Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-14

and the boy. He spoke my name the first time
the day they Left And the last sight 1 had OF
him he was tossing kisses to me from the deck OF
He had jumped up from his chair and was
raging up and down the room. It didn't seem
like Merrill ALWAYS such az easy going, quiet
tempered man. His eyes were bloodshot and
his hands cenched hard. I'd have given my
right hand not to have asked him about the boy.
''They talk about bowling to The will OF Provi:
dence,'' he cried, and they say one should
thYnk the Creator for His kindness in removing
little child from world OF trouble; but 1t isn't
the bleeding heart that is torn by undying sor-
row that can be healed by empty words. didn't
love my child the common way. he was part
of me-the breath OF my life. It's been the
hardest thing to think of his growing up away
from me. l can't get used to the idea that he's
gone from me. I've counted the months and
the years and his birthdays a. they passed.
I've followed along the street after boys that
seemed the same age as mile, and often and
often it's seemed to me as IL they were my little
chap, alive and we'll, ready to turn to me with a
bright word and loving look. You, most OF
all, Ned Bryant, when you We hung about me
with your bows feol notions and questions
wi hout end. I've humored you ana helped
you, thinking all the time of my own little Rob,
and half the time fooling myself with the fancy
1 had him in your place.
/ couldn't stand it O moment longer. tore
out of the room like mad, and ru 'hed away down
the street oh, the cruelty of it? The rank in
Justice of it! That all this love should be
wasted on the little child that lay at the bottom
of the sea, and l, a boy nobody cared for, should
not even De able to remember the parents whose
bones lay bleaching beside those of Merriil's
child. If he, q man advanced in years, could
feel so keenly his desolation, what should
feel, boy still in his childhood, with long,
unloVed life stretching out before him?
1t was late that night when 1 ere pit humbly
through the front gate and stole into the house.
There was light in the library, and that tod
thought that perhaps he had felt anxious about
me; perhaps he did care. You see l was Just
bout starving for some little portion OF afiec-
ton such as other boys have and half the time
DO not care for I stood there trembling IN the
door ready to fall down at his feet or kiss his
hand or do any other silly thing for a single
word Of sympathy. But when he turned to see
me his face showed nothing but displeasure.
''You have been out late tonight. Don't let
it happen again, " was I'll he said.
John Merrill left US soon after this. He went
into the g,rden ming business on his own account.
and set up little nursery on the other side OF
town. don't think he heard anything OF nv
story before he left. Uncle never encouraged
gossip about the house.
Once in q while went over to see him, but
my visits were a long time apart. When l did
see him he was as kind and pleasant as ever, but
after awhile didn't care much to go there. To
tell the truth was n :eited idiot, and fan
sled myself peg or two hEHeI bo IN ,hs w0 World
honorable to inherit a dead mans money than
to earn living by the work Of ones own hands,
like honest John Merrill.
was beginning to enjoy my privileges as n
rich mans son. My uncle seemed to feel that
had reached an age when l ought to begin to
learn how to handle money and act for myself,
so he gave me more liberty, and he increased
nv allowance to what was really princely sum
for boy of fifteen to spend. But tel! you 1
made the money fly. fell in with set OF boys
of NV own age not bad fellows, but careless and
snobbish and worthless, as boys are apt to be
who haven't anything in life to do but to spend
the money their fathers have made before them.
We rode in the park, and went to the theater,
and trained in an amateur military club and
spouted in private theatricals, and contrived
generally to get great zeal OF fun and precious
little profit GU: OF life
I'll never forget the day when was brought
up with round turn; came in to luncheon
and found by my plate a line from my uncle,
asking me to meet him at O'Clock in the Ii
brary This made me wretchedly uucomfort-
able, for knew, as well as If hs had said so,
mond scarf pin had bought the day before
the most absurd thing for boy to wear; but
one of my boy friends had set OF diamond shIrt
studs, and wanted 10 outshine hin, and as my
quarters allowance was gone, the bill had to be
sent home to my uncle.
So marched up to the library little fright
ened, but bound to assert my rights; and the
moment opened the door l knew that some
thing had happened.
who had charge of the estate, and between them
was a rough-looking fellow mad never seen be-
fore; while standing near the door was John
Merrill, looking very III al ease, and quite as
confused and dazed as myself
Nv uncle greeted me more cordially than had
ever known him to speak before.
s.Ah, my boyl here You are at last. Sit down
sit down, And now, Thomas Maxim. wan:
you to repeat word for word the story you told
me this morning. C!luOrJ. turning TO the
LAWYER you had better take down his state
ment.''
MT. Clifford drew up to the desk and took up
a pen, and the man. with grin AMI q SHAME
faced look across the room at me, began his
story.
''Hi'm a seafaring man, sir, Hinglish by
birth. Thomas Maxim is my name. Thirteen
wears ago Hi shipped as deckhand on the steam
er Queen Of the Ses-she that went down right
out ere in the a.bor"
Mr.. Clifford interrupted him, speaking
sharply.
''Where have you been since then, sir!''
s'Well, you see, sir. there was talk some
of us-the crew-was too andy with the boats.'
ssAnd you have been in San Francisco how
often and how many times since thsn?''
Never q day till now, sir. Shipped the day
after the wreck on 8 bark as sailed 10 the Navi-
gator highlans. and sick enough Hi was of q fe,
YER along of the chill and ducking Hi 'ad. And
'ow body was ever to save such a crazy tet Of
people as them passengersE
fOh. dry up Makin!" exclaimed my uncle.
az don't don bt you were 8 lot OF cowardly ras-
Gals. every man saved from that steamer. But
get on with your story.
well, sir. Hi was a-saying, HI shipped as
deck and on the steamer, and when We were