Dodge City times., 1888-04-19
,HGBE READING Will -. FATHER WROTE

my arrangements. ThGne White was in
California then. He was a third or fourth
cousin of your mothers, worthless Great
ure. but we helped him on account of his
distant relationship"
Phoebe. reading while her father wrote,
inquired at once:
Isn't Thorney my brother, thenl"
mo; Thorney is Thames son. Your
mother was kind to the miserable little
soul. We kept him with US /: his father was
brutal to him. l gave Thane employment
for several years He bore bad name
when he came to the coast. and was prob
ably worse than knew but we could hardly
shake him off. l never imagined then that
he would separate my child from me and
finally shoot me. Your mother had known his
wife in the States. a poor, detected young
woman who died early: and the boy Thorn
ey was only half-Witted. When | read in
your note how Thane had used you, it
seemed as if | had never suffered before in
nv life. And you forced TO appeal to a
stranger while your father lived The sight
of him filed me with such fnry l don't
know what l might have done if he had not
shot"
'.Does he look as he used to, father!"
l. SCdTCtlN lDllCcu. L fAllcN IL was udl0
White. The muscles of his face look eX-
posed, and tWitched''
g 1t must have been you ne meant when
he told me there was somebody in the neigh
borhOod he wanted to avoid
8. If he saw me as | ordinarily go he did
not recognize me tonight until | turned on
him. What did he do with you when he
landed in the States!''
He must have put Thorney and me in
that orphan asylum at Pittsburgh. He has
been in prison often. Did you know that
father!'
"Yes, hunted him up behind the bars,
and he repeated to me on oath that you
were dead, You were lost overheard at
sea. l sent him from Virginia City week
before intended to start, to take passage
for US on an isthmus steamer. May be I
gave him enough money to make it a
temptation. May be the idea came into his
head suddenly. and he carried it out. in
tending to make me pay him well for re-
storing you. 1t is hard to read all the
motives of man like Thane White Aft
erwards he found was poor, and dropped
you where it was most convenient, reveng-
ing himself for his disappointment by de-
claring you were dead. He went over to
days ahead of the time 1 wanted to sail
Then he delivered my letter to the lady
who had you in charge; she was friend of
your mothers l asked her to have you
ready against I came for you. Thames boy
I kept him at the same place-and you
were allowed to go on the street with
Thane. You were about three years old
He never brought you back. The family
sent for me. We found he had sailed
with you, and l believe he took no nurse
could not discover what vessel brought him
to New York; and he said you were lost
overheard between the isthmus and that
port. l spent months tracking him, and,
finally, letter from him, which had fol-
lowed me around, brought news of your
death. never believed it until | saw him
in prison, and he swore it to me without
having any conceivable object in doing so.
May be | was more readily disheartened
than when your mother lived"
Father wrote Phoebe on the tablets,
tive seem so well acquainted. My heart
ached so about you the night we took you
that maple sugar that | could hardly endure
it. Do look at all like | used to:'
"Yes,n he wrote in reply. From the
day of your birth your face was very dis
tinctly marked. | can see your baby face in
your features yet"
'Psyche Fawcett is my own cousin. isn't
she?''
''Yes. And she must divide with you.
There was another thing which struck me
like conviction before | could be certain.
saw you standing before my portrait, and
you showed the F..wcett rs well as your
mother blood. L was young Gurley who
came with you the first time saw you-was
it.''
yes
''And he was here to-night?'
''Yes. He is bringing the doctor. The
bullet will be taken out and you will get
WE'LL
Il like to see him about you. He's man.
Remember said this
But, dear, your pain is not very great
now. is it.'
Not very. Ny mind feels easy. If you
push the quilt in there is room enough for
you to sit on the lounge beside me-"
Phoebe sat there until the doctor came. 1t
was twelve o'clock tv the time the examina-
ton was finished, AID the doctor remained
by his patient.
Phoebe resumed her seat by her father
and watched him all night. He dozed or
sunk into unconsciousneSS. and woke with
smile to write recollections about her
mother He lived over the San Francisco
honeymoon, and he was in the mountains
assaying ore Several times he was re-
called to the present by strong anguish.
The doctor then dealt with him, and his
girl afterward wiped the dampness from
his face.
Neither Mrs. Barker nor the master left
her. The lamp burned on the table until a
growing pallor outside betokened morning.
Miss Fawcett wiz come to see him to-
morrow" said Phoebe to the doctor, speak
ing as if the day were stil remote. Mr..
Gurley intends to bring her. viii that dis
turb him too much:'
''Oh, no. replied the doctor, ''no.'
.'Don't you think he is betterl' inquired
Phoebe, when the cocks in the master 8
chicken-house began to crow.
Perhaps ought to tell you." the ply
sician said aside to her, that l dread a
hemorrhage.'
She compressed her mouth and suddenly
felt the effect of her vigil. her excitement
and her days of contest with Thane.
Still, her father was quiet in half-con-
scious slumber when Mrs. darker lighted
the breakfast fire aud The master brought
pail OF water from the well
All aOmate things or doors were begin
| ming 10 Stir. and the e. sTlish cane in was
fresher than ever before a5 If it blew out Of
Paradise full Of odors nd promises. The
early spring birds were al about, and the
flicker's thrill was heard c.ose by the win.
| dow
'sThat birds song Always smells Of
Johnny -jump-ups-t cary blue violets, y
said Phoebe, with s-liic, TO the doctor.
The Doctors answering smile was tran,
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