Dodge City times., 1888-04-19

ADMISSION. U}e IRIS lliie tiInl nj IJlI1Dllng,
unlike the bold knock Thane gave.
Painted savage or GnpaiE5od,' respond
ed the master. starting. ''this UurUiy rascal
shall feel discipline
.'Oh. Dir. Barkerl'' be19url1 Ptoabc
"Ogre. dear. said his y.-5c, ~ .3a5ently in
the act OF expanding he- I-rEe person to
place before him, ''the man win shoot"
Let me open the door SAID Gurley.
.'Iopen my own door, SIR laterposed the
master.
''Now, you scoundrel. what do you want
tbs time.''
He made heavy dash IT the person on
the step, recovering himself with difficulty.
Those inside saw it was man quite
clean-shaven excepting his upper lip: that
his clothes were black, fine and oId-fash-
ioned; and though he held his tall hat in
one hand as he recoiled from the masters
onset, the hat had evidently been lifted be-
fore the door opened and his recoil meant
surprise.
"Oh!' Mr.. Barker snarled suspiciously.
''Good evening, good evening, sir. Good
evening"
The stranger made some response in
nasal blur Of words, concluding with an
eager question.
Mr.. Barker turned toward the other in
mates, his ferceue5s cooled to the tempera-
ture of combativeness.
''Is this man speaking Latin with the con-
tinental pronunciation, Gurley, or is it
Welsh!'
''Step in, sir,'' invited Mrs. Barker.
"Ogre! perhaps the door better be shut"
''The door will not De SHUT responded
her husband, .'until tins man can intelligibly
state his business
1T is Painter Good evening, Mr..
Painter said Gurley.
Painter seeing Phoebe, stepped upon the
sill with an exclamation.
During the rest of her life. when she tried
to set the action of the next five minutes in
its true light, and to see the facts as they
occurred by the clock instead OF through the
medium of terror which had no regard for
time, she thought Mrs. Barker exclaimed
that the other man was behind this one:
that Painter turned, saw Thanc and seized
him: then they struggled together without
apparent reason: that she ran and hid her
face in the lounge pillow; and a shot, the
voices of Gurley and the master, and the
bounding steps Of some one running away
all mingled together.
Mrs. Barker looked chastity when Painter
was laid on the lounge. Phoebe herself sat
moment on the floor beside the lounge.
She heard Gurley ride OF for a physician
and officers of justice.
Afterwards she waited by the kitchen
stove while MIR. Barker and his wife attend
ed to the wounded man. There was no fire
in the stove. but she could see the hearth
shine through the open sitting-room door,
and count bricks along the front of the
chimney.
Here Mrs. Barker brought her bit of
paper and in agitation told her that Painter
wrote it and sent it. She bent toward the
distant freight to make out the characters,
and noticed that though traced by an un-
steady hand they were clear and beautiful.
At first merely the name James Fawcett
attracted her: then she walked to the fire.
place intent only on reading what was
written. and it was: you are my child
James FaWcett.'
''Nor' said Phoebe, turning toward the
wounded man and questioning him with
negatives: mo! No!'
One of Mrs. Barkers quilts covered him
up to the armpts. He was looking at
Phoebe with wide open and agonized blue
eyes. His sensitive lower face she saw was
like the portrait in the Fawcett library.
''No.' she repeated, twisting the paper in
her fingers. II.
He nodded his head, and besought her by
a gesture TO come nearer. In his hands
were pencil and paper tablets which Mrs.
Barker had taken out of his pocket for him.
He was shot through the body. and the
doctor, brought later by GUrley. could do
little more for him than had already been
done.
Mr.. Barker sat near his patients feet, rug
gedly silent and stern as If justice were gath
ering all forces in him. His wife held light,
resting her elbow i'll her palm, and looked
anXiously from Phoebe to the wounded man.
She stood behind his head and let her lamp
shine on his tablets. Sometime during the
confusion Orcutt had been walked. Phoebe
remembered hearing his mother command
his return to bed.
As Painter becl1oned again Phoebe went
to him, not reluctant but unc0nvinced and
rested on the floor looking at him.
His hand flew from side to side of his tab
lets, and when he gave them to her Mrs.
Barker moved a step to shift the light.
s'If tried to talk" he said on paper, '.you
could not understand my voice. My deform-
ity still mortiies me 50 | can not bear to
display it before my child. l used to talk
thus to your mother. Wehad long, silent con-
versations. sitting side by side. Her name was
Phoebe You are her over aglin, little ex-
panded. Do you remember when you
brought me the maple sugar:"
Instead of replying aloud Phoebe took
his pencil and wrote:
''Yes. But why have you been away from
me always.n
He put swiftly down, because l thought
you were dead. When You came to me
with that maple sugar [ was startled. and
my thoughts began to work. Then | heard
your name was Phoebe White. | found the
boy Thorney was with you. Still had no
certain proof until this afternoon when 1
read a note you had sent by boy through
the woods. unfolded it as some trifling
property of his. and read your history. even
to Thane Whites name Then got ready
to come after you. ! brought in my breast
pocket the papers which will identify me. l
went to the house nearest the School-house
where l knew you lived; but they could not
find you. So as you had written to Mr..
Barker for help, came directly here. You
are my child, and your name is Phoebe Faw-
cett. You were born eighteen Years ago in
San Francisco. and your mother died when
you were two-and-a-half years Old. spent
much time in Nevada, where was interest
ed in mines. Your mother was devoted to
me. | took pleasure III enterprise then
left home when boy determined to make
my family proud of me when | came back,
in spite OF my defect. 1t turned out diff
ferently / have. lived here in the woods,
not caring even TO claim my rights in the
estate. There was no one to inherit after
me. have covered my identity up as much
as possible Now it would be different. But
when l could live | must die"
He gave the tablets 10 Phoebe and covered
his eyes with one hand, his mouth set with
physical agony. She flashed over the words,
and advanced q little n lrer TO him on her