The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-04-16
the natural cradle of his race-1he
house where he >vas horn. 4& #


house where he was born. x ~
Rupert did not pass on, but opened
the gate and led them, one wslkingon
each side of him, as if he had been still
quite little boy, up to the big front
door. He did not ring the bell, but
took brass key from his pocket and in
serted it into the lock; the door opened
on its hinges, and swung back.
Beyond was the grand old hall which
had the fireplace and the mantel with
their own armorial bearings. He shut
the front door as carefully as he had
opened it, and they stood for moment
in the sudden cold hush. Then he drew
forth the title deeds from an inner
pocket and handed them to his father.
II have bought the place back tor
you," he said. II love tit is in my
blood have never been at home be-
fore. Tomorrow we will bring back
all the old trophies and relics to their
own places. They shall hang where
they hung before was born!"
A few weeks later, as the judge sat,
literally, in his grandfather's chair, and
looked up at that worthy's picture on the
wall, there was strange brooding on
his face. AS his glance fell on Rupert,
his expression changed. In'his heart
he said: i,,,t
"Here am I, sitting childless in the
dwelling of my fathers-my sons dead
my daughters married and gone!"is
Rupert's voice broke the spell:
'There is nothing like heredity, father.
I believe that I should feel that this had
been the abiding place of my race, even
il did not know who was"
The Judge said: II have lived almost
70 years, my boy, and think there is
nothing equal to fixed idea" =.
In his soul he groaned: "Ahl If he
knew! If he knew! Behold sit here
childless tonight save for this son of
an alien outlaw. How little he dreams
that his father was the most daring
desperate on the Pacific coast" Z
Then memory, which often grows
more vivid with advancing years, paint
ed over the scenes of his youth. He
heard Mary's voice when she told him
that he had followed her too late from
old Virginia; he saw the splendid dash
ing ranchero whom she introduced as
her betrothed; he recalled even now,
when the chill of age was on him. how
he had hated and distrusted the
stranger.
The second act of that drama burned
into his brain, and he blamed himself
for his guiltless role in the tragedy At
any rate there was the scene, and he
could not get away from it. He saw his
boyhood's sweetheart the wife of an
other mana man fleeing from justice
with a price on his head. He saw her
with an infant in her arms applying at
his cabin for shelter and protection;
Hewould have given her his lastcrust,
his best efforts in any case, and he cared
for her in the desolate gold claim as if
she had been a princess. When they
learned, in the course of a snort time,
that the price on her husbands heal
had been legally collected, her situation
was still deplorable. Her father was
dead-there was no asylum open to her
anywhere. "A
He had come to California five years
before, for the express purpoYe of.mar-
rying her, and he welded thu stricken
widow now, promising to care for the
outlaws child rs for his own.
The real chivalry and self-sacrifice of
his act never occurred to him. He
brought her home to the land that held
happy memories for them 10th, and
tried to make her forget the wild, dark
days that were past.
As he sat in his old home that was yet
SO new, and looked at Rupert, he real
lied that nothing is actually past, and
the mans satisfaction pierced him with
a keen. sense of guilt. Was it his duty
to tell this child of his love that he was
not his son?
Rupert's next remark settled the mat
ter.
"You do not look we'll tonight, IA
Their. Is there anything the matter?
To you know that if you are not happy
III all this it will have lost it's value to
me-
The judge smiled proudly.
ION the contrary, my boy, I am very
happy. I am only little sad when I
think of your brothers. How merciful
God has been to allow me at least one
son in my old age" !
That night he spoke to his wife. :.
1--WE need not weary our eonsciences
any more. I have argued it oil out. It
would be cruel to tell him now. Besides,
he is more my child than any of the
others. They were the offspring of my
body and my blood, but Rupert has alb
sorbed my very inner consciousness. I
promised before God to rear the boy
as my own. Through his boyhood my
heart was sore for him. I was always
fearing that he would perceive some
subtle difference; that as we sat be-
meath the relics of my family history
he would know by instinct that it was
nothing to him. suffered in thinking
what his real traditions were, loved
him so! -.
In this manner I have unwittingly
grated the best. of myself and my
heredity upon this strong exotic
growth" ~.
A. few years later Rupert made bril-
~