Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-04-18

In these days IL Is hard to find a
| man into whose handa you may place
a young woman and say to her: Trust
him implicitlyl'" Somers smiled
slightly.
"My dear fellow, don't you see that
it is you whom the woman will trust
in this instance, not me? am only
to vindicate you"
"Then you consent?"
"Why, of coursel I have no ties TO
| hinder me; and L shall never marry
| with any serious intentions. AS you
know, my life chance passed from me
when l laid down my commission in
the army to become wanderer. I
am here to-day to sign for a small
share in some property of my grand
mothers, and tomorrow l shall be
off again. l do not think / will be
inconvenienced much by the fact that
| shall leave bride in Richmond
whom l have never seen nor am apt
to see; and since it helps you and
your friend, why, am positively
happy ONcE IuC dhdlI. act
I am about up to par in this matter
| now"
"You make me happy, Dick. True
as steel always, but always-always-
l wish, old fellow. 1 might find the
missing note in your life"
Satisfy my ambition, Frank, and
you have found it. My people were
of the army and navy. You remem-
ber Somers in Tripoli, and-but this
is idle. When that damnable villain
Holbin tempted me to embroil myself
with the authorities in an act of in
subordination the world was rose
ate"
"Holbin-Raymond Holbin?'
"Why, yes. Had you forgotten the
circumstances? 1 used to rage over
it enough in Paris, God knows. Pass
the matches, please" Brodnar passed
them and moved quickly to the rear
of the speaker, lifting his right hand
in excitement, his features working
convulsively. "It did not help mat
ters that they cashiered him for ras-
cality and pusillanimity, for they had
let me resign, and my application for
reinstatement lies Enacted upon still.
Frank, there is the open grave in my
| life, and the missing note is silent
within it." He wheeled his chair
about and looked up into his friends
face. "You would help it if you could,
know; and bless you, my boy, for
your sympathy. What was it you
wanted me to do? Oh, yes, the mar
riage. Let us get back to that. Am
to make a toilet? But of course"
"You will do as you are. 1t will be
in the dark. But, Dick, at this mo-
ment, for the first time, the full ex-
tent of your friendship dawns upon
me and L see the generous heart beat
ing away so faithfully in my behalf.
Dick, there was a woman in the af-
fair between you and Holbin; you
have never told me of her and
don't ask you now, but if there is a
sacrifice in this for you it is not too
late"
Sacrifice? Lead on! I am in the
hands of my. friends. I am not the
first to leap blindfolded into the sea
of matrimony, nor shall be the last.
Life is cycle and fools beget fools.
Besides, | have in my religion some
of the fatalism of the east: That
which comes to US without our seeking
and seemeth right to do, is generally
the right thing to do. The falling
cocoanut that breaks the sleeping
robbers head feeds the starving pill
grim"
"Well said. And in this adventure,
my friend, 1 take it that you are
the cocoanut. | am old-fashioned
enough to believe in God, and with
His help you may break villain s
head indeed"
"But l shall be satisfied if my own
isn't broken. By the way, my wife
should understand that if this ugly
rupture between the south and north
involves blows, she may hear of her
husband bearing arms against her"
'Fiddlesticks! There has been
more blood shed in my back office
than you will see spilled between the
north and south. The people on the
streets and up yonder in the capitol
are temporarily insane. 1t will end
in wind-my name for oratory."
Cheers in the street below, followed
by the discharge of a cannon, shook
the windows. A boy rushed past,
crying an extra.
what does he say?" asked Somers,
as Brodnar, who stood near the win
dow, lifted his face.
Fort Sumter has surrenderedn
CHAPTER II.