Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-08-07
FORCED PART
BY W. CLARK RU SSELL.
Author of the "Wreck of tie Grosrenor,"
"a Sailors Sueethea. IT," Etc.

Strungtie!d looked at him kcunly under his
frowning eyebrows, and ar peared about to
speak, but dismissed his thoughts with a
wave Of the hand and sank back silent.
"Oh, DR.. Shaw" cried t'N mother, incapa-
BILE of holding her tongue, however awed by
the cold fencing between the men, II wish
that difference of religio as notions was all
the trouble 'twixt you and Michael, sir.
Your name hath a sorrowful sound in it
to my ears, God knows; and this
morning hath made it more bitter
than my heart well knows how to
bear" And she hung her pale face to hide
her tears.
"Jane!" exclaimed her husband, sternly,
"tlere is no need for thee to put in. DIR.
Shaw is here to give us some Jews; VIZ can
await his leisure. Keep thy tongue quiet.
It's II sign of a light head to fret over the
past. Whom to upbraid we know; but DR..
Shaw hath no hand in our grief"
"Madam," said the doctor, %haughtily, not
to be Modified by the deacon's admission-for
the manner was offensive, though the words
were kindly-"between you md ME there
should be silence in the matter of reproach.
il you have to mourn over a daughters de-
ceit, / have to lament Il sons folly. And
there I stop; for the world shall judge who
is the greater sufferer"
Neither husband nor wife answered him.
"Mr. Strangfield," he continued, turning
quickly upon the deacon, with the sudden
contrite air of a man who feels that he is
wasting valuable time, II have left my
home early this morning expressly to bring
you two items of news, one Of which should
properly be delivered by mo only. First,
as to my sons disappearance:
"There came a man to my house late last
night to inquire after HE. He was q man
belonging to the preventive service, and he
said, being at an ale house in the own not
two hours before, there were persons there
talking over the disappearance of DR.. Shaw's
son, and likewise the impressment Of three
men out of Greystone on that night or there
abouts, rs it is concluded, of my sons going.
Now, it is very exactly known that three
men were impressed; for no other man is
missing, unless it be my son. This coast
guard sat considering what he had heard,
and, taking particular rote of the conjectures
concerning my son thrown out by the gossips,
he came round to my house huving finished
his glass, and being off duty for the night
and asked me if it were true that / had a son
who was missing. l replied that l had, and
wondered he should not know it, for l con-
ceived it was every mans talk in this district.
However, I was sure tho matter was news to
him.
"Now, he said that, having learned that
only three men were kidnapped, and being
satisfied upon this point from what the fell
lows in the room told him, his reason for
calling upon me was to state that Ill that
night. when the press gang was ashore, he
was Oh duty with another man ut the hut
that stands to the south, Upon the cliff near
my house, and at the head Of the pass that
leads to the sands. 1t was q windy night, he
said, and his mate had gone half a mile
along the cliff to look at that curve of sand
where some smuggling was done last Christ
mas, as you may remember, sir. There was
moonlight abroad, and, riding clear of the
breakers, though nightly tossed by the in
shore seas, was u man-of-war1s boat, which
my man, about whom I am telling you,
knew to belong to q brig Of war that had
that morning dropped anchor off the town.
"Now, while he stood in the shell ter of his
hut, he saw a crowd of the boats crew COM
ing along through the dust, and among them
walked three prisoners, and on the shoulders
of two of them a fourth man was borne,
bound like the others, but plainly insensible.
The preventive mar stood forth, and some of
the men-of-war's men called q greeting to
him Us they passed. Indeed, he was as near
to them as yonder window is to me, and
could not, therefore, mistake what he be-
held. Most solemnly does he swear that there
were four men pinioned, and not three, rs
tho towns gossip would show, and that Of
these four, who We're clearly kidnapped men,
as he might judge, ono was carried, and
though q confusion of shadow was cast upon
them all by the hurrying Of clouds over the
moon, and the unequal and swerving steps Of
/ the men, yet is lie positive that the carried
man was young, and such description does
he give me Of him as leaves me in no doubt
| that the figure OH tho mems shoulders was
my son."
He told the story in an equable voice, and
OH pausing extracted Il pinch of snuff from
| his box; but the CULVER of his nostrils pro
| claimed a hard struggle with emotion, and
it was easy to see that his application to his
| snuff box was a stratagem to drop his eyes
| and all excuse to hold his peace for {
moment.
Mrs. Strangfield was about to speak; but
| with an imperious gesture Of the hand, bel
husband silenced her.
"This coastguard's tale seems n likely one
sir, and makes the riddle Of your sons disap
pearance easy" he said, with his hard eye!
fixed upon the doctor. at is a pity there il
but one witness"
"But one witness may rescue q man from
damhing dishonor, though there be no othel
evidence to provo his aspersels liars!" eX
claimed the doctor, lifting his head with
flashing glance.
"These c~oastguards,' he said, "like othel
men Of their condition, are fond of a glass
and the hope OF earning a shilling will make
them smart at inventions. One may be sur,
che maj did not leave tho school house un
rewarded"
The skin about tho doctors eyes tightenet
and al expression of unspeakable contemp
settled down upon his face.
"This is not the first time, Mr.. Stronghold
that l have experienced your qualification
to render yourself offensive. Aman SO skep
teal should surely possess a Judgment abov
all chance of laundering"
"Dr. Shaw, l am Il plain man, with littl
knowledge Of fine words. Your tale may b
truly believed by you, but it doth not satisf,
mo-. Your son has acted the part of a vii
lain, sir, and nothing that does not prov
him a villain in every step of the vile wron
he has done me and mine will l credit. Te
me rather that, having betrayed my child
he has meanly fled to escape my vengeance
and has put any rascal upon lying OF hi
behalf"
He was white with his passion, and as b
grasped the arms of his chair the veins of b
hands stood up black with the energy thu
swelled them.
In the contempt and dislike with whic
DR.. Shaw, after a slight backward push {
his chair, surveyed him, there seemed pos
tive cruelty; for no insolence that Strans
field could he guilty of could in a human
mans eyes qualify the moving influence
his deep and passionate emotion.