The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-06-04

soul. Some said lie was afraid of it's
getting him into a difficulty with the
military authorities; others, very lgno-
rant indeed of the real nature Of the
man, said he was afraid if he showed
it of its costing him his life.
There was perhaps a grain Of truth
mixed up With this last report. 1t was
false to say that he was afraid, but it
was q fact that his life had been twice
threatened in India, and it was firmly
believed that the diamond was at il
bottom of it.. The men wouldn't let
him into their clubs; the women-more
than one-whom he wanted to marry
refused him; friends and relations got
too nearsighted to see him in the street.
Some men in this mess would have
tried to set themselves right with the
world. But to give in, even when he
was wrong and had all society against
him was not the way of the Honorable
John. lie had kept the diamond, in fiat
defiance of assassination, in India. He
kept the diamond, in fiat defiance Of
public opinion, in England. There you
have the portrait of the man before
you. as a picture. A character that
braved everything and a face, hand
some as it was, that looked possessed
by the devil.
About two years before the time Of
which l am now writing and about a
year and a half before the time of his
death the colonel came unexpectedly
to my lady's house in London. 1t was
the night Of Miss Rachel's birth
day. the DIST of June, and there was
Il party in honor of it, rs usual. l re-
cciveG a message from the footman 10
say that a gentleman wanted to see
me. Going up into the hall. there I
found the colonel. wasted and Worn
and old and shabby and as Wild and as
wicked as ever.
go up TO my sister," says he. "and
say that | have called to wish my niece
many happy returns of the day
, He had made attempts by letter, more
than once already. to be %reconciled witt
; my lady for no other purpose, ! am firm
;, ly persuaded. than to annoy her. But
l liz va III HlFA INV i1 AitNl tN t1!tft
come to the house. l had it on the ii!
+ of my tongue to say that my mistres:
y had Il party that night. But the devil
ish look of him dauntcd me. l wen
upstairs with his message and lett him
by his own desire. waiting in the hall.
My lady has Il dash-no More-of Thu
family temper. "Tell Colonel Hem
6 CASTLE" she said, when l gave her he
< brothers. message. THAT Miss Eerinde
is engaged and that l decline to So
him." l Went downstairs With the mes
q sage, of which | took the liberty o
r presenting a new and amended eGitio
of my w continuing. as follows: M
n lady and Miss Rachel regret that the
Il are engaged. colonel, and beg to be cH
CuSed having the honor of seeing You.
s l expected him to break out, ven &
j. that polite way of putting it. 10 III
+. surprise he did nothing of the sor
n He alarmed me by taking the thin
with an unnatural quiet. His eyes. {
a g%littcring bright gray. just settled o
NE for a moment. and he laughed, II,
!. out of himself. like other people, b,
N into himself. in a soft. chuckling, no
o. ridly miscellaneous way. Thank yo
% Bettercdge." he said. II shall remer
ID Der my nicce's birthday With tn;
70 he turned on Ills heel and walked o,
re- of the house.
lie The next birthday came round, al
" we heard he was i'll in bed. S
" months aftcrward-that is to say. s
err months before the time l am no
rs writing of-thcre came Il letter from
X. highly respectable clergyman to II
at lady. 1t communicated W. wonderf
IN things in the way of family news
first, that the colonel had forgiven L
ed sister on his deathEed: second. that
ot had forgiven everybody else and III
ID, made Il most edifying end l la
nd myself, in spite of the bishops and t
clergy, an unfeigned respect for t
ut church. but l am firmly persuaded
ly the same time that the devil remain
IT. in u%ndisturbed possession of the Hone
10. able John and that the last Abdominal
so. act in the life of that abominable III;
.er YVES (saving your prcsence) to take
re clergyman in.
de This was the sum total of what
he had to tell Mr.. Franklin. l remark
that he listened more and more Gag
of ly the longer l ven on: also that
Did story of the colonel being sent aw
re. from his sisters door on the occasi
be- of his niece's birthday seemed to STR
to Mr.. Franklin like a shot that had
lev the mark. Though he didn't ackno'
ha edre if saw that | had made h
Ing uneasy, plainly enough, in his face.