The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-12-20

d
be dreaded by the learned ear; but
Braces ear was not learned; ShOttle's
was as an Oyster-shell clapped to his
head; and in music the General could
not distinguish intention from accom-
plishment. 1t was a song Ut love
Hast Thou No Feeling to See Me
kneeling" and when Its last note had
found dark corner wherein to die
BRACE requested her to sing II again
She gave him grateful LOOK the Gen.
eral smiled at him; and as the song be-
gan again to mourn its way, Shottle
said to himself:
IF Providence will lend virtue to o
scheme. that will cost you money. Vir-
gil. Came here to rest after going
through more than StOnewall Jackson
could stand, and this Is what get
Oh. it's respectable and ought to he
endured, and so is casket lined with
satin, but it doesn't suit me. Lord.
but this atmosphere is unsympathet-
icr"
If you have patience to wait. bed
time always comes; history is strewn
with bedtime. 1t came slow-footed for
with his nerves of steel wire. And
how delighted he was with his room, a
museum Of antiquity. great four
poster bedstead with n canopy heavy
enough to have served as deadfall to
some medieval giant. A chair that
i1.n "a nl.av, re
| cient Briton, q wardrobe wherein Blue
beard might have hanged his wives,
| q rOugh-hewn mantelpiece remindfuI Of
a beetlng cliff-these were featured
in the light of hanging lamp big
enough to turn the ashes Of Gre
mated dragon.
| The night was warm, and through
| the windows the air came cool and
luling from the Gulf; but BRACE lay
until daybreak before he slept. and
when he awoke the noontiine bell was
ringing. A negro knocked to tell him
that dinner was ready. The General
and Tycie were seated. but Shottle
was not at the table with them; and
following Braces look of inquiry, came
explanation from the General:
81 gave him the five hundred dollars
that he was to put in with the five
hundred furnished by you to be in
vested initiatively in that cotton-bag-
ging factory at Vicksburg. and he took
an early boat for that city. think it
Is fortunate thing for the South
that they discovered wild plant. a
sort of jute. really better for making
ropes and bagging than either flax or
hemp. had seen nothing about the
discovery. but I am not a very close
reader of the newspapers. But Shottle
assures me that this wild jute can be
grown on the poorest land and that Ii
needs no tending. am naturally cau-
tious. Virgil, and I did not myself in
vest, but backing your Judgment In
the matter, loaned Liberty five hun
dred. When do you expect active op-
erations toward building the factory?''
Tycie forestalled Braces answer
ooh. l am sure 1t will succeed, and
1t will be great thing, especially for
Liberty He has tried so hard, hut
somehow his energies haven't been
properly directed. And he is so cap
ablew
She was so confident, and so hopeful
for her luckless kinsman, that Drace
played protecting villain to Shottle's
purposes.
"Well, don't know exactly wheT
they are to begin work, but soon,
trust"
She gave him a grateful look for hi.
trust, now perfectly assured Of Shot
ties useful future. But the Genera
did not appear to be easy in his mind
and a little later when he and Dract
were walking about the yard, beneath
the trees. he referred again to the in
vestment. BRACE would have shut
fed away from 1t, but the old gentle
man cornered him with a question:
II want the truth. Did Liberty II,
to me?"
Eyes. sir. he did"
II began to think so the moment h
left me. Well. it Is singular thing
, that when he is with me, believe II
. him. but the moment he is gone IN.
faith has gone with him. I have hat
much experience with men. Mr.. Drace
In the army and elsewhere. but IN.
wife's nephew is the most-I don
know how to define him. Let m
thank you for protecting him in tn
presence of my wife, and regret tina
l may have seemed in doubt. Blu
brace. that fellow makes me angr
with myself. Confound him, he alnos
convinces me at times that have n
stability Of character. And yet I all
fond of him. l am always glad to se
him come. And let me say that he II
illustrates one truth very clearly-tha
ability consists mostly in the fervo
with which we go at thing. sup
pose he has cost you considerable"
Monsieur, how foolish t..
| Ill -