The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-31

/ John Hetheri1ge. six weeks ago last
! Tuesday you wss up country twenty miles
( beyond allGIa or thereawayt L was u
as found my mate, Bob Martins body" To
eacl Of those queries Hs;heri &c answered
/ by a grave nod. Very veil. then. I'm
Bob 5.a,tin's mate. TIE Eid you took
3 AVA from Bob Martins saantr Is mine /
( claim nv rights over ner. I'm he natural
/ protector
We'll SAID He:heridge. dryly, You'll
4 have 80 prove your relationship"
lie laughed a second later, POtter's face
/ fell so ludicrously.
''Rsla.iouship-you mean kim blood
I king
''Certainly." said HetheridEe, without
I that you've no more night 20 the child than
/ have"
Vow, look here, matsy." said Sam Pot
| ter, balancing q weiglty argumsntative
/ fOreiinger IN trout Of N, 'there's things
/ as sta-d to reason and things as don't
| suppose youth give in to thaJ much. won't
| you"
Yes" said He;heridge, watching him
rather grlmly. IN give IN to that much.
| Go on"
well. them pursued Potter, with @
manner laboriously forensic. eli one cove
has been another cOve's mate in and out,
! come foul weather, come fair wea her, come
| long commons. come short commOl s, for
fifteen years and more; and If another cove
| hasn't as much as set eyes on the first cove
which is the mani asks you solemn and
asks you serious which is the man that has
Il right to that cove's daughterm
Hetheridge felt within doors al il he had
a right 10 prick and anger his visitor before
he finally disposed Of lin. His own edge
had been sharpened on a rustic Rrindsooue
bus he thought 1t prodigiously finer than
his interlocutor's.
my good man." be answered, 81 give it
up"
To give force TO the assumption Of town
bred ease he wore, he broke a lucifer match
| IN two and used portion OF it as a tooth
pick. His period Of financial prosperity
had not spoiled him and he was still the
same man who, sinking in whirlpool Of
love, and hatred and despair. could take
pride ia the handiwork OF West End
tailor when its graces we're hung out 70 pub
lie view on his own proper person.
Have YOU" Potter asked him, with a
yet more earnest voice. and yet weightier
balance Of the forensic forefnger, have
you, along as compared with me. the right
TO Bob Martins kid as l havel By all DC
counts you never set eyes on him till he was
dead and done with. l was his pal and
pardner for years and years. What have
you got TO say to thatw
"Only this HetherIdge answered, feeling
that his Indifferent toying with the blunt
toothpick, his finer clothes aid the negli-
gent, gentlemanly attitude into which he
had thrown himself in MS Office chair, gave
him definite advantage over the other
mans rough exterior aud labored speech
only this, my good friend. Possession is
nine points of the law; and if you'll ask the
nearest solicitor, he'll tell you that the law
has no more than ten points all told"
Look here" said Potter, you've got to
prove your rights
mo, my good FRIEND" Hetheridge an
swered. Its you who have to prove your
rights. When you nave done 1t you may
have the child, or you mayn't have her. In
the meantime she is my charge. and l see no
reason why l should surrender her to you.
What are you to begin withM
John HetheridEs had seen nothing for
year or two past, not even in the gains
which sweiled his banking account So rap
idly, which had pleased him half 50 much.
He had no especial affection for the child,
but here was a man obviously in earnest,
whose purpose he could baulk or thwart. aud
that fact was meat and drink to him. That
rooted hatred which he still felt toward his
cd rival helped him 70 hate the world, Just
as prosperous love dispOses a man TO be
kindly and generous to all mankind To be
snre the child, young as she ives, and little
as he had seen of her, was something of a
solace. But whatever little touch of peace
or hint of human feeling she had brought
him was as nothing compared with the op-
portunlty she offered here and now. She
helped hun here and now to spite fellow
creature. Potter's very earnestness made
her fifty times as dear. The man was
spurred alike by love and duty, and in ex-
act proportion with his intensity was the
sweetness Of denying him.
His last query had left Potter dumb, and
seeing this he pursued his advantage. He
fbFauv himself ipfn or t,1a
negligent and picked his teeth with an cir
of finer breeding han before
MY good fellow" he flowed on, "it
seems to me that any pretense that you may
make about an anxiety for this child's well
fare Is absurd. Providence has reared up
for her q friend in me. Yoa see what the
chld'S surroundings are Can Won offer
anything like them? You pretend to
have been her fathers friend and | suppose
you want the to believe that you have some
| sort Of interest in the little thing herself.
and Jet you have the impertiuence to come
here and bully mo because | saved her life.
and because l offer her home in which she
can os bred up like lady. IN be hanged. -
he cried, warming to his work under the
| lash of own elOQuence-"pn be hanged If |
| ever heard such folly talked in all my life y
| Mate said Potter, brushing tho back Of
his hand across his eyes, you've right and
l was wrong. l FEVER thought to stand in
the kids light, and WON'T There's my
hand on it,"
MY good fellow, said Hetharidge. more
| fine conference.-the than ever, II don't
want your hand. Your business is over
you see the folly of your course, and you
can 20"
Look here, mGtey," Potter answered,
| bob Martin was my mate and parduer
! for fifteen years and more"
Yes, yes" Hetheridge interrupted, with
a laaguid impatience. We've heard oil
that already. Can you find your way out
or shall l ring"
I've got my duty" said Potter, ''and l
see 1t straight. give her up because l see
you can d al better by her than what
could. But l want to see her now and
then. and I'd take it kindly if was let to
call on her now and again in my rough
way. Not to do her narm, mind you. Not
that for moment, matey. But Just to
give her word of her father and mother.
and TO let her know. as If anything hap.
pened to friends as was rich, there's ALWAYS
them as isn't to fall back upon.'
Can you find your way out" asked
Hetheridge again, "or shall Iringi'
30, don't you think, cried Potter, las Pm
to be drove out Of my rights like this. Bob
Martin was my pal and pardner."
Hetherldge arose and struck gong which
stood upon the mantel-piece. The man ser
want appeared with an almost suspicious
alacrity.
SHOW this man out, said the master Of
the house.
"Ah, dor said Potter, raising his swaa
from his shoulder, and dashing il upon the
floor. But suppose this mau won't 90 ont