The Detroit times., 1909-05-12
AMLION
> Dy hudson oualas
CHAPTER ~.
|O'Ferral Hears OF Friends Sad Fate
In the Land Of Ophir.


holly. And what dye mean by yoaI
ridiculous statements. Get up on
that chair--this tables reserved"
The other did not bulge.
If your names not Quaintance
pursued the intruder. cycling him i'm
perturably what alias are you using
you rascal? Sit still Don't make a
disturbance. know you. Look
here
He laid one hand on the white table.
roth, and Quaintance observed a dia'
lnond-shaped scar on its palm. lie
sank back into his seat, and his ex.
preston of anger gave way to one OF
helpless bewlderment.
Isis that YOU, OFerral'" he
Whispered weakly. admitting his own
identity without further argument
And the elderly-looking mans bag
gard. clean-shayen face wrinkled into
friendly smile.
I'm OFerral sure enough" he re-
storted. 'or at least I'm his mortal re-
mains In a civilized shirt. steve
But ! could have sworn you were
still on the Upper Congo" objected
Quaintance. "Yow told me you'd be
there ali winter, and-What in God $
name have YOU been doing to yourself
since | saw you last You were 80
then. and--you look go now, What's
happened"
III you were one OF the Where,
How, and All About II Brigade from
Newspaper Row" O'Ferral returned
Easily you'd know better than TO
bank on my being anywhere at any
line. Here today and only heaven
Knows where tomorrow's our motto,
my boy.
I'm older and ugler than | was
his time last year. but cant help
hat. Thereby wags a tale-which
II tell you presently
Quaintance's brain was still in "a
whirl. hut he was overjoyed by OFFER
ais most unlocked for appearance.
There was that between himself and
he quickwitted newspaperman which
ormed an unbreakable bond. and he
Knew that ne could not have gained a
more congenial companion or staunch.
pr comrade at such a juncture.
Cad, Tm glad To see you again
although | took YOU for highclass
gold brick artist at first. | couldn {
imagine how you had got hold of my
old-my name.
O'Ferral raised quiZZical eyebrows.
Your old-your name he re-
marked. What's the game? Have you
hanged your name? Why? What =
he new one? Let's swap stories
Quaintance thought for a moment
before replying lie had not intend
I'd to take anyone into his confidence,
put he promptly made up his mind To
rust his friend fully.
MY story's a somewhat tangled
bne.' he at length returned. Let's
lear yours first
Mines soon told" said O'Ferral
readily. After we parted company
On the Congo | went further up-river.
lot fever AT village there. and was
aid low for close on three months.
Then orders reached me from the OF
ice that | was TO cross country TO the
,oast, looking up the alleged slave
rade in Portuguese West Africa.
anne out at Mossamedes, where
ound a cable waiting TO hurry me
nome. Here | am
Thus simply did he epitomize a
welvemonih OF the severest suffering
man might well undertake. and
luaintance reading between the lines.
Understood all he had left untold.
For the two had been more than
friends. They had endured together
in darkest Africa, and there was also
debt between them. The scar on
D'Ferral's right hand had been left
here by spear aimed AT Quaint
inces heart.
But Ouaintance's recolections of
he correspondent had been OF big,
ktalwart young man. Small wonder,
hen that he had not recognized TINS
slender, elderly elegant In evening
iress.
O'Ferral glanced inquiringly at ham.
Don't tell me anything you'd rath-
pr not" he said. simply. IN take you
bn trust-if you'l just let me know
What name I'm To- call you by.
I'D rather yett-heatd- THE whole
story replied Quaintance, but its
such a long one ! don't quite know
where To cut In. I'll have To start
way back to make IL clear.
my storys somewhat tangled. IL
starts with blood feud. You know
what that means-in the south, OFer-
rail-"
His friend nodded assent.
There's one in my family. In II.
mark you. and not with any outsider
NV fathers only brother, Miles Quaint
lnce. began it-and kept IT up-till
he died. last Christmas. in San Fran
risco. He murdered my father. Not
with knife or shotgun. bur legally and
by inches.
I'm the last of the Quaintances liv-
Ing, and must carry on the quarrel.
My accounts with the dead man.
Miles"
O'Ferral stared at him, listening
closely.
There were more of them and
they were better off before the war.
hut that cleaned them out in more
ways than one. My father and Uncle
Miles were the only two of the old
Rtock left at The roll call in '65. and
khey were very hard pushed after that
10 make both ends meet.
"My father was the elder brother.
The old home was his. though 1t was
pf no value then. Ny uncle had moth.
ing.
"They both fell In love presently
with an equally penniless southern
BEAUTY. and--she turned .illes down.
He left home ON their wedding
! eve. swearing that he would make
her rue the day she had Tilted him.
They heard no more 81 him for
a Ions time after that. They were
very happy together.
But in other ways my -ather was
most unucky, and mortgage succeed
ed mortgage until AZ last he found
himself In the direct straits.
But he made pluckv Fight for II.