The record-union., 1894-07-28
terms for the, to him, omnipresent and
inf0lapo b1a

intolerable "'tother one."
And the "'tother one," / saw more
and more clearly, must have been, quar-
ter OF century before, the real cause OF
the EN- mbitterment of his life, and had be-
come, in his disordered and perverted
mind, an unbearable phantasm, standing
To Kirby Dorklin as the source of every
i'll to humankind, concentrated in an
emanating from the one word-W oman:
1t was an age of romance with me, and
L Immediately built romance about
Kirby Dorklin's "'tother one." That
strange principle of contrariness in
human nature, which affects the relations
OF men more than is generally allowed,
also took possession of me.
l treachsrously built about the woman
he had loved all manner of bright and
gentle attributes. L was even foolish
enough to resolve to find her, If living,
and make some sort of love to her my
self; or, at least, some secret reparatlon
for what / felt must have been the
grabbed old fellows injustice; and,
though it is an unpleasant confession, l
was actually determined, if my quest
should prove successful and / ever came
into possession of Kirby Dorklin's
wealth, TO divide it fairly with "'tother
one" for what she had doubtless suffered
far more keenly than the one l conceived
to be the author of both her own and
Kirby Dorklin's embittered lives.
In this mood and with these Quixotic
resolves, l announced to my uncle my
purpose of brief tour, half in youthful
vagarious sentimentalism and half for
its direct bearing on my chosen vocation,
among the cathedrals of England, and
insisted on his accompanying me.
Lord! Nonsense! Bah!" he instantly
retorted, reddening startlingly. Tut,
I'm tntf II IL 0ff IIrStf A AttQr
the ninny-pinny winnies! After the
hussey -mussey-fussies! That's what's in
your head, sir! Tut, tut, tuti NeverW
AS L watched him puff and stamp and
make vicious lunges at the furniture, L
felt that had already made unexpected
progress in unlocking the mystery OF the
''tother one.' Youth is ever recklessly
brave, and l at once pitted my will against
his.
II shall go Tomorrow" 1 answered
stolidly.
mo you won't; no you won't! Not
penny, you young REBEL How'll you go
without money? Bah!'' he gurgled with
cunning triumph.
"Oh, PHI walk" l returned determin-
edly.
He looked at me excitedly for mo-
ment and his scraggy features contorted
hideously. He had never been opposed
like this. AT Ballarat he would have
struck a man down for less.
1--WE evidently do not understand one
another. Mr.. Dorklin," / added without a
quaver in my voice.
If had said kirby Dorklin" Or "Un-
Gle Kirby he would have stormed on
indefinitely. But to him, as he confessed
to me years later, q seemingly immeas-
urable distance between US flashed upon
him through the mere words ''Mr. Dork-
linz which startled him wofully, as he
thought of the possible loss of all that
on which his selfish though tender old
heart was now so doggedly set.
"Boy Tut, tut, tut!-4ou wouldn't
throw away everything for FOOLS err
he returned gloweringly and hoarsely,
but with pathetic trace of whimpering
in his voice.
"Oh, no, but 1 wouldn't be anybody's
cur for any sort of prospects, no more
than yourself, sir W
His eyes closed tightly at this. His
head sank and wavered strangely back
and forth. He seemed to shrink and
double into half his usual figure, and
both his hands rested feebly and trem-
blingIy upon his stick. He remained so
long time like this that [ became
alarmed and was about to step TO his
side. The movement awakened him with
a start.
'Gad, but there's mettle in himi He's
like Ballarat gold-twenty-three and a
half karats, first assay ~ This bravely
as if to some invisible audience; and then
wheedlingly:
'WAo said l wouldn't go? Nobody
Bah! OF course we'll go!-to some; to
some OF 'em, RobertW
"Thank you Fundamentally" | re-
piled with real feeling, for l saw how the
Old mans soul had been torn III the brief
In an instant more his irrascibility had
reasserted Itself.
''Dannation ~ he shouted, jumping up
and down and banging the floor with mis-
stick in petty frenzy. mot all of 'em,
mind you! Bah. If it's anything like
all OF 'em, I'll cut for Ballaratr
"We'll have glorious time, and you'll
see England at its fairest again." 1 per-
sisted enthusiastically.
~ hate cathedrals and all that's in 'em
Good time? Never! Bah % he snorted
savagely.
"And I'll make you love cathedrals and
all that's in them for the rest of your
happy lite," ! urged glowingly.
cad, you'll drive me mad, sir ~ he
roared as he tore away from our little
parlor, overlooking Covent Garden, and
rushed in a rage to his own room.
''Egad. FL drive you glad, sir ~ un-
sparingly shouted alter him, as his door
slammed upon my words, and nay heart
smote me for my unteelingness, though
still, as is the way with aged youth and
youthful age, elated at my partial victory.
KIRBY Dorklin did not reappear TO
supper or during the evening. Snorting,
fretting, funing, he stumped about his
room, lunging at invisible objects and
whacking at tangible furniture, ever and
again storming at the bugaboo, ''Ninny-
pinny winnies" and the "hussey-mus-
sey-fussies' of his poor beleagured brain.
/ knew he was having it out with
''tother one" For now and then, after
a loud resounding whack, he would snort
detiautly, "Not to all OF 'em. I'll throttle
him first. Not hear to 'tother one
neverl Damnation! BAIL"
But I remembered as | turned in my
own bed TO sleep, 1 said to myself:
Kirby Dorklin, the cathedral town
you are determined not to enter, is the
very one / will try to lead you into; and
If / am not much mistaken, somewhere
near or within its messy, tranquil cathe-
dral close l will search for and find the
key which will unlock TO the sunlight the
sepulchred disquiet of your pitiful old
wasted lifen
He was ready for me, and our journey
in the morning, clipper and CHEEKY as
when he had nearly choked me with en-
braces, as / stood before him in the first
flush and exaltation of ordination.
We first visited Oxford. Then we ran
down to Canterbury and Rochester. Back
through the south and southwest we
came TO Winchester. dear old Winches-
teri to him, for he was Wykehamite,
to Exeter and to Salisbury.