Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-07-11
William.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
By Evelyn Orchard.

By Evelyn orchard.
William Briggs was youth Of no
particular distinction. He had had
the misfortune at a very early stage
in his career to disappoint the dear
est. expectation of his parents. He
was their second child The first
born a little girl, had died at the
sweetest OF all ages-the toddling
stage. And both had prayed for an
other child, with what earnestness
can only be understood by those who
have been similarly bereft. The ba-
by girl had been an angel of beauty;
The new baby, so eagerly expected,
and for whom all his small sisters
dainty belongings had been lovingly
prepared had no beauty. He was
squat, featureless, vacuous in express
sion from his infancy up, His mother
;ried when she beheld him, and his
ather turned away Such had been
heir attitude towards William from
lis youth I'D. Other children follow
d in quick succession. William re-
lained the outsider of the family.
10 pet abbreviatiOn of his name was
estOwed upon him; he remained as
had begun, plain William. The
tmosphere by which he was enYi-
lned in his childhood and youth had
s due effect upon William. He be-
Ame self contained, playless child,
companionless lad, who wandered
1Iitary, pursuing his own thoughts.
here was not much money spent on
IS education, it being decided that
had no conspicuous ability. At
q early age he was hustled into his
theirs office, a commercial office,
herein he occupied the humblest
DOL And there he remained quiet
and apparently contented for two
ears At the end of that time he
ent to his father, being more than
4venteen years of age.
81 want to go abroad, he said, IN
at quiet, rather dull way OF his.
cannot remain here any longer.
" life is without meaning. Give
fifty pounds and let me 60"
Briggs senior stared. Never had
lillian surprised him more.
ct is a cool request" he grunted,
must talk it over with your moth
He went home to Streatham Com
On an hour earlier than usual for
purpose, with the result that the
flowing week William said goodbye
his family, and left London. They
We him a good plain outfit, paid his
ssage to New York, and gave him
bank draft for fifty pounds.
Il will pay it all back" he said
ietly.
You speak with great confidence"
served his mother drily. What if
don't get on? Those who don't
on here don't generally shine
road"
Il mean to get on he said quietly,
Il pretending he had forgotten
netting he went upstairs again.
It it was only to kiss his sister
tcy again. They were passionately
cached to one another, and Lucy
lieved in him.
So William disappeared, and Ior
lr years his family heard nothing
him. Then a letter came contain
"a cheque for fifty pounds, which
licated that he had banking &C
unit. The postmark was a small
)ntier town in Northern India.
lite evidently he had not remained
America. There was no address,
viewer, so they could not write.
Four more years passed.
Colonel Frank Lemoine sat on the
.anda of the dark bungalow smok-
very long cigar. A soda-water
tile and a glass stood suggestively
bamboo table at his side, to-
her with a pair of powerful field
sses, through which he had been
umining, off and on for the last
If. the defile which led through
gorge, and so to the desert plains
ond. His brows were knit, his
gray eyes were troubled, the
'nuous face had aged in twenty