Omaha daily bee., 1896-07-19

was able to fit him up as a smith. on Goa
dittcn that he should Ply his Trade at the
village Of FriGr's Oak. Ny agreement ives
that James WIS TO tie brought up as their
nephew, and that he should know nothing
of lis UNHAPPY parents.
You Will tsE lne why | selecte! Friar's
Oak. i was because | had already CIlus,li
ny place of CCncealment, and il l C0Ild 40,
see my boy. it was at leg2t some cons ,Isti.r
to know that he WAS near uC. luU .rt
aware that this mansion is enc OF the ol!c5
III England. but you are not aware that j.
, hes been built With q very special eye e
conCealmcnt, that there are no less tn5u
two nabitable secret chambers AMI that tn
outer or thicker walls ere tunlcied iaO.
passages. The existence o. these rnom5 Ia.
always been a farliiy secret, though it was
one which | valued so little that it vas
only the nance of nv seldom using tat
house which had prevented me from pcins-
ing them out to some friend. Now I fni
that a secure retreat was provided for nt
in my extremity. | stole down to my own
mansion, entered it at night, and, loavin2
all that was dear to me behind, | Crept like
a rat behind the wainscot to live out thC
remainder OF my weary life in solitude an1
misery. In this worn face. Charles, ana
in this gri2zlod hair You may read thC
diary Of my most miserable existence.
''Once a week Harrison used TO bring rec
up provisions, passing them through The
| pantry window, which | left omen for that
purpose. Sometimes l would steal out at
night and walk under the stars once more
With the cool breeze upon my forehead, but
this | had at last to stop, for ! was seen by
tho rustios and runors of a spirit at Gilt,
Royal began to get about. One night t"c
ghost huntcrs-"
ut was l. father" cried Boy jim, Il and
my friend, Rodney Stone
Il know it was. Harrison told me So
the same night. / was proud, James, tc
see that YOU had the spirit of the Barring
tons and that | had an heir whose Sallantry
might redeem the family blot which | had
striven so hard to cover over, Then came
the day when your mothers kindness-her
mistaken kindness-gave yoI the means OF
escaping TO London"
"Ah, Edward cried his wife, III you
had seen our boy, like a Gagged eagle beating
against the bars, you would have helped to
give him even so short a flight as this"
II do not blame YOU, Mary. 1t is posi-
BILE that | should. He went to London and
he tried to open a career for himself by
his own strength and courage. How many
of our ancestors have done the same, save
only that a sword hilt lay in their closed
hands. but of them all | do not know that
any have carried themselves more gal
~lantly.'
That l dare swear said my uncle,
heartily.
and when Harrison at last returned !
learned that my son was actually matched
to fight in a public prize battle, That would
not do. Charles! 1t was one thing to fight
as YOU and ! have fought in our youth, and
it was another to compel for a purse OF
gold"
my dear friend, | would not for the
world"
"Of course you would not, Charles. You
chose the best man, and how could you do
otherwise? But it would not do! | deter
mined that the time had come when | should
reveal myself to my son, the more so as
there were many signs that my most UNI
natural existence had seriously weakened
my health. Chance, or shall | not rather say
Providence, had at last made clear all that
had been dark, and given me the means
of establishing my innocence, My wife went
yesterday TO bring my boy at last to the
side of his unfortunate father
There was silence for some time, and then
it was my uncle's voice which broke II.
you've been the most ill-used man in the
world, Ned, - said he. please God we shall
have many years yet in which to make up to
you for It.. But. after all, it seems to me
that we are as far as ever from learning
how your unfortunate brother met his
death"
For eighteen years 1t was as much a mYs'
terry to me as to you, Charles. But now. al
last, the guilt is manifest. Stand forward
Ambrose, and tell your story as frankly and
as fully as you have told it to me-"