The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-02-18

II: Brought him his knife
~ by the blade. DO YOU THINK
> was going to let him cheat me
out of my career"
Lucian stared at him. "~Iou-you:
he said. And | verify believe the
mans telling the truth. What happen
ed next"
'Somethins TO d. With termltcs that
won't repeat. 1t might make you
H."
Only n chunrel steamer does that,
sonny. You got away. thought:
"Eventually; .-alf blind and deadly
sick. BY the way, you've not 5old me
why you made up your mind to purh
that letter at this precise timer
ITO draw you. of course. And now
you'll he pleased to go and see that
my rooms ready. can hear Bernard
Fame hammering at the door, so you
can play lilli 'cds With him while l
go to bye-low."
january came with the snowdrop.
February brought the crccus. and
March yiOlcts were cmuurpllnS the
woods before TIL" next scene came on
the stage and introduced Il new actor.
In the meanwhile, Lucian continued to
live on Noel Faruuhar's bounty. 1t
should have been an intolcrable posi-
ton, but IMcilE'S luckleSS head had
received such severe bludgconihgs ut
the hands of fate that he was glad to
hide it anywhere and give his Pride
the congo. His choice lay between re-
naming With FarQuhar, retiring t. the
workhouse, and expiring in Il haystark
without benefit of clergy: he chose the
least heroic course. and, sad to say,
he found it very pleasant.
One night alarm he gave Faruuhar.
punctual to its time, the cold snap OF
mid january arrived IN the eleventh
Of the month. and Lucian Went skating
at Fancs. His t%utelary divinity Dolly
being absent, he was bcguiled into
staying late, got chilled and awoke
Farqu1lar at 3 in the morning Ivy one
of his usual attacks. 1t was very
slight and soon checked, but the in
cident strengthened the bond between
them. for Lu"ian did not forget Far
Quhar's face when he found him fight
ing for breath, nor the lavish tender
negs CT his subsequent nursing, which
seemed to be eXtortcd from him by a
force stronger than his would he care
%lessness. That constraining force Lu-
clan declined to christcn. Friendship
seemed too mid q term for Farquhar's
crude emotions.
No ono could have felt more horri-
bly, ashamed than .ucian on finding
that his host CAV up all engagements
to wait upon him. lie was Don about
again, but he low guarded his health rs
though he had it Oh Il repairing lease.
When Dolly consulted him on points of
etiquette, as she soon learned to do,
he retaliated with questions concern
ing the proper conduct of an invalid.
1t is only fair to say that Dolly was
the more correct informant. He was
welcome at Fancs. Dolly liked him;
so also did Bernard. whose affections
were pure in quality. but exclusive.
and fate gave rim Il third admircr in
the person Of EumcneS Fame, though
the esteem in this case was but q
bruised reed, liable to fail in time of
stlcSS. litlItIli,I. no WIS also II Ire.
quent visitor at Fanc's, was not so pop.
ular.
On a fine morning in March. when
the air felt like velvet and the linnctS
were beginning to nest, Bernard drove
over to Scarborough market, as his
habit was, to buy Dolly her weeks
stores. On his way home he met Will
an adventure. The distance from
Scarborough to Monkswell by the
London road was only fourteen miles
but Rernard's horse WAS Young anu
fresh, and he chose a longer route
through byways. where there was less
chance of meeting motors and trnc
ton engines. Nronsky's special bug
bears. Lonely. wild and hilly was the
countryside. The gold sun had JUS,
sunk behind The l~eafless woods. and :
rosy twilight was invading the sky
when Bernard turned into Il certain
steep and narrow lane between higl
banks Of violet haunted grass. local.,
known as HungryGut bottom. AS the!
spun down the slope, from bchin(