The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-03-20

Though there was a good fifteen
years difference OF age between as, we
became staunch friends. without be-
Ing grandmotherly Ferguson kept
me from all sorts OF tomfooleries. such
as hot-headed young officers are 80
apt to indulge in.
Our Colonel was Harvey Fame. now
a Major General and a x. c. b., with
q large family Of daughters, and his
house was an attractive centre for
bachelor officers, eligible and ineligi-
bic.
1T was not long before / discovered
that Beatrix Fame was more to me
than all the other girls Of my ac-
qualntance.
Very soon, too, / was successful N
getting her assurance that /, in like
manner, was the Yeritable fairy
prince
"Of course / conhded in Colonel Jim,
who though sympathetic, advised a
wise waiting until at any rate l sue
ceeded to the property, which I inner
tied six years ago.
Attached to the regiment was a
certain Captain Holroyd, who was
said to be connected in some way
with a monster firm of East-end
clothiers Any way he was very un-
popular with all ranks.
Quite accidentally heard, the day
/ after the recent affair at the Cos
mopolitan that HoHoyd was Disch-
mans cousin, hence the fact of the for
mer's knowledge Of what / am going
to tell you about Colonel jim
This man Holroyd was an invet-
crate gambler and nearly always
won. 1t so happened that when |
came into the Wharton estate there
was a large accumulation Of ready
money which I Immediately proceeded
to spend in right royal style Hol-
! royd, ever on the scent for a pigeon
to pluck suddenly became very
friendly with me, and one day invited
me to pass a week with him at
Brighton. Glad of change, and having
easily obtained leave, l left Aldershot
with Holroyd without acquainting
Colonel jim of my intention.
AS a matter of fact knew perfect
ly we'll what would be his advice, and
therefore, l evaded it. l did not even
tell Beattie, but wrote her on my ar
rival at Brighton.
All went well until the third day,
except that l lost heavily at bridge to
Holroyd, when, after a dinner to
which Holroyd had invited two or
three other men, we all adjourned for
an hours stroll on the pier.
Whether it was that, being un-
used to excessive indulgence in wine,
had taken too much champagne, or
whether l was seized with sudden ill
ness l cannot exactly say. l only
know that by some unaccountable
means managed to fall from the
pier into the sea, getting a nasty
smack through coming into contact
with one of the iron cross-girders
Il remembered nothing more till !
found myself alone in my Brighton
lodging, wretchedly i'll, and very much
ashamed of myself
THE doctor who attended me, a
splendid fellow told me that Holroyd
had returned to Aldershot without
troubling to find out my real condi-
ton.
THAT night late, a further surprise
was in store for me- Beattie, accom-
panied by Colonel Jim, the latter with
a seriously injured arm, arrived at my
diggings in Warrior Square.
ut was soon apparent that Colonel
Jim was in bad way, my doctor
after a brief examination of the in
jured arm, declaring that immediate
amputation was necessary.
''All the time l was in absolute ig
norance of how the accident had hap
pened, or how it was that Beattie hat
come to Brighton in Colonel Jim''
company.
ut was not until the operation was
over, and Mrs. Fame who was wireC
for at once, had arrived to look aftei
her wandering daughter, that
learned the whole story from Beattie's
= lips.
LAS some little explanation of wha
took place, let me say that both Col
onel Fame and Colonel Jim were ar
dent motorists, each possessing
twelve-horse-power Panhard, which
they were eternally pitting the on
! against the other.
Colonel Jim always drove his ca
himself, but Colonel Fame, not beinl
so expert, employed a French chauf
feur, at fabulous wages.
: 'Well, it seems that the day befor