The Detroit times., 1909-05-12
ArlILLION
Dy hudson Douglas
CHAPTER ~.
oFerral Hears Of a Friends Sad Fate
La the Land Of Ophir

me Otner ala not Duuse.
III 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"
lie laid one hand on the white table
cloth. and Quaintance observed dia
mond-shaped scar on its palm. lie
sank back into his seat. and his ex'
preston OF anger gave way TO one oil
helpless bewlderment.
Isis that YOU. O'Ferral'" he
whispered weakly. admitting his own
Identity without further argument
And the elierly-looking mans bag
gard. clean-shaven face wrinkled into
IA friendly smile.
I'm O'Ferral. sure enough. he re-
storted. "or at least I'm his mortal re-
mains In a civilized shirt. Steve.''
But l could have sworn you were
still on the Upper Congo" objected
Quaintance. You told me you'd be
there all winter. and-What in Gods
name have you been doing to yourself
since | saw you last, You were ~
then. and---you look 90 now! What's
happened?"
If you were one OF the Where
How. and All About IL Brigade from
Newspaper Row" O'Ferral returned
easily. you'd know better than to
bank on my being anywhere at any
time. Here today and only heaven
knows where tomorrow's our motto
my boy
I'm older and ugller than I was
this time last year. but | can't help
alA A. f.l.
IN tell you presently"
Quaintance's brain was still in a
whirl, but he was overjoyed by OFer
rails most unlocked for appearance
There was that between himself and
the quickwitted newspaperman which
formed an unbreakable bond. and he
knew that he could not have gained a
more congenial companion or staunch-
er comrade at such a juncture.
Cad, I'm glad TO see you again
although / took you for a high-class
gold brick artist at first. | couldn't
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
changed your name? Why? What i
lHt uCW Olst l-tl swap NNpiiCo.
Quaintance thought for moment
before replying. He had not intend
ed TO take anyone into his confidence,
but he promptly made up his mind to
trust his friend fully.
MY story's somewhat tangled
one" he at length returned. Let's
hear yours first"
Mines soon told" said O'Ferral
rfa1
ON the Congo | went further up-river.
Got fever at village there. and was
laid low for close on three months.
Then orders reached me from the Of
fee that | was TO cross country To the
coast, looking up the alleged Slave
trade in Portuguese West Africa.
came out at Mossamedes, where
found a cable waiting TO hurry me
home. Here | am"
Thus simply did he epitomize a
twelvemonth OF the severest suffering
man might well undertake, and
Quaintance. 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
a debt between them. The scar on
O'Ferrals right hand had been left
there hy spear aimed at Quaint
ance's heart.
But Qualntance's recollections OF
the correspondent had been of big
stalwart young man. Small wonder
then. that ne had not recognized THIS
slender. elderly elegant In evening
dress.
O'Ferral glanced inquiringly at hsm
Don't tell me anything you'd rath
er not he said. simply III take you
on trust--if you'll just let me know
what ma ne I'm TO call you by.
I'D rather you heard the whole
story" replied Quaintanccl Quits
such long one | don't quite know
where to cut in. I'll have TO starr
way back TO make il clear.
!, MY story's somewhat tangled II
starts with a blood feud. You know
what that means-in the south, O'Fer
raj"
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
ance. began it--and kept IL up-til
he died, last Christmas, in San Fran
cisco. He murdered my father. MOI
with knife or shotgun, but legally and
by inches.
I'm the last OF the Quaintances liv
ing, and--I must carry on the quarrel
My accounts with the dead man
Miles"
OFerral stared at him, listenins
closely.
There were more OF them ant
they were better off before the war
But that cleaned them out in moro
ways than one. Ny father and Uncl,
Miles were the only two of the oil,
stock left at the roll call in '65. anC
they were very hard pushed after tina
10 make both ends meet
"Nly father was the elder brother
The old home was his. though IL wa,
of no value then. My uncle had moth
ing.
They both fell in love present.!
with an equally pennilcsS southern
beauty, and-she turned lilies down
He left home on their wedding
eve, swearing that he would maxi
her rue the day she had tilted him.
They heard no more Of him 70
long time after that. They wer'
very happy together.
But IN other ways my sather wa
most unlucky, and mortgage succeed
ed mortgage until at last he foun,
himself in the direst strai's.
But he made a plucky Fight for II
The ornaf>ct