Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-09-29

gentleman-he. was in the very. first
rank, but about most subjects he
much preferred listening to talking.
Now, in the face Of this fearful
tragedy, he seemed as IL he were be-
nlmbed.. He a drawn up his chair
a sat as close as might be to, the
white, crimson-stained form lying on
the bare, boarded floor. L.. on. the
contrary. had chosen the chair furth.
est removed from 1t, and even that
chair I had edged back to the, wall, In
an almost Involuntary movement
which Nook me as>far from the dead
body as possible.
So I Ht there, and watched my
uncle, who scarcely, as it eeemed to
me. took his eyes for a moment from
the beautiful dead face. He hardly
stirred a muscle, ana the silence was
80 extreme that once, when he got
up from his chair and the wicker. re-
Heved Of his weight, gave out its
creakings, I almost jumped at the
startling change.
/ watched curious. to know what
he was about to- do. He had been
sitting to the right OF the body. He
moved, stepping with great care,
across to the other eide of 1t. Then
he STOPPED down and liftedNt he left
hand. which lay. palm upward, on
AAV0As ~, tAASOE AAGfEtIIldI ne was
going to lift it tt his lips, but instead.
when he had raised It but a very lit
tie. he put It down again quietly and
reverently. 85
God knows what was in his mind
as he did the, action. I doubted
much whether he knew himself, and
Of a surety Lid not. But after he
had done this he went. back and ga,
I'm the same. Chair; again, almost pre-
c1sely n the same attitude as before,
gazing down into the face that he had
loved. 3
He had loved her-no human be-
Ing who had ever seen them together
for two moments, corld we'll have a
doubt Of that. For my own part. I
may admit at once that I did not love
her. I never had. Bitterly a I
might grieve for the cruel death that
had taken n who seemed 80 pecul-
lazy full; OF life and Of the enjoyment
OF life. I could not disguise from my
self that the thought had come into
my mind and again during the last
year or two that it would have been
better with my uncle had he never
met her, that 1t would be far better
Tor him even now could some kind
fate remove her. ,.s@@
Remove her Fate had, hut one
hardly could call 1t kind, as the white
moonlight or the yellow lantern raw
fell on the patch of crimson. / speak
without any personal knowledge Of
such Places. but from all one hears
OF society in hill stations in India.
n not the spot Of ell Others I'd
which q wise man who was not very
young would go to choose for himself
quite a young wife,.
Very surely 1t was with no such
intent in mind that my Uncle Ralph
had gone there. It had just 40 hap
pened. that, returning from a shoot
ing trip In. Cashmere. Simla lay in his
way. g. almost as 2 thing Of course
ten very little about the visit and We
only wondered ct the length to which
It ran, because Simla was not exactly
the place which weNwould hav.
thought held attractions, apart from
Its poo, for q man of his taste. But
worth |. s%59lI -
There happened to Ralph Carlton
What does now n again sbefall q
mar who has lived nearly forty years
tho M serious feminine influ-
euce coming into his life IT absorbed
him II took complete possession Of
him. That was the account 0f Il
which We heard at length from ac-
quaintances who were at Simla al the
time. but We did not hear Ii until the
marriage was an accomplished fact.
% course there was no obvious rea-
scnswhy their wedding should be de-
layed-possib5y there were many rea-
n why once II was determined on.
twas better that It should be hasten.
ed. Uncle Ralph may ~ very well
have persuaded himself that his duty
to the estate demanded his eturn ia
England-het as much as said later