Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-24

/ L
bitterly cold.
The artist spoke gently to the umbrella
member.
81 see your son is dead,n he said, "and Of
course hold myself responsible for his
death, and am prepared to pay any penalty.
But meanwhile you are shivering with
cold. Let me persuade you to come nearer
the fireplace, and to wrap yourself in this
rug until have succeeded in rekindling
the fire. The snow is still falling fast, and
the ground is covered with white gar
ment. But it won't long remain-that's
the pity of it. Do you think so ?"
The umbrella member withdrew his arm
from beneath his sons head, and suffered
the stranger to lead him to the fireside and
help him into an easy chair. There was a
look of intense pain on the umbrella
members face. He watched his sons muir
derer kneel down and attend to the fire
he watched every bit of stick put on to it,
and once he stopped forward and picked
up bit which had fallen from the bundle,
and he himself threw it into the fire. But
! the fire would not draw, and 50 the stranger
! fetched a newspaper, and he and the UNI
brella mender held it before the CRATE until
their patience and perseverance were re-
warded by success.
at would be no trouble for me to make
you some coffee" said the stranger. Il
was always famous for my coffee. Your
son used to praise it."
Thank YOU" said the umbrella member,
half dreamily. 81 should like some l
ALWAYS enjoy good cup of coffee. One
does not often get it good in England"
suppose you don't object to my smok-
ing here?' asked the stranger. I" If you
think it is not quite reyerent just tell me
SO, and shall understand"
"Smoke by all means" replied the UNI
brella member, watching the young man
not unkindly. The bright light of the
fire fell full on his handsome face; there
was no expression of viciousness or wick
edness, but a sort of resigned, dull, dead
ened sadness, as though the young man
had honestly tried to make good thing
of life, ana all the world had been against
him
Perhaps you will allow me to offer you
a cigarette" suggested the stranger
Your son gave me these cigarettes fort
night ago. They are not strong. Try
them"
,
"but do not smoke now"
The stranger nodded pleasantly and put
the cigarettes back on the mantel shelf
He moved about very quietly preparing
the coffee, and in few minutes the COM
forting, cheering fragrance filed the ROOM
The umbrella member lifted the cup to his
lips and drank long and deep
THAT was very refreshing" he said to
the stranger, who had settled himself down
by the fire with his pipe in his mouth and
the coffee on the fender. You certainly
can make good cup of coffee" Suddenly
he turned round and said quickly: 1T
has just struck me that you may have
added poison to that coffee / do not
really care whether you have done this,
but | should much like to know. It
would be quite natural for you to wish to
poison me, since am probably the only
person who knows that you have murdered
my son. ! should not be in the least sur
prised or angry, so | beg of you to tell me
the truth
He put his hands on the young mans
arm, almost caressingly.
"Ihe idea never even entered my head,
sir" answered the young man. you
might guess that, because | am drinking
from the same coffee pot. | beg of you
not to think badly of me-"
'But you have murdered my son." said
the umbrella member ''He lies there
struck down by your hand-at least, so
you tell me. And | see no reason why
you should invent such story-unless,
perhaps, you are mad. By the way,
have not the pleasure of knowing your
name"
"My name is Bernard Dene,n answered
the stranger, taking his tobacco pouch
from his pocket and refilling his pipe "At
least, that is what | choose to call myself.
| thought that was good name for an ar
list, but it never brought luck to me. 1t
is hard when you have the power and the
wish to work and you cannot get anything
to do. But ! expect you do not know
what that means; you are not unlucky."
"Not particularly SC" said the umbrella
member, slipping his coffee. "Now, | wish
you would oblige me by telling me some
thing about yourself And l should very
much like to know why you have killed
my son."
Then the Young man drew closer to the
old man and told him about himself. He
had had no chances in life, and if there
were God of heaven and earth, as some
! people seemed to think, that God OF heaven
and earth had strange way of taking
care Of those who needed help and hope
! and encouragement. No one had ever
/ cared for him until he met a sweet woman
/ whom he married. And she had died in
/ giving birth to his little girl. That was
/ five years ago. He had never known his
/ father, and as for his mother, it was very
/ little she had troubled herself about him.
/ Nothing had ever prospered with him
| neither art, nor love, nor friendship. Even
/ his little girl did not love him; she had
| always seemed frightened Of him-why,
! he could not guess. Still he had tried to
make the best he could of life, until Ma
! RUS Croker came across his path The
end of it was that Marius Croker had
betrayed the woman whom Bernard Dene
I loved, and for whom he was trying to
work, hoping that he might at last con
quer failure and win happiness and peace.
! The man who had robbed him of this last
/ hope deserved to die. He had told him
that he would kill him, and Marius
Croker had iesred at him. Well, he
would not ieer any more now. THAT is
my story, sir" he cried excitedly. "You
see / was obliged to kill your son. For
give me, sir say it with all due defer
| ence TO you-but the world is better with
out him. But | fear | have hurt your
feelings. ! am very sorry"
The umbrella member stirred restlessly
in his chair.
+" No you have not hurt my feelings,
he murmured half to himself, 'for Marius
was never a son to me. In fact, l never
knew what a sons love meant. have
only read of such love. But his life was
different from yours; he had every care,
every thought bestowed on him. But
feel sure that nothing could ever have
made him good man. He had not the
genius for being good Just as l have not
/ the genius for painting. He broke his
mothers heart-and she died He broke