The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-05
ling sore it was not

Il suppose not"
What is his loss Is my gain and
Jacks"
Then you don't know where George
is?"
Have not he remotest idea. / am
much afraid--gone utterly to the bad
You see. 1t wouldn't do for father and
me to inquire too closely; he might
hear. of 1t and found expectations
which never could be realized. The
only wonder Is that he has not troubled
us with begging letters. But he was
always proud. Perhaps he Is dead"
"And she?"
"Oh. gracious! don't ask. What can
you expect of a woman OF that sort
They ell go one way"
One way?"
"The broad road that leads to destruc-
ton. moral, social-everything.'
please. sir. q telegram"
The servant had opened the door and
stood with silver salver, on which lay
en- orange envelope addressed s. Mur-
gatroyd ESQ.,, The Bank.
Mr.. Murgatroyd tore open the cover,
without much curiosity. He was ac-
customed to receive kilograms. But no
sooner had he read this particular one
than his face became blank. he started
to his feet, and gasped: Eliza! what
is to be done? Ee--he-has run away"
"Who, Samuel. from wbence?"
Jack. from school, Look, what Is to
be done:"
Mrs. Murgatroyd. no less agitated
than her husband, purused the dis
patch:
"Heptonstall School. Your boy run
away. Has he reached home?-Jones.
| Headmaster"
1T Is all your doing, with your nom
sense about not letting him come home,
when the other boys returned for their
Christmas holidays" exclaimed Mrs.
Murgatroyd, turning on her husband
with feminine instinct. "If the boy is
lost--it is due to you"
| MY dear. for Heavens AXE, don't
begin scolding I can't answer you. I
must go after him. But where can he
be? Whittier shall I go?"
you must 60 to the school at once.
A precious school! To let a boy Of eight
run away and never to look after him."
mo doubt they have done that"
II never approved at all Of this going
| to school,"
my dear Eliza, 1t was necessary. My
! father could not have been able to en-
dure the riot he made in the house."
"Well--to anyone but a Jones. l new
err knew Jones with any heart
perhaps you never knew Jones"
II read only last week in the paper
Of one sentenced for bigamy; he had
five wives"
Rather too much heart in that case"
said the banker. bitterly, and then:
This Is delaying me unnecessarily. I
must be off,"
The banker ran from his home, and
made for the station. He knew that
there was train due about that time,
and he hastened to catch 1t.
He did succeed in catching the train.
but without having had time to secure
his ticket, and he flung himself into
carriage, in spite Of the shout of the
guard, whilst 1t was in movement.
Mr.. Murgatroyd was breathless when
he reached the seat Of third-class car
riage. He usually travelled second, oc-
casslonally first-class, never third. as
that did not consist with his dignity,
and might give people the impression
that the bank was not in flourishing
condition.
He wiped his brow and looked about
him. The short December day had al
ready closed in, and the lamp was
lighted in the carriage.
The weather was wretched. There
was no snow.
How seldom do we now have snow at
Christmas! Sharp and bitter weather
there had been, but a change had en-
sued, the snow had melted, there were
floods. rain descended. cold and driving,
and the night was black as Erebus.
What had become Of Jack? Had he
money? He doubted It, At the school
all pocket money was taken away the
first day of term and doled out weekly
in threepences and fourpences. His
boy, he had insisted, was to have six
pence. The master said this was un-
usual, but he had insisted. Whittier
could Jack have gone? He had no rel
atives, no acquaintance at Hepton-
STALL.
Was it certain that he had run away?
Might not some accident have befallen
him? When the rivers were swollen and
had overfiowed their banks, he might
have slipped into the water and been
drowned. At the thought Mr.. Murga-
troyd groaned. and his distress was so
apparent that the fellow travellers
looked at him with compassion.
"Stomick- ache, sir?" asked compass
sihnate fellow traveller The banker
made no reply.
Have peppermint, sir?" said the
sympathlzing traveller.
Mr.. Nurgatroyd took one, without
knowing what he did.
As to the fortune into which he had
come by the death OF his father, he
thought Of 1t no more. What was
wealth to him without his child to in
herit It? Life itself was valueless to
him apart from his son, In whom all his
ambition, all his pride, his love, were
centered.
The train moved very slowly. With
out considering what he was about. Mr..
Murgatroyd stood UP and thrust against
the compartment back opposite him,
as II by SO doing he could drive the
train along quicker.
His eyes rested on the unsteady flick
ering light in the lamp. Then he threw
open the window and looked forth into
tne night. All without was dark, and
the drops Of rain gllttered as they
caught the light from within.
The, train approached station,
town; 4, haze OF light, a halo suround-
ed the cluster Of human habitations. In
the falling,rain and enveioping vapors
nothing coui0 be made out with dis
tinctness. He looked at his watch.
Late! late!"N he said. Behind
hand twenty minutes"
I'VE shall be delayed more than that"
said another passenger.
why SOP
because Of the accident"
Accident! what accident?"