Part 22 (2/2)
A peculiar reversion ofin Golden Crescent
”Jake swears to this day that she belonged to the launch party, who one down
”Little boy Joe pleaded with his grandfather and grandiven the, for she was pretty and attractive from the first
”Inquiries were set afoot, but, from that day to this, not a clue has been found as to her identity; so, Rita Clark she is and Rita Clark she will remain until soes her naht at one tied after all, but since Joe has seen so with all kinds of people, he has grown patronising and changeable o with men
”He treats Rita as if he expected her to be continually at his call should he desire her, and yet he were at liberty to choose when and where he please”
”But, does Rita care for him?” I asked
”Seems so at times,” he answered, ”but of late I have noticed a coldness in her at the mention of his name; just as if she resented his airs of one-sided proprietorshi+p and were trying to decide with herself to tolerate no more of it
”I tried to veer round to the subject with Joe once, but he swore an oath and told me to mind my own affairs What Joe Clark needs is opposition Yet Joe is a good fellow, strong and daring as a lion and aggressive to a degree”
I was deeply interested as the oldme up suddenly when he stopped I had no idea how fast the ti
Well I could understand nohy this Rita Clark intuitively hated The Ghoul Rock Who, in her place, would feel otherwise?
The Rev Williao now,Thanks so much for the rest and for your hospitality My only exhortation to you is, stand firm by all the principles you know to be true; never lose hold of the vital things because you are here in the wilds, for it is here the vital things count, more than in the whirr of civilisation”
”Thank you, sir I'll try,” I said ”You will coain, I hope”
”Certainly I shall Even if you did not ask me, for that is my duty
”If you accompany me as far as Jake's cove, where my launch is, I think I can furnish you with a paper from your countryside I have friends in the city, in the States and in England, who supply me, every week, with American and Old Country papers There are sothe coast and they all so dearly love a newspaper I generally try to give them what has been issued nearest their own home towns”
I rowed Mr Auld over to his launch and wished hi from his kindly old hands a copy of _The Northern Examiner_, dated three days after I had left Bra with an old friend, whoain I put it in et back to aloith plenty of time to enjoy it
I dropped in to Jake's shack, for I had not seen hi in perfect content, buried up over the eyes in a current issue of _The Northern Lights_,--a Dawson newspaper, which had been in existence since the old Klondike days and waswas curled up near the stove, sleeping off certain effects; Jake was at his second cup of whisky I left the and rowed back to ”Paradise Regained,” as I had already christened alow
I sat down on the steps of the veranda, to peruse the home paper which thebefore I was startled by a flaring headline The blood rushed froreat, throbbing organ:--
”SUDDEN DEATH OF THE EARL OF BRAMMERTON AND HAZELMERE”
My eyes scanned the notice
”News has been telegraphed that the Earl of Brammerton and Hazelmere died suddenly of heart failure at his country residence, Hazelmere