Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-01-13
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER L
Laurence Jen was retired major,
bachelor and the proprietor OF a snlali
estate He had been all over the
world, a soldier in African campaigns
as in South American insurrecuons. Ol
leaving the service he decided that II
was better to be a Triton in the coun-
try than a minnow in town; and actlhS
upon this theory, he purchased 'Ashah-
tee" from a ruined stock broker. OF
merIv the place had been called Sarby-
lands, after it's original owners; put
Jen had changed the name In honor Oh
campaign in which he had partlcl-
pated.
He had been present at the downfall
of King Koffee in Africa; he had con
tracted during the expedition an ague
which tormented him greatly during
his later life. and he had received a
wound and a medal. In gratitude Tor
these gifts of fortune, the Major, with
some irony. had converted the name
SarbyIands into the barbaric appella-
ton Of West African kingdom; and
here for many years, he lived with his
two boys.
-
rice Alymer and David Sarby, were In
no way related to the Major, but they
had entered into his life in rather an
odd fashion Alymer was the son or
beautiful girl with whom Jen had been
passionately in love, but she dld not
return his affection, and married one
of his brother officers who was after
wards killed in the Ashantee war. Jen
cherished a hope that she would re
ward his love by a second marriage,
but the shock Of her husbands death
proved too much for the fragile widow
she died within a week after receiving
the terrible news, and left behind her
a waflIng infant, which was consigned
to the cold charity of indifferent rela-
tives
1t was then that the Major displayed
the goodness of his heart and the no
biIfty of his character. Forgetting his
own sorrows, he obtained permission
from the relatives to adopt the child,
and to take charge Of the trifie OF
property coming to the lad. Then he
bought Sarbylands, set estate and
house in order under the name of
"Ashantee," and devoted his life to
whose blue eyes he saw a look of his
dead love This Platonic affection, be-
gotten by the deathless memory of the
one passion Of his life, filled his exist
ence completely, and rendered him en-
tirely happy
With regard to David Sarby, he had
passed with the estate to Jen. The
BOYS father a drunkard, and con-
ffrmed gambler. had been forced
through his vices, to sell his ancestral
home: and within a year Of the sale
he had dissipated the purchase money
I'm debauchery. Afterwards, like the
sordid and pittfuI coward he had al
ways proved himself to be, he commit
ted suicide leaving his only SON
whose mother had long since been
worried into her grave-a pauper, anC
an orphan.
The collateral branches of the ole
sarby family had died out; the rela-
tives on the mothers side refused tC
have anything to do with a child, who
if heredity went for anything-might
prove to be a chip of the old block, anG
little David might have found himself
thrown on the parish, but that Major
Jen, plying the forlOrn condition Of
the child, saved him from so ignomin-
ious a fate His heart and his house
were large enough to receive another
pensioner. so he took David back to the
old deserted mansion, and presented
him to Maurice as a new playfellow
Henceforth the two boys grew to man
hood under the devoted care of the
cheerful old bachelor, who had pro-
The Major was fairly we'll to- do
having considerable private property
and he determined, in the goodness oil
his heart, that the boys" as he fondly
called them, should have every advan-
tage in starting life. He sent them
both to school. and later called upon
them TO choose their professions. Maui
rice. more of an athlete than a scholar
selected the army, and the delighted
Major highly approved of his choice
of a more reflective nature and stu
dious mind, David wished to become a
lawyer
Both lads proved themselves worthy
of Jen's goodness, and were soon in
active exercise of the professions
which they had chosen. Maurice
joined a regiment, and David was ad-
mitted to the bar. Then the Major
was thankful His boys were provided
for, and 1t only remained that each
should marry some charming girl, and
bring their families to gladden. an ole
bachelors heart at "Ashantee" The
Major had many day dreams of this
sort; but, alast they were destined
never to be fulfilled. Fate began hel
work of casting into dire confusion tht
hitherto placid lives of the two youns
men
Frequently the young barrister anC
the soldier came to visit their guar
dian for whom they both cherished
deep affection. On the occasion o
each visit Jen was accustomed to eel
citrate their presence by a small festi
val. TO which he would ask two O
three friends. With simple craft, tn
old man would invite also pretty girls
with their mothers; in the hope tina
his lads might be lured into matri
mony.
The Major was a confirmed bache
lor, but he did not intend that his boy
should follow so bad an example H
wished Maurice to marry Miss Isabel;
Dallas, q charming blonde from tn
West Indies; and David he designed a
the husband of Meg Brance. But Jel
was mistaken in thinking that he coul
guide the erratic affections OF youth
as will hereafter be proved. Sur
enough, the lads fell In love, but bot
with the same woman state o