The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-01-05

dny!
Here at my window grows a wild
aloe. and 1t Is In flower. Once only
in fifty years does this aloe flower,
and pick Its sweet verdure now and
offer II to you. There 1t lies, beside
this letter that l am writing. II Is
typical Of myself, for only once has
nv heart lowered, and 1t will be onIy
once In fifty years. The perfume OF
the flower Is like an everlasting bud
from the last tree Of Time. See. my
Sheila. your drunken, reckless lover
pulls this sweet Offering from his gar
den and offers 1t to you. He has no
virtues; and yet he would have been
a thousand times worse II you had
not come into his life. He Ind In
him the seeds of trouble. the sprout
lngs of shame, for even in the first
days of his love there In Dublin he
would not restrain himself He drank.
he played cards. he fought and went
with bad compaDy-not women, never
that: but he kept the company of those
through whom be came at last TO
punishment for manslaughter
"Yet, without you. who can tell what
he might have been1 He might have
fallen so low that not the wealth Of
Ten thousand treasure-boxes could give
him even the appearance Of honesty.
And now he offers you what you can
not accept--can never accept-a love
as deep as the life from which he
came; love that would throttle the
world for you. that would force the
doors OF hell TO bring sou what you
want.
81 look out on a world Of summer
beauty and Of heat. see the sheep
In hundreds on the far hills OF pas.
turage-sheep with short hair. small
and sweet as any that ever came from
the South Downs. | see the natives
In their madras handkerchiefs. | see
upon the road some planter In his
ketureen-a sort Of sedan chair: see
a negro funeral, with its strange cere.
mony and Its gumbies Of African
drums. I see 'yam-fed Planters on
their horses, making for the burning,
sandy streets of the capital. | see
the Scots grass growing five and six
feet high. food unsurpassed for horses
all the follnge, too-benutiful trop
Teal trees and shrubs. and here and
there huge breeding farm. Yet
know that out beyond my sight there
Is the region known us Treawney and
Trelawney town. the headquarters OF
al,
who fed after the Spanish had been
conquered and the British came, and
who we're later freed and secured by
the Trclawney treaty. | know thai
now they are ready 10 rise, ihat they
are working among the slaves; and II
they rise the danger Is great 10 the
white population of the island. win
are ouinumbered ten 10 one.
THE governor has been warned, but
he gives no heed, or treats ii all light.
~. pointing out how few the Maroons
arc. He forgets that few determined
men can demoralize whole state, can
fight and murder and fly to dark CO
verts In the tropical woods, where
they cannot be tracked down and de-
stroyed; and, II they have made sup
porters OF the slaves, what conse.
quenccs may not follow!
zone thing Is clear to me-only by
hounds can these people be defeated
So sure am I upon this point, that
have sent to Cuba for sixty hounds.
with which, when the trouble comes
and It Is not far Olive shall be able
to hunt the Maroons with the only
weapon they really fear--the dogs
sharp tooth. 1t may be the governor
may intervene on the arrival OF the
dogs; but ! have made friends with
the provost marshal general and some
members of the Jamaica legislature;
also | have friend In the deputy OF
The provost marshal general In my pnr-
lsh Of Clarendon here, and will make
a good bet that the dogs Will be let
come into the island, governor or no
governor.
When one sets ones self against
the crown one must be sure of ones
ground, and fear no foe, however great
and high. Well, have won so fur.
and I shall win In the end. MalIow
should have some respect for one that
beat him at Phoenix park with the
sword that beat him when he would
have me imprisoned here; that beat
him in the matter Of the ship for Haiti,
and that Will beat him on every hazard
he sets, unless he stoops TO underhand
acts, which he will not do. That much
must be said for him.
But what Is this | see? Michael
Clones-in his white jean vaistcoat.
white neckCloth and trousers and blue
COATS coming up the drive in hot
haste, bearing letter. He rides too
hard. He has never carried himself
easily In this climate. He treats II Us
II II was Ireland. He will not protect
himself and. # penalty followed folly.
should now be In his grave. | like
you, Michnel. You are boon, but"
(fTn ho pOntiuuadl