The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-12-26
starting; ''why-oh, yes, remember.
Please to wait, sir, till call one of the

OmcerS.
Presently we observed one of the off,.
GERS coming forward, cQnversing with
the steward. AS he came up he bowed
gravely, and said: .
II grieve to tell you, gentlemen, that
Mr.. Wycherly died on the passage here
and was buried at sea. If you will ac-
company me to the surgeons cabin, he
will supply you with all the particu-
lars" and he led the way aft.
Sorrowfully 1 followed the grief
stricken parent, whose bowed head and
unsteady step showed the violence of
the blow.
81 am speaking to Mr.. Wycherly's
brother, presume?" said the surgeon,
after the officer had explained our err
rand, turning to my companion. THE
resemblance is SO striking that do not
think / can be mistaken, though
should say you were slightly his
senior"
''TIis father" replied my friend, sim
ply.
His father! Excuse me; if you will
come inside will show you my books"
1t turned out that poor Stephen, my
friends son-his name, also-had been
taken down with dysentery on the sixth
day out from Yokohama, and had never
rallied from the attack.
"Did you remark the surgeons ex-
preston of incredulity when you said
you were the father of the Mr.. Wycherly
who died on the passage?" l said to my
friend next day, as he sat in my office.
1T may turn out that you will have
trouble in establishing your identity.
l can, of course, vouch for it, but it is
not likely that my story would gain un-
disputed credence, seeing that it is un-
paralIeled in the annals of science?"
snake yourself easy on that point"
returned Wycherly, with something of
heat in his tone. "As to my friends at
home. is it reasonable to suppose that
they would fail to recognize one who
is thoroughly conversant with each de-
tail of our family affairs?'
81 hope it may turn out as you say"
/ remarked, obviously.
{. Just then my servant entered with
card. l started on reading it, and
handed it to Wycherly.
''Miss Gertrude Tremaine!" he ejacu-
lated. "But how-how-"
THE lady has come to inquire re-
garding Mr.. Wycherly-Mr. Stephen
Wycherly," said the boy.
"Show her in" said 1, and immedi-
ately a tall, handsome brunette ap-
peared in the doorway. She looked
first at one and then at the other, as if
undecided how to act, and then adj
yanced to where Wycherly was sitting
too bewildered to speak, and took him
by the hand.
"Why, Stephen" she said, ''don't you
know me? But I didn't expect to
find you here. 1 thought should find
papa here. They told me should get
news of him here at the place used
to direct all my letters"
"Why, Gertie," returned Wycherly,
her with embarrassment,
don't you know me? Don't you know
Stephens father?"
What does this mean, sir?' she said,
drawing herself up with offended dig
nifty. But do not fiatter yourself it
was to see you, sir, that l came.
came at the express desire of your
grandmother and aunt to see that your
father was being properly taken care of.
Oh, Stephen" she continued, in soft
ened tone, "they are 50 very anxious
about him at home"
But, Gertie, 1 am old Stephen
you came to see," said my
friend.
"You!" she cried with ripple of sill
very laughter, as if now entering into
and enjoying the joke-'you! I sup
pose you think that having made the
tour of the world gives you the right to
assume age. And now / come to think
of it, perhaps it does, for you do GER
tainly look five years older than when
you left us year ago, if that is any
thing in your favor"
I had been studying all this time how
to extricate my friend from his IL
lemma. So, rising, and looking at my
watch, said in a fatherly sort of way:
"You young people can get along
very we'll without me, 1 think. have
an engagement which will take me at
least half an hour; SO am sure you will
excuse me-"
when returned they were gone, and
merely note from Wycherly remained
on the table, saying that he would COM
lnunicate with me shortly. From that
lay to this 1 heard nothing of him
tiN | received this letter:
Eychwood Hall. Norfolk. Sent Il 1905
M Dear Doctor: Forgive my abrupt de-
pa rture from San Francisco. You No
&c ubt wonder how matters turned ont
with me. First of all, Gertie-Miss Ger
trnde Tremaine, now my wife-made ter
rioie noise after you so CONSIDERABLY and
l VIII add, pusillanimously left (she is
looking over my shoulder now and has
made me put In that last adverb). because 7
persisted in telling her 1 was old instead
or young Mr.. Wycherly. But little and