The Irish standard., 1920-04-24

c00ldnt-fhat l was as close to zero
value at home as man could be. It's
snly through this war that I've got
any pride In myself, and I'm sort of
Nike Kipling's gentleman ranker-rm
proud Of myself because I've done
away with all the other kinds Of pride
I used to have. And I believe I've
made gOod-not as great general,
but az private soldier. That was
the trouble at home-1 was only fit
to be q private, and I thought could
be general off hand. You said I'd
do well IL ! learned that. and have.
They gave me the Croix de Guerre,
and in q way, that proves 1t, doesn't
it, Notice that they didn't even make
me corporal, though! That's all
right haven't had enough training
yet to be corporate It's curious
that I'll admit that, isn't it7
II want you to know that I've
thought Of you great deal. don't
blame you for letting me 60. I did
once, but I don't now. Please think
Of me, though, az man who came
through at the finish even il he'd been
pretty hopeless before.
"Hilliard, the best man In the world,
has promised to bring you this letter.
I hope you'll he glad to see him. and
to hear his side Of the story. This is
my apology and my blessing, If that's
worth anything to you. I send kiss
to Angela.
/ "R. NJ"
Mr.. Cullen ended with a falling in
fectlon, and let the hand which held
the letter drop to his knee.
The letter. as you might guess from
the looks of It," said Hilliard, twas
written at several different times-ac-
cording to his strength. want you
to realize, too, Mr.. Cullen, that 1t was
no small effort for him to write it..
And then 1 was In Switzerland when
he died, and his possessions had an
gone to one Of those tape-bound bu.
reaus, so that had q fearful time to
identify myself and get what he had
meant me to have, and. after that
had to make sudden trip to Russia,
and back to England again. There
were delays-delays. II was Ill for
several months myself; had typhoid
in London. l should have mailed
these things to you long ago, but he
had begged me to come in person, and
had promised. And every day ex-
pected that in another weelo or two
should start for home. l feel that
l owe you this explanation and Il
great plea for forgiveness for what
must seem to you like gross indiffer-
ly two weeks ago, and came up to
you at the earliest possible moment" !"
"1n some ways, he was most re-
markable young man." said Mr.. Cul-
len, irrelevantly. Nobody ever un-
derstood why he turned out such a
black sheep. Came from fine old
family. l suppose his father was one
Of the most loved men in Onondaga
county. Dick lived for years on his
fathers reputation, after people
stopped noticing him on his own ac-
count. Just took advantage OF the
fact that nobody could quite bear .to
be harsh to his fathers son. But he
was always wild young chap, moth,
ing very bad. except that just too
much Of nything-including liquor
was just enough for him! Had too
quick a temper to be diplomatic
enough to hold job. and didn't care
much about working hard, and finally
the tide turned. and he began to get
treated just as If his father hadn't
been Il sort Of popular idol, and then
his disposition soured, and he made
| some bad mistakes. | gave him the
last job he ever had In Syracuse, but
] had to let him go and l told
him some plain facts when did.
That's what he refers to-"
II assumed" said Hilliard, hesitat-
~. "that Mt one time he had been what
you might call disappointed
in love? Something was weighing on
hin-he practically admitted
but that was one point that he didn't
appear to want to confess, even to
| me-"
| AA~ vas ShSdGCO " SdEOl DUrdHI.
Angela had taken the cross again, and
held it like Il precious relic. "She
broke 1t off, just before he went
away"
| 1.-The day BEFORE" added Mr.. Cul.
len. THAT was one of the two rea.
sons why he went"
Hilliard nodded:
Il see. On account Of his
habits?'
THAT was the gossip" said Mr.. Cul.
len heavily. Doctor Durant was SUD.
posed to have"
Didn't he write to ller7' asked An.
gela, raising her eyes.
mot that ., :" He stopped
quickly. II trust you'll forgive me
but I'd imagined from various remarks
he made at different times, that he
was really that he was great.
u attached to you" This last was nd.
dressed to Angela, who was both digni.
! 6ed and shaken BY the suggestion
Her father, however, nodded in the