Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-10-08
CHAPTER ",

Soon, however, DIR. Thorndyke
changed the current of talk in a way
that was fraught for his nearer both
with interest and distraction.
Il should have known of your OWL
and Sylvan's whereabouts, he said sd
relations of friendly sort had remained
between your mother and myself after
your fathers death. But unhappily
this was not the case"
Il never knew" began Gerald.
''Of course you never knew, my dear
boy" was the interruption.
"Why should either you or Sylvan
have known? You were both too young
Your mother and | did not harmonize
let me end there, at my moment of be-
ginning. Soon after your fathers death
l went to America. In Chicago | be-
came prosperous with speed and to a
degree that surprised myself l obtained
good practice, but that was all.
Funds which l invested in land
soon bred me amazing profits. I'm
rich, Gerald, and have no near kindred
except an old aunt or two whom
should be doing an i'll turn if l thrust
any thing like luxury into the peaceful
tenor OF their days. | loved your father,
and I'm prepared to be d second father
to Sylvan and yourself. In any case,
pride or no pride for | see a rebe llious
glitter creeping into your cyes) YOU
must let me help you along through the
rest of your studies, my boy, and after
ward. who lnoH's what may happen
afterwarti? | shouldn't be surprised
if l set up partnership with you as
my Junior associate Wouldn't that
be jolly, eh?" and Thorniyl1e smote
Gerald on the shoulder. with the air of
one who desires to whelm all scruples
of the receiver in the giver's voluminous
goodwill.
AS real fact, Ross Thorndyke had
no further intention of practicing again
through the rest of his lifetime Per-
haps he would never have returned to
England but for the purpose of seeking
out Sylvan Maynard and placing in his
hands that packet of papers which his
dying father had bequeathed him. But
now Thorndyke fingered in his native
land for several months, at the end of
which he and Gerald had become sworn
friends. All Gerald's pride had melted
into thinnest air. He perceived how dis
interested was the goodness of his
fathers friend; he recognized Thorn
dykes right to aid him: and for this
most kindly of newcomers he soon con-
ceived an affection that was filial.
When Thorndyke sailed for New York
in the autumn of that same year it was
with the understanding between Gerald
and himself that the former should fol-
low him by the middle Of spring Syl-
vans twenty-fifth birthday would oc-
cur almost at the time of the doctors
arrival. Thorndyl1e wondered what
sort of an impression Gerald's brother
and sister-in-law would produce upon
him. From certain letters of Sylvan's.
recently seen, he had formed an idea
that he was fated never to care for this
heir of the Maynards as he had already
got to care for Young Gerald And his
premonitions proved right.
Sylvan was living, at this time, in a
small house near the upper portion of
Park avenue. He had pretty home,
which only needed the laughter and
foot-patterings of children to make it a
charming one. Thorndyke. man who
had never married, a man who in earlier
life had suffered piercing disappoint-
ment with which this little chronicle of
other affairs than his need not deal, and
man who now cared for all the lures of
wonanhood about In the same way