Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-02-17
COPYRIGHT 1879 WAND wsAl,yAu

The man sits erect N his chair Hi.
honest face the picture OF horror and
surprise
And what would do9 My wife,
he gasps
The master lays his hand upon tho
broad shoulder of the man.
You shall have my child-It is hut
an exchange. The two children are
but few hours old Your " lie is not
in a state to detect the difference She
other. will not know that my child is
not her own. My wife will not know
She is weak; the sex OF her babe is not
known to her Tho n~"''"'- -s will
easy, unaccompanied by risk. VIII
you do it?"
The man bows his head. He falls
upon his knees before his master.
"Ah, Mister Adrian, anything but
that" he cries. Anything but that,
Nv baby! my boy! can't part with
him. sir"
The scheming master roughly raises
him to his feet.
'See here, Conrad" sternly. "You
look upon this matter in the wrong
light. l don't ask you. to part from
your boy. only ask you to allow me
to palm him off as my own, until l
shall have come into possession OF this
fortune. 1t is q matter of life and
death with me! l could not survive
exposure and disgrace. You will have
my sweet little babe to love, to care
for! When they grow up they can
marry. You will then have your son
I-my daughter, and more than. this.
Upon the day that come into this
money, will present you with a check
for ten thousand dollars. Think OF it,
Conrad! No more work: no more
anxiety: money in the bank. Wealth
at YOUR command"
The man trembles as though suffer-
ing from intense cold. His masters
words are flashing burning through
his mind, If he does not accept, his
master, whom he loves. his kind, gem
erous master, will become beggar,
his lands sold, his fine house and mag
nifcept furniture sac,ificed. And he
he can save him. True. he must
give up his hoy, the little creature that
his honest heart clings to with all the
first love of a father. But lie will not
be childless. he will have another. Can
he not love another as well as his own?
And then the money-ten thousand
dollars. A princely fortune to him.
What can he not do with it? How he
can live, what fine little farm he can
purchase and still be near his boy. He
hesitates.
Come, Conrad. Precious moments
are flying. If it is done, it must be
done tonight"
But Mary Calder-She is missing
your missus-won't she know"
A frown contracts the brow Of the
master.
"Yes, but she won't tell" he says.
"You will let me see my boy when
want to-
"You can see him whenever you
like"
The man burst into tears.
"To save you, Mister Adrian, I'll do
1t. But don't tell anybody"
Adrian Dyke burst into wild laugh
ter. Tell any body. The mans homely
words filed him with mirth wild
hilarious mirth. He will be saved.
1t will be easy now.
Come" he cries to the astonished
servant, who cannot understand why
his master should exhibit such mirth.
He has never seen him like this before.
Come, the doctor will visit your wife.
Then after he has gone, bring the
child to the house; Mary Calder will
peform like service with the other"
He hurries into the hall, up the
stairs, into the room where the doctor
is sitting, his finger upon his wife's
pulse.
''She is better?" he asks.
The doctor looks up.
"Yes, pulse about one hundred. Oh,
she'll pull through all right. See
what fine baby you have"
He points to the little bundle in the
nurses arms. The woman holds it up
for thu father to see, n wee, red-faced,
blinking atom of humanity.
"Yes, II fine child, he says, absently.
Then he informs the doctor that the
man, Conrad Gardner, is awaiting him
in the hall below f+~''
"Yes, yes,' the doctor murmurs, 81
should have gone there before,Nbut /
wanted to be sure your wife was out OF
danger: l can go now" He ,hustles
about the room, gives his final instruc-
tions to the nurse and follows Adrian
Dyke down the stairs.
At the bot, ON, under the light Of the
hall chandelicr. he stops. Zone mo-
ment, Conrad" he says. lie puts his
hand into the inside rocket of his coat.