The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-05-22

was touch and go moar than once. The
madness was in my vanes. 1t makes
you go hot. But I'm all right now.
They say l can get up for a little wile
on Sunday and look at the hours. I
shall like that. / see the vanity OF
life now all right. There is a good monk
here called Father Bernard. OF course
they are all good, but he is the best.
He says all is vanity and that the
pumps Of the world are void. You know
there's a lot in that. Well must end
now. But / thought you might wun-
der where was. What escape! Fancy
mad dog like that ranging about
soaking whom he might devower.
tell you, I hadn't a chance. He just
leeped upon me, nashing their fangs.
can see 1t now.
Your loving brother.
VALENTINE.
p. 8.
What about flaming? / rather hope
he's gone. If not, perhaps you could
fire him out. He swore Spencer was
your evil genie, but thought Spencer
had a good eye. Sour grapes, / guess.
! suppose you knew what you were
/ doing.
The reformation this letter foreshad-
owed was more than we could believe,
but am bound to record that 1t was
fairly fulfilled. The shock or the fear
of death or, perhaps, his curious COM
munion with that honest and kindly
fellowship Of. simple souls wrought In
the count an astonishing change of
heart. The weeds that had choked his
qualities withered and died, and though
was most apprehensive of our rela-
ton, "a hours acquaintance had made
us the best of friends.
His postscript brings me to Pharaoh.
OF that unconscionable scoundrel
have but little to say. That the man
was most swift and daring I cannot
deny, but think that his deadly rep
utation was to him the highwayman's
mare. When at last he was standing
upon his own feet, even was able to
show that, If his eye was quicker, at
least his spine was as brittle as that of
another man.
The portrait my cousin had painted
will always rank for me as one of the
greatest triumphs q painter ever
achieved. This is not because he had
rendered beautiful likeness, nor yet
because he had captured the leaping
spirit that lived in the lovely flesh;
but because he had marked, as had,
that the precious eager look was out
of his subjects face and had painted
it in from memory out of grateful
heart.
Though my life is secure and happy
beyond belief, the events Of those ter
rible days are cut as in stone upon
my mind. But l would not forget them,
If / could: for out Of their wrack and
turmoil / won my beautiful wife. Oft
en- and often l read their grim inscrip-
ton and gaze at the riotous pageant
which this calls up. see that dreadful
labor down In the sparkling dell and
Dewdrop finger the paper that / let
fall: tread The Reaping Hooks stairs
and | hear-as I shall hear to my dy-
ing day-the deadly voice Of Pharaoh
behind the door: I see him enter the
room with Valentines hand upon his
shoulder and I hear him whistling for
Sabre with my heart in my mouth: !
hear the Carlotta coming with the
rush of a mighty wind, and I hear
the cough of the Rolls as her engine
failed: / hear Rush plying Bugle to
make my blood run cold, hear Pha.
raoh bullying Freda, and / see the
flame of the pistol that saved his life:
see the awful change in my darling's
face, and l turn to see Pharaoh smil-
ing behind my back: smell the frag-
rance of the valley that knew no sun:
and then l see her stricken and trem-
bling in Pharaoh's power, and hear
the roar of our pistols and / see the
man spent with hatred, staring into
my eyes. -.
It is written, Out Of the eater came
forth meat. I can only say I have
found this saying most true. The god
dess Aphrodite rose from the foam
of the sea: but Helena Spencer came
out of the wrath of tempest that had
risen to smite us both. Together, saw
ing each other, we rode out that fright
full storm-the remembrance of which
is not grievous, for our desperately
perilous passage side by side, has
bound us more closely together than
the sharing of any joys.
1.-THE END.1