The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-16
CHAPTER XIX.
(Continued.)

A man was coming up the road, a
young man, Frederick As Mr.. Suthe--
land recognized him he leaned forward
with increased anxiety, tall at the ap-
pearance of his son in front his scru-
tiny grew so strained and penetrating
that it seemed to exercise u magnetic
influence upon the passer-by. for when
directly opposite the window Frederick
inVoluntarilN reused from his abstract
ton and looked up. The glance he gave
the house was but momentary, but in
that glance the father saw all that he
had secretly dreaded. As his sons eye
fell on that flutterinC bit of Grape, tes-
tifying to another death in this already
much-bereaVed community he stag
gered wildly, then in a pause of doubt
drew nearer and nearer till his fingers
Erasped this symbol of mourning and
chung there. Next moment he was far
down the road, plunging toward home
in a state Of great mental disorder.
With sinking heart. MIR. Sutherland
let his eyes drop from this flying fig
ure to search for the man whom a hit
tie While before had been seen follow
ing Immediately behind his son. He
was following him still and FASTENED
by the house just as Mr.. Sutherland :
glance fell on him. so that whatever
was strange or pitiful in the forego-
ing scene must have had this man for
a witness.
4 half hour afterwards Mr.. Suther-
land reached home. He had not over
taken Frederick again or even his ac-
companyinE shadow. Ascertaining at
his own door that his son had not yet
come in, but had been seen going fur
ther up the hill. ne turned back again
into the road and proceeded after him
on foot.
The next place to his own was occu-
pied by Mr.. Halliday. As he approached
il he caught sight of a man standing
half in and half out Of the honeysuckle
porch, whom he at first thought to BE
Frederick. But he soon saw that il was
the fellow who had been following his
son all the way from Portchester. and,
controlling his first movement Of dis
like. he stepped up to him and quietly
said:
"Sweetwater, is this you?"
The yoUns man fen back and showed
q most extraordinary agitation, quickly
suppressed, however.
Yes sir; il is no one else. Do you
know what I am doing here2'
II fear ! do. You have been to Port
chester. You have seen my SON
Sweetwater made a hurried, almost
an entreating gesture.
Never mind Jhat. Mir Sutherland. I
had rather you wouldn't say anything
about that. l am as much broken up
by what 1 have seen as you are. 1
never suspected him, sir: only the girl
to whom he has so unfortunately al
tached himself. But after seeing him
abandoned to grief in that place, over
that grave what am I TO think2 What
am I to do? I honor YOU; l would not
grieve you; but-but-Oh. sir. perhaps
You can help me out of the maze into
which ! have stumbled. Perhaps you
can assure me that Mr.. Frederick did
nos leave the ball AZ the time she did.
] missed him from among the dancers.
] did not see him between u and 5, but
perhaps You did; and-and'--
His voice broke. He WAS almost as
profoundly agitated as Mr.. Sutherland.
As FOR the latter who found himself
unable To rcassurc the other on this
very vital point. having no remem-
brancc himself of having seen Freder-
lex among his guests during those fatal
hours. he stood speechless, lost in
abysses. the depth and horror of which
only Il father can appreciate. Sweet
water respected his anguish and for n
moment was silent himself. Then he
burst out:
Il had rather never have lived to see
this day than be the cause of shame or
suffering TO you Tel me what to do.
Shall I be deaf. dumb'-
Here Mr.. Sutherland found voice.
a. You make ton much of what you
saw" SAID he. My boy has faults and
has lived anything but a satisfactory
life, but he IS not as bad rs your fears
would show. He could never have
taken life. That would be incredible
monstrous. in one brought up as he has
been. Besides, IL he were so far gone in
evil as to be willing TO attempt crime,
he had no motive to do so; SWeetwater,
he had no motive. \ few hundred dol
lars. But these he could have got from
me. and did. but
Why did the wretched father stop
Did he recall the circumstances under
which Frederick had obtained these
last dollars from him? They were not
ordinary circumstances. and Frederick
had been in no ordinary strait Mr..
Sutherland could not but acknowledge
to himself that there was something in
the whole matter which oontradicted
the very plea ne was making. and not
being able to establish the conviction