prodigal son. !
nd how the old baronct had paid j
Without 2 lnurinur the tremendous bill /
: costs OF his two years of riotous I
In the States.
He had located Harry nenzll, I'd. !
other with bis vito. tho leupilesa ,
aHghspg os The aEsshaaIss napspn Of i
III lssyRll lA6 RIO ipAoeeat caNsp III /
V gasfllpn pslTEn falHm aaa asn,