The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-05-22
HIS ADOPTED CHILD.

1
HIS ADOPTED CHILD.
A man sits looking moodily into the
| open wood fire as he leans lazily back
in luxurious armchair. His sur
| roundings are sumptuous. The whole
| apartment bespeaks great wealth used
| to the best advantage by the aid of ex-
| quisite taste. There are flowers in this
room-a great, square window of
| palms, and rare blossoms, and cut
roses, exhaling a delicious odor. But
| the one human figure is more interest
| ing, more strikingly elegant than any
| thing in the room. Errol Jerome
| though now AZ years old, certainly de-
serves his reputation of being the hand
soonest and most distingue man in New
| York society. He has stern, COM
manding face-the kind of face women
| adore and men trust and admire. 1t is
| face with all its clear-cut, firm fea-
lures, its brilliant dark eyes, and
high. white, naughty brow. that one
could imagine infinitely tender and
sympathetic when moved by love or
pity.
Just now the face is at its worst. By
his side are a lot of bills, glancing at
which his brow grows more densely
clouded and he gives his head fretted,
quick. upward lift, like fine racer
chatting at his bit.
''D-n it, he says to himself, be-
tween Ills teeth. lis this thing never to
cease?"
AS if in answer to this self-question-
ing. some one enters softly and comes
up to his chair.
Hello. dad.n
Errol Jerome turns and regards his
son with the same look he has been be-
slowing upon the fire.
''Hello.' he replies. not rising from
his chair, but giving out rather coldly
his fine white hand to be shaken.
His son looks at him with an express
sion half worried, half amused.
whats up?" he says as he drops
lazily into the chair opposite.
'.Up!" with cold. sarcastic accents;
nothing up at all; everything down
at least everything in which you are
concerned. | have just received anoth-
er carload of evidences of your debts,
| and | am tired of them.n
''Ah! | am sorry" with exasperatin g
| indifference.
You will have still more cause for
regret perhaps when | finally tell you
that | shall pay them no more"
But you won't do that, Enrol; know
you won't"
The older mans face softened. He
likes to be called by his name by this
| young son, only twenty-five years his
| junior.
Now" continued the young fellow,
evidently anxious to divert his fathers
| mind, ''let me tell you of my spring
| south, and the royal time we had fish
! ing and hunting about the Marshes of
Glynn.' You know Lanier wrote his
most beautiful poem about those
marshes near Brunswick. But before
tell YOU of the hunting | must tell
you of a queer find made near the
marshes"
What was that?"
"A child; and l brought it back with
me-"
"A Moses in the bullrushes?"
"No, a small Pharaoh's daughter"
Good heaven! and you say you
brought her back with you?"
Yes"
"And what are you going to do with
herpn
Educate her at one of the SWEETEST
schools in the city"
''And what then?"
| Il don't know"
Rear her up according to your ideas?
| [ suppose that is your notion. Well,
| ind nv tho
ciate with whose ways seem to suit your
! taste, heaven knows what sort of wo-
man would result from being trained
by you from youth. know" he said,
what the end of this education will
be. You will marry this girl-this
namelesS. common tisherman'S daugh-
| ter
That is exactly what l will not do"
1T is the sure result of such 4 freak,
and | wish to hear no arguments or
| protestations from you upon the sub
| ject. | have little to say. | have not
been positive with you heretofore, but
| | think You know when | am in earn
est. am terribly in earnest now.
| leave YOU this alternative: Give up
this mad scheme about this girl and
send her away from the city to some
institution, and l will pay your debts
and take you into my business; keep
the girl as you propose, and not one
dime of my money shall ever be given
into your hands. not now nor after my
| death"
The boy arose too. and the resem
Dlance between father and son was more
striking as the latter's face grew hot
and angry.
Them said Lysle Enrol. Il will
decide ut once. l will educate the
girl here in New York, and you car
do rs you please about the debts and
your money. You might" smiling
"leave the latter to an orphan asylum.
And how, pray, do you propose
to educate he girl or take care O
yourself-you who have never earned :
cent during the twenty years of YOU
| life"
That question need not concerr
| either one of us. / am one of the lille;
of the field, and | suppose the Lord viii
array me-"
His utter GOODNESS feazed his father /;
little.
You are simply joking" he said
you will do as | wish"
Il don't mean to be unple. SAINT abou
it, Enrol, but l will not do as yol