Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-03-10
CHAPTER |.

Laurence Jen was retired major,
bachelor, and the proprietor Of small
estate. He had been all over the
world, a soldier in African campaigns
as In South American instructions. On
leaving the service he decided that II
was better to be a Triton in the coun-
try than a minnow in town; ana actlng
upon this theory, he purchased "Ashan-
tee" from a ruined stock broker. For
rnerly the place had been called Sarby-
lands, after its original owners but
Jen had changed the name, in honor OF
q 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
wound and a medal In gratitude for
these gifts Of fortune, the Major, with
some irony, had converted the name
Sarbylands into the barbaric appella-
tion of West African kingdom; ana
here, for many years, he lived with ms
two boys.
These lads, named respectively Maui
rice Alymer and David Sarby, were IN
no way related to the Major, but tney
had entered into his life in rather an
odd fashion. Alymer was the son OF
beautiful girl with whom Jen had been
passionately in love, but she did 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 second marriage,
z,ut 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 wailing infant. which was consigned
to the cold charity of Indifferent rela-
tives.
Ii was then that the Major displayed
the goodness of his heart and the no.
bility of his character. Forgetting MS
own sorrows, he obtained permission
from the relatives to adopt the child
and to take charge Of the trihe OF
property coming to the lad. Then he
bought Sarbylands, set estate ana
house in order under the name OF
"Ashantee," and devoted his life to
cherishing and training the lad In
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. filed 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-
firmed gambler, had been forced,
through his vices. to sell his ancestral
home; and within year Of the sale
he had dissipated the purchase money
In debauchery. Afterwards. like the
sordid and pitiful 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, and
an orphan.
The collateral branches of the old
Sarby family had died out; the rela-
fives on the mothers side refused to
have anything to do with a child, who
If heredity went for anything-might
prove to be a chip of the old block and
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-
fected their helpless infancy.
The Major was fairly weil-to-do
having considerable private property
and he determined. in the goodness OF
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. Mau-
rice. more Of an athlete than a scholar
selected the army. and the delighted
Major highly approved Of his choice.
OF q more reflective nature and stu
dious mind. David wished to become
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-
mitte6 70 the bar. Then the Major