Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-28
ork his gift" Then aloud-with deep

irony
Visiting our great country for recrea.
tion and amusement no doubt suppose
you find that travelling in the majestic ex-
panses OF our far West is"
81 haven't been. West, and haven't been
devoting myself to amusement with any
sort of exclusiyeness, assure you. In fact,
20 merely live, an artist has got 20 work,
not play"
"Artistr' said Hawkins to himself,
thinking of the rifed bank; ''that is name
for itp'
"Are YOU an artist?" asked the Colonel;
and added to himself, ''now, I'm going to
catch him.
I'm an humble way, yes"
What line9" pursued the sly veteran.
'T've got him" said Sellers to himself.
Then aloud, This is fortunate. Could
that need that attention"
Il shall be very glad. Pray let me see
them"
No shutting, no evasion, no embarass-
ment, even under this crucial test. The
Colonel was nonplussed. He led Tracy to a
chrome which had suffered damage in a
former owners hands through being used
as a lamp mat, and said, with q flourish of
his hand toward tie picture
'This Del Sarto-"
'Ts that Del Sarto?"
The Colonel bent look Of reproach upon
Tracy, allowed it to sink home, then re-
sumed as if there had been no Interruption
''This Del Sarto is perhaps the only orig
inal of that sublime master in our country.
You see yourself that the work is of such
exceeding delicacy that the risk-could-er
would YOU mind giving me little example
Of what you can do before we
''Cheerfully, cheerfully. will copy one
Of these marvels"
Water-color materials-relics of Miss
Sally's college ife-were brought-Tracy
said he was better in oils, but would take q
chance with these. So he was left alone
He began his work, but the attractions of
the place were too strong for him, and he
got up and went drifting about, fascinated,
also amazed.
Meantime the Earl and Hawkins were
holding a troubled and anxious private con-
versation. The Earl said:
''The mystery that bothers me is, where
did it get its other arm?'
Yes, it worries me, too. And another
thing troubles me-the apparition is En-
glish. How do you account for thar,
Colonel?"
don't really know. 1t is very confusing
and awful"
Don't you think, maybe, we've walked
up the wrong one?"
"The wrong one? How do you account
for the clothes?'
''The clothes are right, there's no getting
around It What are we going to do? We
can't collect, as 1 see. The reward is for
one-armed American. There is a two-armed
Englishman.
well, it may be that that is not obiec-
tlonable. You see it isn't less than is called
for; it is more, and So"
But he saw that this argument was weak
and dropped it. The friends sat brooding
over their perple1ities some time in silence.
Finally the Earl's face began to glow with
an inspiration, and he said impressively:
Hawkins, this naturalization is q
grander and nobler science than We have
dreamed of We have little imagined what
q solemn end stupendous thing we have
done. The whole secret is perfectly clear
to me now, clear as day. Every man is
made up of heredities. long-descended atoms
and particles of his ancestors. This present
materialization is incomplete. We have
only brought it down to perhaps the begin
hing of this century,"
''What do you mean, Colonel?" cried
Hawkins, filled with vague alarms by the
old mans swe-compelling words and man
ner.
This. We've materialized this burglars
ancestor"
''oh, don'ti Don't say thati It's hid
eousp'
But it's true, Hawkins; know it. Look
at the facts. This apparition is distinctly
English; note that 1t uses good grammar;
note that. 1t is an artist; note that. 1t has
the manners and carriage of a gentleman;
note that: Where's your cowboy? Answer
me that"
''Rossmore, this is dreadful! It is too
dreadful to think Off
Never resurrected rag of that burglar |
but the clothes-not solitary rag OF him |
but the clothes"
Colonel, do you really mean"
The Colonel brought his fist down with |
emphasis and said:
Il mean exactly this: The materializa-
tion was immature; the burglar has eyaded 1
rs; this is nothing but a. ancestor!'
He rose and walked the floor in great e1-
eitement. Hawkins said, plaintiveIy:
Its bitter appointment-bitter" "s
II know it. 1 know it, Senator. / feel
1t as deeply as anybody could But we've
got to submlt-on moral grounds. need |
money, but God knows 1 am not poor
enough or shabby enough to be an accessory
to the punishment of mans ancestor for
crime committed by that ancestors pos
teritv"
But, Colonel, q" implored Hawkins, "stop
and think; don't be rash you know it's the
only chance we've got to get the money.
and, besides, the Bible itself says posterity
TO the fourth generation shall be punished
for the sins and crimes committed by ances-
tors four generations back that hadn't any,
thing to do with them; and so it's only fair
TO turn the rule around and make it work
both ways"
The Colonel was struck with the strong
logic of this position. He strobe up and
down, and thought it painfully over. Finally
he said:
Ihere's reason in 1t; yes, there's reason |
In 1t. And SO, although it seems a piteous
thing TO sweat this poor ancient devil for a
burglary ne hadn't the least hand in, still,
II duty commands 1 suppose we must give
him up TO the authorities %
81 would" said Hawkins, cheered and
I'D give him up if he was thou
Iand ancestors compacted into one''
Lord bless me, that's Just what he is"
said Sellers, with something like a groan,
it's exactly what he is; there's 6 contribu-
hon in him from every ancestor he ever
had In him there's atoms of priests, SOL |,
dlers, crusaders, poets, and sweet and gra-
ciouS women-all kinds and conditions of
folks who trod this earth in old, old cen
turtles, and vanished out of it ages ago. and
now by act of ours they are summoned
from their holy peace to answer for cutting
! one-horse bank awav out on the borders Of
Cherokee Strip, and its just q bowling out
ragep' -
'Oh, don't talk like that, Colonel; 1t |
axes the heart all out of me, and makes
ne ashamed of the part I am proposing
%"