The Ordway new era., 1909-03-19

us both by her daily labor-managed
| to foil all of the efforts of Admiral SIT
! Peter Hawkshaw to find me; Tor ne
had done all he could to discover the
whereabouts of his nephews orphan.
'Tis not for me to say one Word
against Betty Green, for she slaved ior
me as only woman can slave, ana,
besides. brought me up in the habits
and manners of n gentleman, alDel'
she did little for my education, ana TO
| this day | am prone TO be en-
barrassed when | have pen IN my
hand. can not say that ! was happy
In the devoted, though savage. IoN'
she lavished upon me. She would not
allow me to play with the boys oi h'f
own class, and those of my class
never saw. All my clamorings to
know something about my family on
either side were met by her declaring
that she had forgotten where my
mothers people lived: and as for Slr
Pete, she gave me such hOrritNlnE
account of him that | never dreamed
IL possible TO receive any kindness
from him. At last. though. on her
dcath-bed. she acknowledged part ot
the deception her desperate affection
had impelled her to play upon me.
The poor soul had actually forgotten
about my mothers family, and had
destroyed everything relating to them,
but directed me TO go to Sir Peter;
and thus II was that, on the day after
| saw Betty Green. my only friend on
earth. laid In paupcr's grave, ! went
to the house of my fathers uncle, with
the result narrated. When | got back
to the humble lodgings where had
lived before Betty's death. looked uT
small box of trinkets of little value
which had belonged to my mother. and
from the sale of them got enough tC
live upon for week. and to make my
way to Portsmouth at the end of 1t
Either Sir Peter had forgotten to tel
me anything about my outfit. or else
| had slipped out so quiCkly-Gallcd
by the fear of weeping before that
rascally footman-that he had nc
chance. At all events. | arrived At
Portsmouth by the mail coach. with
''AA VI NY 'fl'lA-~Al'-o IA 'lA' sAAsA'A'
portmantcau.
shall not describe my feelings dur
ing that journey toward the new life
that awaited me In fact. | scarcely
recall them cohcTently; all was
maze. tumble. and an uproar in my
mind.
We got down In the inn yard-a
coach full of passcngcrs-I the only
one who seemed adrift and alone
among them. stood looking about me
at pert chambcrmaid who impudent
ly Ogled the hostlers and got n kiss
in return; at the prct"ntious entrance
TO the inn: at all OF the hustle and
confusion OF the arrival OF the coach
Presently saw young gentleman
somewhat older than myself. and wear
ing the uniform OF his maicsty's sea
service. come out of the inn door. He
had very elegant figure. but his face
was rather plain. Within five minutes
of my first meeting with Giles Vernon
! had an example of what was one OF
his most striking tralts-evcry WON
an In sight Immediately fixed her at
tention on him and smiled at him. One
was the chambermaid. who left of
ogling the hostlers and Gaped at this
young officer with her coarse. hand
some face all aname: another was the
landlady, who followed him to the
door, smirking and tanning herself:
and the third was n venerable Quaker
ess, who was about entering the inn,
and who beamed bcnevolently on him
as he bowed gallantly in passing. |
know not why this should have made
such an impression on me: but being
young and fool thought beauty was
as highly priced by women as by men.
and 1t surprised me that fellow with
Il mouth so wide and with something
dangerously near squint should be
such lady-killer. It was common
enough for young gentlemen holding
midshipmen's warrants to come down
by the coach, and as soon as he saw
me this young officer called out:
Halo, my hearty. Is 1t n ship OF
the line or frigate you are booked
for? Or is 1t one OF those damned gun.
brigs which are unfit for a gentleman
to serve in?"
CTo BE CoNTINUED)