The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-08-21
THE FATAL
| HI[IlL;] "a |
BY CHARLES GARVlCE.
Copyright, 1909, by George H. Doran
Company
CHAPTER XII.
Harry Vane.

themselves to circumstances. That
these persons are more numerous
than may readily be supposed is
proved by the fact than Englishmen
of gentle birth and luxurious habits
can, when they are compelled by
circumstances, not only face hard
ship and privation without growing,
but make themselves fairly happy
under conditions which at one time
and even to themselves would have
seemed impossible
For instance, how tenderly nur-
tured youths of good families take
their lives in their hands and 80 out
to the colinies and stiD wilder
places, earning their daily bread,
and sometimes a very small quanti-
ty of it, in ways at which the ordi-
nary farm iaborer, well housed and
fed, and well paid into the bargain
+ woull turn up his nose. 1t is a we'll
/ known fact, and much to our credit
as a nation, that a vast army of
young Englishmen, well born and
nursed in the lap of luxury, are
carrying themselves honestly and
noby in remote places of the earth,
packing oranges at five shillings
day, making roads, telling trees,
keeping livery satbles, working as
farm hands. and doing it all not
only uncomplainingly but cheerfully.
Ronald Desborough was one Of
this kind of men. But, indeed, he
had no very great hardship to en-
dure while under Mrs Podford's hos
pitable roof. 1t was a modest little
place enough, but was clean and
comfortable, and the food, though !
plain, was good and well-cooked !
The house was frequente1, as Smith |
ers had said, by seafaring folk, |
who were out all day, busy with |
their ships, returning in the evening |
to substantial meal, in which .
vegetables figured prominently-fo
your sailor looks forward to them
when he comes on shore-which was
served in fairly large room that
served as dining room, drawing room
and smoking room, in one.
Ronald's fellow boarders were
mostly quiet, self-contained, and
somewhat dignifed sea captains, and
were so absorbed in their own af-
fairs that they evinced no curiosity
those of their fellow
inmates. They ate their substantial '
meal also in silence; and it was !
not until they had lit up their pipes 6
that they began to talk; and then /
it was in a sparing and reserved
d
Ronald. being stranger, generally n
played the part of a listener: and S
ne was greatly interested in the by T.
10 means fluent conversation; in
iced, he picked up a great deal of d
as he sat in the place v
allotted to him and smoked his pipe r
With the rest. He saw Smithers now s
md again; they would exchange a I
word or two when they met on the k
tairs, and sometimes he and Smith
RS would take walk round the ii
square. On these occasions they d
we're always accompanied by one or fl
wo of Mrs. Podford's numerous off a
pring, who appeared to possess in
70 slight degree, the acutene5s of b
heir parent; so that Ronald and b
'mithers were compelled to converse v
ther in a low tone of voice. or 10
dopt the time-honored expedient of b
pelling such words as might give n
clue to the subject of their talk
nd this eXpedent was not always h
uccessful, owing to the fact that c
ionalds method of spelling differed a,
enerally from that of Smithers. n
Every day Ronald went down to Il
he Docks in search of a berth; but is
Ist at that time freights were ruling T.
wv and, in consequence, the shipping ia
usiness was somewhat stagnant; OF
here was no demand for even Iii
ian of RonalG's appearance and n,
1t was rather sick
ming business, and Ronald had plen- III
? of time for meditation and reflec- rC
on. Not seldom it seemed to him ne
5 he we're moving in a dream tr
ord, as if he hai actually lost his yo
entity, and as If Robert Carew'
ere a totally distinct person from r,
onald Des5orough. the heir to an As
lcient title The past seemed slip
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