Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-11-22

CHAPTER 1.
The Flight From London.

IlelHpe were spent at an Ola 1afrl-
house in OXfordshire, and there 1 was
like to have been utterly spoilt, for the
dear old couple with whom I lived
would have made an attempt upon the
moon had expressed wish to have
had that luminary for a plaything.
Two or three times a year Il gentlc-
man came to stay with us, and so ex-
citing an event did his advent be-
come by reason Of the many good
things he brought me, that L grew to
look for him anXiously: and when /
was old enough, and it was announced
TO ME solemnly that he was my father,
I had no objection whatever to take
upon my young shoulders all the re-
probabilities OF sonship seeing that
my sire WIS SO pleasant a parsonage.
'Jack"--by the way, I was known as
Jack Tlemayne-"Jack," said he to
me one day as / sat on his knee, I'VE
must begin to learn something"
L stared at him in surprise, for I
took his 1--WE" literally.
I'VE must have primer, and before
the winter comes we ought to be able
to read; and when I asked him
with all the solemnity of puzzled
childhood Why it was that he couldn't
read, L was answered with IL merry
laugh.
TIM speaking of you" he said:
;"and a kind gentleman has promised
to come over and give you lessons,
and I know that for my sake you'll be
81 good boy and work hard"
| gave this promise readily enough.
but the carrying of it out was another
matter as the kind gentleman" found
to his cost; for though he labored
with me conScientiously enough for an
hour every day, | just AS conscient-
iously thwarted his good endeavours,
and tried to learn nothing, and was
eminently successful. And he might
have been teaching me With the same
result through all the days of my
childhood had not my Mary''-for T.
speedily appropriated her-come upon
the scene.
L thought her the sweetest lady in
existence. and I would fain have adj
opted her for my mother had she given
me the slightest encouragement to
do SO, for. in my innocent way, an
'gued that. since T had so nice Il man
for a father, and as he had, SO to
speak. ''proceeded' to the relation
ship. ] couldn't seq why the sweet
lady shouldn't qualify for the llonours
of maternity. did not, of course, put
it to myself exactly in that way, but
no doubt / should have done so had T
been able.
CT .1,n J., n1
come to spend the summer with us.
and she took me in hand, and matters
soon went smoothly. so smoothly, i'll
al of the story that Russia has begun
deed. that I had quite mastered the
rudiments of reading. when q giant
came and took my business away.
1t was the leafy month of June. and
I had made myself happy and my
knicherbockers airy by cambering to
high perch in an old oak tree. and l
was contemplating a still loftier flight,
with the prospect OF q rapid descent,
when heard voices beneath me, and,
looking down. I saw Mary and Il gem
tleman With her. and the gentleman's
arm was where I considered it ought
not to be. for it WAS around her waist.
And he kissed her, not once. nor twice.
but many times and presently, when
he had called her names that set my
boyish heart beating (for I knew. by
the way she allowed it. that he had
the right he drew her away.
You must come and sing my old fa-
vorite for me. Mary" he said, and. as
soon as they We're out Of sight I
slipped down and followed, and pres"
ently. nesting by the rose bush that
grew near the best room window, I
heard her playing the old piano softly,
and singing song that she had often
sung to me, an Irish melody, set to
words that began
std mourn the hopes that leave me-
Two days afterwards the man with
the blue eyes and the big beard came
Hast she put me from her gently. and
kissed me and babe me goodbye
and then she promised to come back in
a few days-and she was one who al
ways kept her promise if she could.
never saw her again while 1 was at the
farm house. That was the first blight
the Ragged Thirteen put upon my life,
though many years passed before
knew who We're the authors of my
trouble.
The leafy month of June had given
way. to the much more satisfactory
fruity July. when one night. as l was
preparing for rest. my father suddenly
appeared. and. even to. my childish
eyes and understanding. it was plain
that he was in great trouble. He took
the old lady and gentleman into an in
ner room, and some quarter of an hour
afterwards was dressed for travelling,
and when dear old daddy and NANNY
had wept over me. drove away With
my father to the station.
The next day a steamer carried us
to the continent. and for years we
wandered through the by-ways of Eu-
rope, avoiding the large cities and
staying in the neighborhood Of none
OF them for any long time.
~ My father became my teacher, and
better of more patient master no child;
ever had, and while he did his best to
develop my intellect, he spared no,
pains in getting me physically At for
my .'rough-and- tumble" with the
world: and. fine scholar though he
wns. i believe he was ns much pleased