Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-10-08
ace In q setting Of white beard snA

face In o setting Of white beard sn4,
hair.
The tive cid men-old In appearapf
II not in years-looked at each othA
for some seconds In silence valenttnn|
Kyle knew that this was his kinsmANJ
Dr.. Blanchard. but he could not hA2&
recognized the altered face. Dr.. Blan4hzi
ard guessed that this was Mr.. Kyie, the
father " Eouis Not a shadow Of suspt
c;2n e1inted his mind that this could be
the ~ V;l-rtine Weldon, who so many
years bsfore L.. rom the valley Of the
Great kapawha; l.. l. = ''nd with the
blood Of the murdered kredtri;- =. DR..
blanchard was the first tp speak, and
as he did 20 he took the co3d. reluctant
hand Of Valentine Kyle in hih
You are Mr. Kylef'' he said kindly.
Il am Dr. Blanohard. We have heard
Of each other through kindred troubles.
II am Valentine lyle. Like yourself,
] have suffered" said Mr.. Kyle, and
he sat down on q blanket near the doc
tor.
curse from which the innocent were
fleeing. but it has followed u.s."
"A curse?" reReatet Mr.. Kyle
Yes 1t il the story Of faraway
land. and 1t would not interest you TO
hear It But It has fallen On You as weA
as on me-"
~How he's IL fallen on mer' asked
Valentine Kyle. speaking hoarsely and
bowling his head on his hands
-{a 70, ID IA
10 Is. am sure, because Of this that the
outlaws attacked your place.
Perhaps 80, but you say it would not
interest me to hear the story of far
away land. l assure you Ii would, said
Valentine, with his face still averted
1T enses u sorrow to speak Of It. be-
gan the doctor, bat I would not for
that reason add to the sorrows Of anoth-
er. However, 1t Is still night. and the
people are sleeping. You will lie down
again before dayr'
Il have slept enough"
In sad monotone DR.. Blanchard told
the story Of the Weldons-how old John
Weldon died. QUITTING of his grand
daughter, the doctors wife, in his will
and leaving his large property to Fred
erick and Valentine Weldon. the former
south and Frederick the north In the
war that hal just begun; how Vale,-
tine fed and Frederick was missing;
how a body supposed to be Frederick's
was found long afterward far down tle
river; how the curse Of that net had re-
f1ected ON his children, and how he had
determined to go with them into a new
land. leaving all the property that
might have been theirs in the hands Of
Lawyer Bliss ALI, everything Up TO the
present moment, he told his silent lis
tener.
1.-THE brother, Valentine, must have
been q very bad man" Mr.. Kyle man.
aged to say.
NO" replied the doctor hurriedly.
Valentine Weldon was Us brave and
generous as the brother whom he 40
loved and whom he could not have
meant to harm"
''But he killed him-reddened his
hands in his blood
II will not believe that Of Valentine
Weldon, be he living or be he dead II
he was the cause Of his brothers. death,
1t was an accident OF blow struck In
anger, when Valentine had been drink
ing. No, mol Valentine Weldon could
not have done that"
"f living, would you meet him as Of
yore5' asked Mr.. Kyle. trying to appear
calm.
AYE, that would. Were he living !
would take him to my heart, where his
memory has ever been" said the doctsr.
with tears in his eyes
valentine Weldon is livingl" said
Mr.. Kyle. rising and reaching out his
hapds, then letting them fall helplessiy
by bis side.
"Living" exclaimed the doctor.
"Yes; living and here. I am Valen-
tine Weldonr'
DR.. Blanchard seized tho hands again
extended appealingly, and drawing the
old man nearer to the altar he looked
into the haggard face. and clasping him
to his heart cried out: Valentine. VAL
entinei My brother. my brotherp'