The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-25
Cory.sshs. rsoes ss P~otvat Gssse~.
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CopyrySht, rsoe ss Psrotvat Gssse~.
 N the fank of hin sbcve Old shore ham the great gray house of chartres iooAs sosfh to the Channel. and at tts
 feet, the meek river Adur comes der xll3ylgl3X feated from the Sussex downs. Gray 8 and patient, is Colonel Tiiney Wesson vf& 3a --Uncle T11y of the old dAye-wnc r,sles deftly at the great house tho deputy of fts master keeptng the servants supple ms stso.o H orsered and the land well stewarded till he shall have done w1Ih his affairs in Africa end return 70
 It - a sor day when he was sumr>oned to Chartss. Colonel Wesson was at his ctub' Wait- s,S t3th others o6 his lind for the 8nrier eVe01n8 pao~u These were the autumn days following tae taliny of Pretoria, when the army<wss bushvhack- inx in tiny br1sades <ad lean columns all over the eruhhorn aTransvAal. The early cables spoke o1 q fight to the north ot :ns railway Sy Waterfall on der. . sharp and desperate struggle in which the Britiaa force hsd suaersd n.sy s .s.1s gun er. no nauass h tho smoking room of me club Snere were dozen or % of old soldiers. whose sons or nephews were at work in that part of the world; one terrible old man had srandson there.
 .sWoDdsr who's been chucking guns away this tizne," romazkeA this veteran secure in the knewt edge I1at the youth who bore his name was Hue-
 There was . saase. ''we're in the line. at any rate" rspased Crimsan general wsth t sstsssSsion Wesson cleared his throat
 1My nephsw's . eunnex." he said
 .Ah!. The grandfather turned cleudy eye on hin sTforse?" he asked. 4eE
 .T1sld" replied tho Colonel gravely.
 'dTm1" the veteran grunted suspiciousy; eev- erA of thsm looked curiously at the Colonel. but he ct unnnpved< He had to wait for news, of course, but he was not really anxfous- Ills nephew was not the Gun-losing kind.
 canne into the smoking room with telegram on salver. He btOngh& 1t to Colonel Wesson at onost Tas Colonel opened it, with . dozen eyes on him, read 1t, and rose to his feet
 ~Got to go," he saad- Boy, call me handsom
 The grandfather of the Hussar scowled ct him isn't . :ine for dslicscy. Have you got any news there! If you have. read it and be done with 1t We're all Tn this.-
 sdts not exactly nsvs- he said -But it sus- Eests thero may be news. It's from Jack Chartres my brctAsr>n-law. you know. Tho gunner chaps his son."
 ~wel1Y-
 -wen. says simply: Come down at once. something. shr
 T wnl.- said the Colonel and went to fis cab.
 He caught his train with no margin It was on the point of moving he scrambled into his carriage. Farther down the platform newsboy was calling his papers; Colonel Weason leaued from the window as the train gathered way and
 ''Dvening papers, he cried. -Any of ,sm. ouickI" The Colonel tossed . hah crown into the baskees the bey saalopdng alongside the train, bundled his papers together and took aim. They caught the Colonel full in the face.
 He adjusted his monocfs and unfolded the first of them The headlines barked frum the page: Brftish nsaster Defeat at Svartdaal; List of Gas ualties." Ins colonsls pulse quickened little as he settled down to the ten inches or so of bald prose that preceded ths long list of killed and wUunded- It told, very formally, of . surprise at dawn. silent commando ringing unsuspicious paTagraph related tersely how the little force had stood under devastating nre how an 6Ee at pcint4blank range on the ridge from which the Boers commanded the camp And the gun had oeen taken They had got away with it.
 The Colonel folded the sheet the more conve- he that cers had been killed; some of them he knew; but tns nsma for which he looked was not among them. there was yet another heading. The print was blurred osdore his eyes as he read it Missing: Lieutenant John Chartres, R.FA."
 1t dark when he reached Chartres The grave butler received him deferentauy.
 Sir Johns gone to his room. sir. He desires to b. excused till dinner"
 He possessed himself of the Colouel's bae. iAs old rsean sir." he said. and led tue way up
 The cOsone. made his toilet pensiveiy. It the custom of his orotherin-aw to send for him ae Al seasons of emergency, and generally he came 6r John had been wtdower for close on twenty years, and had never accustomed himself to ee alone. When at length Colonel Wesson went down, Sir John mot him in the garden roon that gave on the terrace
 -Ah. TiInsyi" said Sir John eFeeling it. eh7
 ~Yes," said the Colonel, taking chair with discrimination "Yes. it seems to have been . nrsk little business Cad. Jack what tefng it is
 The telegrxns say he's missing" .s.d the bar. onet He spoke as though he laying p-uh- Ism before the Colonel.
 -Rotten way of putting it. isn't it?- seia Colonel Wesson Means they grabbed him along with the gun. suppose. Jack, that boys got brains He's learnt somsthing"
 what d'yOu mean?" demanded Sir John. 'Learnt bow to lose guns eh 2"
 Colonel Wesson smiled frankly. That's it." he said that's precisely 1t. Showed it at 'ern: kept spoufing t!1 the others could stand to their horses: probably saved ne lot at the cost Of one Oun- desilisaf smart bit cf work I call 1t"
 Tho old baronet stare4 at him with parted lfps
 Then" he said, weakly 'then 1t isn't-er-"
 eA rseetta&ae incident?" suggested the Colonel