Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1920-08-27

way Of thinking about, why should
we not form them into battallons and
march them upon Londonr' cried De
IApp.
THAT would be q rare little picnic"
said I. laughing; -and who would
lead usr'
He Jumped up bowling with his
hand on his heart In his queer fashion.
IF you would allow me to have the
honor J" he cried and then. seeing that
we were all laughing. he began to
laugh also, but I am sure that there
was really ne thought Of Joke In his
mind.
could never make out what his age
could Be, nor could Jim Horscroft
either. Somstimes we thought that
he was an eldisb man that looked
young, and at others that he was
youngish man who looked old. On the
whole, we thought that he might be
about forty OF forty-fve, though 1t
was hard 70 see how he could have
seen 40 much Of life In the time. But
one day we got talking Of ages, and
then he surprised Us.
had been saying that was Just
twenty, and Jim said that he was
twenty-seven.
"Then ] am the most old of the
three" said De Lapp.
We laughed at this. for by our
reckoning he might almost have been
our father.
But not by so much" said he, arch
ing his brows. II was nine-and-twen-
ty in December"
And II was this even more than his
talk which made us understand what
an extraordinary life 1t must have
been that he had led He saw our as
constituent, and laughed at 1t.
II have lived. have lived" he
cried. II have spent my days and my
nights. 1 led a company In a battle
where five nations were engaged when
l was but fourteen. I made a king
turn pale at the words whispered In
his ear when I was twenty. / had a
hand in remaklng kingdom and put
ting fresh king upon fresh throne
the very year that came of age.
Mon Dieu have lived my life"
That was the most that ever heard
him confess of his past life. and he
only shook his head and laughed when
we tried to get something more out
of him. There were times when we
thought that he was but clever Inn
postor-for what could a man of such
influence and talents be lettering here
In Berwickshire for?-but one day
there came an incident which showed
us that he had, indeed, history In the
past.
You will remember that there was
an old officer of the Penlnsular war
who lived no great way from us, the
with his sister and the two maids. He
had gone up to London on some bust
ness about his pension and his wound
money and the choice of having some
work given him, 80 that he did no,
come back until late In the autumn
One Of the first days after his return
he came down to see us, and there fol-
the first time he clapped eyes on De
Lapp. Never in my life did loob
upon so astonlshed face, and he
stared at our friend for a long minute
without so much as word. De Lapr
looked back at him equally hard, bu
there was no recognition In his eyes.
81 do not know who you are, SIR" h
said at last, but you look at me as /
you had seen me before"
$50 have" answered the major.
"Never TO my knowledge"
'But I'll swear i'll"
| "Where, thenT
AT the village Of Astorga, in tn
year g."
De Lapp started, and stared agail
at our neighbor Mon Dieul what
chance" he cried; "and you were tn,
English parliamentaire l remember
you very well indeed. sir. Let m'
have whisper In your ear" He tool
him aside, and talked very earnestl.
with him In French for u quarter o
an hour, gesticulating with his hands
and explaining something, while tn,
major nodded his old grizzled heat
from time TO time. At last the!
seemed TO come to some agreement
and | heard the major say ''parol,
dhonneur" several times, and after
wards fortune de Ia guerre." Blu
after that l always noticed that IN,
major never used the same free fash
ion of speech that we did toward GU
lodger but bowed when he addresse,
him, and treated him with wonder
full deal OF respect.
| Jim Horscroft was at home all tina
summer, but late in the autumn h,
went back TO Edinburgh again for tn,
winter session, and as he intended L
work very hard, and get his degree
next spring II he could, he said tina
he would bide up there for the Christ
mas. So there was a great leave-tak
ing between him and Cousin Edie, ant
he was TO put up his plate and t
marry her as soon as he had the RICH
to practice. l never knew man low
woman more fondly than he did her
and she liked him well enough In ,
way, for indeed In the whole of Scot
land she would not ind finer-lookini
man; but when II came to marriage
L