The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-11

must DC some way out OF the snarl, anC
our first duty is to find that way, We
must combine brain power over it,
The colonel said this SO cheerfully
and looked withal SO capable of coping
with the knottiest problem that for the
first time in weeks Belknap acknowl.
edged the possibility of recovering his
self respect.
"Just show me the way to right mat
tiers, cir, and I'll follow it if it LEADS
me over redhot plowshares. -
ooh, you will have your redhot
plowshares! Trust conscience for that.
am going to begin my ministrations
as comforter in chief in novel fashion. I
am going to tell you of young fellow
once knew who got into much worse
scrape when he was just about your
age"
"Worse?''
Decidedly"
| II don't see how anything could be
worse. This involves the happiness Of
entertainment ones too"
"All wrongdoing does. So did his ="
II don't offer it as an excuse, colo
mel, but was not myself when fell
into this trap, for SO consider it.
Neither was he."
II was drunk, beastly drunk, for the
first time in my life.''
$50 was he. For the first time-and
the last"
"And-and-yet-he got through the
woods? He never drew a happy breath
again."
"He is before you, and though will
not claim that he is the man he might
have been with q nobler record the
world ignorantly accords him its re-
/ spect. +"
"You? Never. You never could have
forgotten yourself as did"
81 have been young, and now nm
old," said the colonel, and he passed
hand slowly across his forehead as if to
chase away some importunate memory.
i "I've been all over the ground you are
treading now, Belknap. don't care to
rake over dead ashes merely for pastime,
but it may help you to know that !, too,
once thought the light of the world was
quenched forever because I had fallen
and turned my faced toward its shad-
, oWs.
"But-you''-
"Resolved that by the grace of God
and my own manhood one stumble
! should not keep me wallowing in the
mire all my life.''
A look Of high resolve came into
Belknap's worn face.
"By tho grace of God and your help
], too, make that resolve.
The colonel seemed not to have heard
him. He was gazing into the smolder-
ing fire with sad, interpretive eyes. He
was asking himself question. Could
he, even for the sake Of lifting this
boys load Of remorse, 60 into the de.
tails Of the darkest chapter in his own
life? Presently he spoke again:
sit is not necessary to go into the par
ticulars Of my own Clark days, my boy.
They were very dark, and-they left
such scars as God grant may never scar
ify your soul. Perhaps man is never
quite what be might have been without
any moral lapse, but if little farther
removed from the angels he is just that
much nearer his fellow sinners and the
better prepared to help them up, and SO
somebody is the gainer''
Then i'll lighter vein:
"We know better how to sympathize
With the humps or measles after we
havo gone through our own attack. If
you think you can consent to be guided
by me in this matter, will sec you
straight through it.
Il would be only too grateful
SO be it. Now, then, l must know
the name of the scoundrel who has you
in his clutches.
"Whitney-Dennis Whitney"
whitney? Dennis Whitney?'
The colonel recoiled as if from a
blow, and his ruddy cheeks turned
chalky white. Belknap's lip curle,l Bit
tcrly.
Eyes, sir; Dennis Whitney Small
wonder that you stare. A man years
my senior. Riley tells me that either he
or his father once overseed in this neigh
borhood.'
II know, know. I have good roa-
son to know. 1t was on this very place
he lived. His father was employed by
my father. This Dennis is u big, black
eyed, handsome dog"
"Conspicuously handsome, SUPER
ficially polished-in short, pretty fair
counterfeit gentleman. His. plebeian
blood or perhaps early hardship showed
only in his vulgar hands. Bah, I can
see them now, dealing those accursed
cards!'
The colonel shifted his position un-
easily.
II know, I know. He was young
sprig when was. His father had a
great notion of educating him to be
but he was bad--bad to the
very core. remember once-good Lord,
how curiously things do work OUT
Here he flung one leg violently over
he other and jerked at his watch chain
With sufficient force to snap it in two
md continued:
"There was quite family of them
III handsome and all bad. There was a
lister, younger than Dennis as handsome
IS Hebe and as bold wench as ever :
gled a mans senses away-well-well
let her pass On it all, to think
he name Of Whitney should ever again
@ heard in Apologize county,"
Belknap laughed mirthlessly.
ut will be heard in future in Apple
ate county as the proprietor of Bel
avCn.'
"Tll be cursed if it shall"
at is past remedy, sir. Did my IA
1er ever have anything to do with
lese people? remember that when I
,eled away from that table, drunken I
it'll misery than with liquor, he NUT
red, not us if for my ears One old
ore paid off,"
Zone old score, yes, and the devil .
i'll never rest until he has paid more. 9
heard he had gone to Europe years
co.
He has been living in Baden Baden
II Ii years"
"That accounts-but you wanted to -
low if your father ever had ANYTHING