Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-01-17
JOHN BRENT
By THEODORE WINTHROP
COPYRIGHTED. 1891.
CONTINUED

sue anu tutors before Us, TWO vel
crammed candidates for the freshman
class. Brent was delicate, beautiful
dreamy boy. My counterpart. was
plain prose, and needed the poetic ele-
ment. We became friends. l was
steady; he was erratic. ! was calm; he
was passionate. was reasonably hap
by; he was totally miserable, for good
cause.
The cause was this, and ii has broken
weaker hearts than Brent's. His heart
was made OF stuff that does not know
how to break.
DR.. Swerger was the cause OF Brent's
misery. The Rev. DR.. Swerger was a
brutal man. One who believes that God
Is vengeance naturally initiates his God
and does not better his model.
Swerger was Brent's Stepfather. Mrs.
Brent was pretty, silly, rich and a
widow. Swerger wanted his wife pretty,
and not too wise; ana that she was rich
balanced, perhaps little more than bal
anced, the slight objection OF widow
hood.
SWerger naturally hated his stepsOn.
One intuition Of Brent's was worth all
the thoughts Of Swerger'S lifetime. a
clergyman who starts with BELIEVING in
hell, devils, original sin and such crudi-
ties can never be anything in the Nine
teenth century but a tyrant or a nui-
sance, il he has any logic, as fortunately
few Of such miSbelievers have. Swerger
had logic. So had the boy Brent-the
logic OF true, pure, loving heart. He
could not stand Swerger'S coming into
his dead fathers house and deluding his
mother with black fanaticiSm.
So Swerger gave him 10 understand
that he was a child of hell. He won his
wife to shrink from her son. Between
them they lacerated the boy. He was
brilliant fellow, quite the king OF US all.
But he worked under a cloud. He could
not get at any better religion than Swer-
gers; and perhaps there was none better
or much better-tO be had at that
time.
One day matters came to a quarrel.
Swerger cursed his stepSOn; Of course
not in the same terms that sailors used
on Long wharf, but with no better
spirit. The mother, Cowed by her huS-
band, backed him and abandoned the
boy. They drove him out Of the house,
TO 90 where he would. He came 70 me.
1 gave him half my quarters and tried
to cheer him. No use. This bitter
wrong TO his love TO God and 10 man al
most crushed him. He brOOded and de-
SPARED. He began to fancy himself
the lost soul Swerger had called him. l
saw that he would die or go mad; or, If
he had strength enough TO react, il
would be toward a haplesS rebellion
against conventional laws, and so make
his blight ruin.
l hurried him of TO Europe for
change Of scene. That was ten years
ago and l had not seen him since. l
knew, however, that his mother was
visited by computations; that she wish
ed 70 be recOnciled 10 her son; that
Swerger refused and renewed his ana
themas; that he bullied the poor little
woman to death; that Brent had to
wiring the property out Of him by long
lawsuit, WEIGH the Swergerites con-
sidered an unconstitutional and devliSh
proceeding, another proof Of total de-
pravity. Miserable business! IL went
near to crush all the innocence, faith,
hope and religion out Of my friends
life.
OF course this experience had ten
dency TO drive Brent out of the COM
mon paths, to make him seer instead
of a doer. His fortune made him in
dependent. He could 80 where he
pleased.
This was the man who rode upon the
ron gray horse. This was the Indian
lsoue Saxon who greeted me. 1t put
lolor and poetry into my sulky life TO
see him.
"Oh, old fellow" said Brent, pointing
his whip at my traps. Il can't hear
him squeak, but I'm sure there Is pig in
that gunny bag and -four in that sack.
] hope you're not away for long trip
Just as have come TO squat with You.
''No longer than home across the
plains"
seBravo! then. we'll ride together in
stead Of squstting together. Instead OF
your teaching teaching me quartz min
ing III guide you across the Rockies.
'You know the way then"
sEvery foot OF it. Last fall hunted
I'D from Mexico and New Mexico with
an English friend. We made winter
Headquarters with Captain Ruby az Fort
Laramie, knocking about all winter In
that nelghborhOod and at the north
among the Wind River mountains. Ear
" in the spring we went OF toward
Luggernel alley and the Luggernel
springs, and camped there for month. -
''Luggernel alley! Luggernel springs.
Those are new names 70 me; in fact,
my Becky mountain geography Is
naught."
.You ought to see them. Luggernel
alley Is one OF the wonders Of this con-
tinent."
ssWho was your English friend?"
USir Biron Biddulph-a capital fel-
low, pink in the cheeks, warm in the
heart, strong in the shanks, mighty on
TIE hunt"
"Hunting for love OF it?"
s,No; for love itself, or rather the lack
OF love. A lovely lady in his native
Lancashire would not smile; so he
turned butcher Of buffalOes, bears and
NAMED he the fair but frozen
maid?"
"Neyer. II seems there is something
bapless or tragic about her destiny.
She did not love him; so he came away
20 forget her. He made no secret OF IT,
We arrived in Utah last July on our
way 20 see California. There he got
letters from home, announcing, as be
told me, some coming misfortune to the
adv. As a friend, no longer a lover, he
nroDosed to do what ne could to avert
the danger. left him in Salt Lake,
nreparlng to return, and came across
country alone"
,sAlonel through the Indian country,
with that tempting iron gray, those
,..,atinr nacks. that tempting scalp