The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-08-13
However, so far as he knew how, he

! However, SO far as he knew how, he
baptized the child, and thinking that s
name was Indispensable, with a kind
of grim humor, christened him, for it
was a boy, Julian.
After all, no one else died, not even
the strangely born baby. The next day
a sail hove in sight. Such signals as
the shipwrecked party could make were
seen, and men, women and babies were
soon in safety or board a hOmewarG-
bound ship.
No one, not even her fellow passen-
gers, knew the name or anything about
the woman who had died. Her clothes,
such as she wore, bore no mark. Her
husband, if on board, had gone down
in the BLACK Swan" What was to be-
come of the child?
Lorraine settled this. Perhaps he
thought the child had a certain ridicu-
lous claim upon him. He was no mig
gard with his money. He told some
one-he would not have taken the
trouble to see about it himself-to find
q comfortable home for the child, and
to apply to him when money was
wanted. Then he went his way, and
lived for years as he chose.
Every now and then, when her pay
master was in town, the who
had charge of the child ventured to
bring him to see his b~enefactor. Some.
times the %benefactor scowled, some
times smiled his cynical smile and took
notice of the little boy, who was called
by his baptismal name, Master Julian.
h the boy was seven years of age,
Julian Lorraine sent instructions that he
was to be forwarded to Yerstal Abbey,
Somersetshire. Having been told by
the good people about him that the
grand gentleman he now and again
saw was his father, lie addressed him
by hat %endearing term. Julian Lo-
ralne, no doubt, stared and laughed, but
he said nothing fo%rbidding the appella-
ton being used. So to himself and the
world the boy was Master Julian, only
son of Julian Lorraine, of Herstal Alb
hey.
What strange freak induced the man
to present a nameless child, of humble
and unknown parents, to the world as
his son 1 shall never know. Ihave tried
to think it was from affection toward
the child-from the need even his own
nature felt of something he could love
and call his own-but I cannot think
so. 1t may have been pure cynicism.
He may some day have wanted to turn
round and say, What is birth? See, 1
take this low-born brat, bring him I'D
as a gentleman, and every one thinks
him born to the station!" 1t may have
been a baser motive, that of revenge.
I shall never know.
The boy grew up. He passed from
he stage of Master Julian to that OF
Mr.. Julian, or young Mr.. Lorraine; yet
his reputed father kept the secret
kept it until the boy was nineteen, and
like many other boys of that age who
are only sons of rich fathers, began to
give himself airs. Then Ole summers
evening, when the man and the boy
were sitting over their claret, Julian
Lorraine thought fit to relate, more fully
than I have given it above, the story of
the wreck and the history of the child
born on that rock.
And for I was the boy to whom
he told it-turned deadly pale and
gasped for breath. 1 believe 1 had
never really loved the man whom I
supposed to be my father; his was not a
lovable nature. Often and often I had
r~eproached myself for lack of filial af-
lection. But now, as 1 turned my dazed
eyes to his face, and saw the satirical
smile with which he regarded me, I all
but hated him. I rose u%nsteadily.
Il must go and think all this over"
l stammered out.
certainly, go and think it over"
He spoke carelessly and returned to
his %ciaret, while l rushed wildly from
the room.