, 1896-03-23
FOR ANOTHER'S SIN.

his family seat in Gloucestershire.
A strange locking, tall lady was Miss
Linda Barbican, with large, black eyed
and pale, hard set features, bearing tho
traces of some inward sorrow.
Sir Mortimer. l learned, had had N
son, whom he had disinherited and dis
owned. owing to some act which had
brought dishonor on the name of Barbl-
can, and he forbade all mention Of the
scapegrace of the family.
A young man, shubbily dressed, with
q reckless albeit a handsome face, stood
on the doorstep and scanned me nerv-
ously rs l looked ~questioningly at linn.
SIS my-is Sir Mortimer Barbican
disengaged?" he asked huskily.
"Yes, SIR" l answered. 'Will you
please ons in?'
as there any one in the litraIy!'
mo, sir"
"Then show me i'll and tell your mas.
ter l must SEQ him
Very well, sir! What name shall J
give?"
"Oh, never mind tho name! Ho'l
know me fast enough he added bit.
terly.
Sir Mortimer looked up in n surprised
way when | communicated to him that
a visitor had arrived and wished to SEQ
him. He opened the door and strobe i'll
to the room
"Father!'
That was all. One short. despairing
cry, and father and son stood face to
face once more.
A gray, drawn look stole over my
masters face as for a brief ms he
stood eyins the prodieal who had 50
mystoriously teappeared. Then he found
his tongue.
$50 it is you, you hound!' he said,
his features working strangely, while
there was Il tone of suppressed rage in
his voice; cit is you, is it: Have you
forgotten how we parted? Have you for.
gotten" his voice rising cminously,
chow l cast you off and forbade you
ever to step il my house again? Be off
before l forget myself and whip you
out, us you deserve.
Il will speak," cried the younger
man. "As there is Il God in heaven, |
am innocent! But since yea will nos
hear me, l will not try to save YOU. May
it be on your own head, and may you
reap rs you have sown! But you will
have the comforting assurance of know
ing that you have sent me to tho devil,
and / curse your And. slriding from
the room, the younger ma lasSed ouF
into tie hall.
| has,uned TO open tho door for him.
As he was passing out into the night h5
turned.
"Iou are a stranger to me. he said.
after Il brief space, "Dnt your face looks
like an honest one. If you Il contrive
it, meet me tomorrow. about this time,
at the drive gate. II is Il matter of life
and death"
The next morning after breakfast Sir
Mortimer turned to me and said:
III you value your situation here,
Parkin, you will bear this i'll mind: Not
aword of what you saw and heard last
night, and never mention my-ry sons
name to me again under pain Of instant
dismissal. That is all"
1t was with some feeling CT trepidn-
ton that l repaired to the trysting place
that same evening to await tho arrival
of the disinlerited son. Having inquired
my name. he began:
"You must first know how 1 came to
be in this plight. Some years ago n
forged check i'll my fathers name was
discovered. Suspicion at once fell en-
me, and, though innocent, l wa5 az once
branded as guilty by my father. Ii, did
not wish to have the family name drag
ged into court, so he took the easier
cou1se Of ~disinheriting me and casting
me off entirely. My enemy, whoever he
was-and heaven knows Thought l had
none worth speaking of-hud done his
work well. ! became u trequon,nr of the
turf. II gambler, and ~nearly-but, thank
heaven, not quite-a thief. Twas Tempt
ed some few weeks ago to join a band
Of burglars who contemplated robbine
my fathers house. But though l had
sunk low l was not quite bad enough
for that, and, overcome with renIorse, /
determined to seek an audience with
my father and warn him of his danger.
The resalt Of that interview you know,
and''-
Here he broke off abruptly, Il queer
break in his voice.
l will pass over the rest of our con-
versation and merely state the plan
which the relnorse stricken man had
formed to c.ieckmate the robbers.
l must explain that at the back of the
house was a courtyard, shut i'll on three
sides by tho kitchen premises Of tho
house. 1t was Il small window-tbGt of
the pantry--which was IL be the mode
was the sons name-was to lead the
burglars in their enterprise. He wouId
conduct them through the window, and
then, with the aid of myself and SIR
Mortimer, whom l was to apprise Of
the robbers advent, would help to over.
power the others, two despcradoes, fer
they had not wished to have too many
concerned i'll the job.
Friday came, aud it was. l am bonDd
10 confess, with NO slight feelings of ap-
p%rchension that l looked forward to the
work which was before me, for I was
no fighting man. OF course I had not
mentioned the meditated robbery to the
baronet, for that would have spoiled ev-
erything.
At IL o'clock I stole noiselessly down
to the kitchen and quietly waited till
the burglars should arrive. ! had not
long to wait. l heard the mnfied sound
which warned me that they had COM
menced operations, and, slipping away
- noiselessly as l had come, l departed
to apprise my master Of the Outrage on
his property.