The record-union., 1894-10-27
"Penruth, we haven't been friends

ced his head.
isn't there some way, Penruth some
way we can be friends?n
9st men are never less than friendsr'
Old 'Struther kannock seemed detected
by TINS reply. impossible barriers, then.
nau Deen raised between them, u am
poWerlesS 10 defeat and subdue this
man." he reflected bitterly. "What is
there left for me to do? l must make
peace here with him before l can meet
my brother to-nightr'
he answered his own perturbed self
questionings with instant diplomacy.
"Penruth, you and your brother, Judge
Penruth, hold my last agreement with
Arson, in trust?"
with other papers, Mr.. Hammock,
bearing on your robbery from your
brother OF this great HAMMOCK Manse es-
tale; your second robbery of his inven-
tons, from which millions in profit have
already been realized by yourself and
others; your false representations to him
or their failure, and your final robbery
OF your brother on his death bed, through
lnconceIvable duplicity, of all right and
title to the result of his splendid genius
ana lie OF sacrifice, on The preteXt that
you would htungi y provide Tor his wife
and children so long as they might
live!"
''Penruthw
do you wish further reasons why we
cannot be friends? Shall we speak Of tho
shameless manner in which you have
carried out your dOubly sacred trust?'
otruLher hammock attempted to rise,
bnt could not. With one hand clutching
the lrayed arm of his chair and the other
working uneasily among the papers upon
! his desk, he leaned far forward. his mi
serly lace grlmacing hideously, as though
impotent murder Iurked in the black
heart behind. At last he gasped:
And that's what you've been at.
like hungry ferret, through all these
years?"
Precisely"
"Penruth. you're-you're a poor man,
and the Judge amt over well-to-do?,,
slight palor came into the face of tho
man OF stone against the chimney.
Il amt rich, mind. Far from it. PEN
ruth. But PVe been thinking-Pve been
thinking this very evening that I'd like
to sort Dwell do something handsome
for-for somebody. L wouldn't mind
starting with you and the Judge, Pen
ruth, and making you both independent
for life Understand?"
Mop came quickly, tremulously. but
with an infection of unutterable loath-
ing from the schoolmasters scarcely
parted lips.
"Damnationv blurted 'Sruther Kan
mock with a burst of his former brutal
energy. II mean, Penruth, if you'll
bring me those papers, every one of
them, and put them in my hands within
the next hour-the next hour, mind
you may name your own price for
them! VIII you do that, Charles PEN
ruth?"
"Do you know what that price would
boz"
"Eh? Maybe five or ten thousand.
Maybe not so much-considering Pm not
rich; considering what l've done for
themW This with groveling, wheed-
ling and shame faced gesture OF his
head in the direction of the old manse
kitchen.
"Do you wish to know it?"
- es, yes, yesr'
w ell, then, 1t is one-half of everything
you now possess transferred to those to
whom 1t rightly belongs, and the abso-
lutte conveyance OF your entire interest in
Anson hannock's inventions TO his mall
treated wife and childrenpr
"Penruth! Penruthi This is nladnessp'
almost shrieked 'Struther HAMMOCK. sink
ing back helplessly in his chair.
For years the madness has been yours
alone" was the schoolmaster's Quiet re-
sponse, as he started to leave the room,
Don't go! Don't go! Oh, let me
think; let me thinkw cringingly pleaded
the wretched master OF Kannock Manse.
1T is good TO thiuk," said Penruth
pitilessly resuming his place against the
chimney-piece.
The old man turned his head from the
light of the candle and ground it crush
lngly into the upholStering OF the chair,
He held it there for long, long time mo-
tionless as the gray eyes which now
rested with almost fiery Intentness upon
him. At last he spoke in mutfled way
without turning his face to the one he
questioned.
"Penruth, you are scholar; man VINO
digs and burrows and thinks. Do-you
-believe-there-are- -ghosts?"
"Implicitly."
The schoolmaster's face lighted splen-
didly as this was said. The word came
firmly, convinciugly, almost solemnly,
from his lips. He moved a step or two
forward toward the huddied form in the
old armchair. His head was now partly
turned toward him with listening, eager
movement, almost as to scholar whom
he was impreSsively leading to irresisti-
BILE conclusions and facts.
''Real ghosts-ghosts that can help or
harm?" half whispered the muffied voice
in the chair.
Actual, tangible, palpable ghostsr'
The schoolmaster almost stood over him
as he spoke. "'Struther Hammock. an
awful, avenging, pitiless ghost springs
from the grave OF every wrong we place
among the shadows of the past, deemlng
it hidden and still! 1t turks beside us,
taunting US III happiness, fiouting our
power, maddening US into more desper-
ate eXpedients. 1t is never voiceless,
never hidden, never still! 1t is ever
present, and at last-like that face of An
son Hammock there now!-at your win
dow, 'StruLher Kannocki-''
"My God! You lier' shrieked the
frenzied wretch, plunging out of the chair
past the SchoOlmaSter TO tho chimney
corner, where he covered, whimpering
and muttering in almost imbecile and
mortal terror.
"Oh, / didn't mean thati DON'T go!-
don't go!" he pleaded as his inuuisitor
again turned away.
Penruth hesitated, Immediately wheeled
the armchair close to the tiickering ire
and gently forced the ghoSt-haunted mas
ter OF Hammock Manse within it,
81 must go now. l promised to help
the young folks with their games for q
little-its halloween, you know, and 1
must meet my brother later at his office.
We are to meet about those papers.
'Struther Kannock!"
Yes, yes, yesW-the papers! Oh, yes,
yes, yes!''
He clutched the skirt of the scnoolmas-
ter's coat almost tiercely.
"Ive been thinking--I told Susan that!
L am thinking. I'll keep thinking.
Don't let Judge Penruth go to bed this
night! Bring him here-here to Kan
mock Manse along toward midnight
Yes, yes, yes!-along toward midnight!'
Penruth disengaged himself, not with
out effort, and moved slowly toward the
door.
''Penruth! Penruth! Tell Susan-tell
Bert and Edith!-tell 'em all out there!-
'Struther Kannock amt against 'em.
Tell 'em all, all now, Penruth, to dance
and sing and play games and cut up,
Penruth: cut up. Tell 'em 'Struther