Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-07-03
CHAPTER VII.
AN ANXIOUS PARENT.

CHAPTER VII.
AN ANXIOUS PARENT.
Now at that self-same hour, al Greystont
school, DR.. Shaw sat alone in his study. Til,
boys were long since gone to bed; the usher.
were congregated in q living room set apar.
for them.
Closing his book, he drew out his watch.
fat dial that popped like a cork from bis fol
and sat erect to inspect it. Half-past min,
exactly; observing which he pulled the bell
A maid servant opened the door.
HAS MI. Cuthbert come inY"
"No, SIR"
NOW, the proper hour for Mr.. Cuthbert tt
return from his evening spell of an hour and
a nall was nine O'Clock. Punctual to the
moment latterly he never was; but before
this night never had he delayed his return by
half an hour.
ihls was a liberty. This was a bad ex.
ample. The doctors soul rose in resentment.
How could he reprimand unpunctuality in
another, if his son, the schools exemplar, as
MS father had striven to make him in all
things, f%agrantly omitted the first of virtues
to the dis%ciplinariana
Anger, being excited, must find vent some
low; and DIR: Shaw fell to pacing the room
actively, meditating thoughts harsher than
reproof, to be delivered when Cuthbert
should appear.
For q quarter of an hour this idle activity
endured, with now and then a pause be-
tween, that his ear might strain at the blow
Ing wind.
Then he pulled the bell rope again sharply.
mo, sir, Mr.. Cuthbert amt come in yet"
"How do you know!"
His slippers amt in the rack, SIR"
Now passed smother short time.
The doctor looked at his watch, opened the
study door, and listened.
Anger was melting into alarm. A tremu-
Ious BUSINESS of memory kept him breathing
quickly. And, above all things, his heart
yearned for his son.
AS he stood, with head inclined, to bring
bis ear to full reception of all sound with
out the house, Mr.. Saunderson came from
the usher's room, humming a snatch of song.
The doctor turned to look at him.
"Oh, Mr.. Saunderson," he exclaimed,
twill you be pleased to tell me if you have
seen my son since he left the house this eve
ning"
mo, sir, not since he left the house."
"Ihat is very strange, Mr.. Saunderson."
us not he returned yet, sirT
H is not It's past ten o'clock, and his
usual, should say his prescribed, hour is
nine, as is known to you, Mr.. Saunderson."
MIR. Saunderson of course looked at his
watch. II am mortified by this unaccount-
able behavior" continued the doctor. "There
is nothing that should detain him. Does it
not strike you us very singular, Mr.. Saun-
derson?"
"Why. sir, it is somewhat odd, perhaps"
rejoined Mr.. ~Saunderson, a little too diplo-
matte to pledge himself to an emphatic
opinion before he had acquired a larger
knowledge Of the doctors views Of the sub
ject.
II repeat" exclaimed Dr.. Shaw, "that there
Il smoothing that should detain him. He knows
the rules, and this defiance Of discipline, this
defiance, say, Mr.. %Saunderson, isis"
We'll might he stammer and stop in such a
strain of lip reasoning. He looked eagerly
at the door, and drew out his watch for the
twentieth time.
"Sir, this procrastination cannot be mere
unpunctuality-there must be a substantial,
q reasonable cause for his delay" observed
Mr.. Saunderson, rafting his RS.
II think 50. sir-I think So"
"If agreeable to you, I should be happy
to walk to the town and make inuuiries.n
mo, l an obliged to you; not at this hour.
I'll not suffer myself to feel anxious, Nv
son has shown himself restless lately. There
have been signs of impotence in his be-
havior, as though our discipline fretted him.
This conduct tonight must mean a resolu-
ton toto free himself from the traces-he
must think it manly to defy us, sir. But"
cried the fiery old man, tiny house shall be
locked up at the usual hour; the last person
in the world to merit my f%orbearance in a
matter of this sort is my son."
Surely, sir" cried Mr.. Saunderson, with
a rich roll of the "r" in sif, "you do not con-
slider that he has left you."
"Left me! What has put such a thought
into your mind?" said the doctor, in a sharp.
febrile whisper, and his eyes shone under his
white eyebrows.
"Why, sir" stammered Mr.. Saunderson.
who wanted time to recollect himself and ap-
prehend his " meaning, lit seems to me
a strange thing, sir, hat you should bolt
your door upon your son, DR.. Shaw, unless
you believe that he does not mean to come
home, SIR"
II do not understand you, Mr.. Saunder-
son. Pray step this way and oblige me with
your meaning" exclaimed the doctor, with
excitement half suppressed in his manner;
and, closing the study door, he said in a
sharp voice: Mr.. Saunderson, if you can
throw any light upon my sons absence l de-
sire-I have to beg you will do So"
II really can throw no light upon it, sir
none whatever" replied Mr.. Saunderson.
@You may be pretty sure that he will re-
turn home presently, sir. That he should be
uneasy under the discipline of this school is a
good reason to account for his present loiter-
ing. And there is no doubt, Or. Shaw, that
he is uneasy, sir" said Mr.. Saunderson, with
a nod at the doctor, who, at the first words,
had looked up and stood listening, with his
head on one side.
"You are right, MI. Saunderson; he is un-
easy" replied the doctor.
II believe, sir, your son covets a larger
sphere Of action, DR.. Shaw"
"He has admitted this to you, Mr.. Saunder-
SON"
swell, sir, he has"
And when, prayF"
"Well, sir, if the truth must be told, this
afternoon"
@But if l understand you rightly" said the
old man, with a pale dmile which proclaimed
many other things than the ease Of mind it
was intended to depict, nothing escaped him
to warrant you to suppose that he does not
mean to return-to-nightp
mo, sir; can recall nothing to that effect
nothing, Or. Shaw"
%Thank you, Mi. ~SauAderson. Ineed keep
you no Longer. am obliged to you Tor your
eoMpauN. I3ood.nipAA Ia van sAnq ~