Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-08-23
CHAPTER x.
MEETING IN A LONDON RESTAURANT.

MEETING IN LONDON RESTAURANT.
"But stop a minute, motherl" /
cried, bewildered by the sudden revela-
ton. "Let us consider. What does the
existence of this criminal uncle of mine
exercise upon the mystery3 Do you
suggest that this man in London may
be fathers brother and not father. is
that itf'
"That is what struck me; only that
it must be remembered the unfortunate
man is. or is supposed to be. suffering
a life sentence in Siberia. "
"He might have escaped" reflect
cd. "Let me see, supposing that he has
escaped and is at large in London, is,
in fact, the man Percy found, how
would that affect fathers disappear
ancef It need not affect it at all need
it. excepting that we should have vast
ed all this time over false clewf No,
mother, don't think it can be this
precious uncle When one comes to
think Of it. things point go conclusively
to father having left for Londcn at the
time of his disappearance-the police de-
lare it. the station officials testify to
tit must have been father himself
and not his brother, for, in the first
place, how could he have escaped from
Siberia2 And even if he did is 1t likely
that he would have deliberately come
to st. Petersburg, the most dangerous
place to appear in that an escaped con-
vict could choose? And then think Of
the coincidence Of the time of his de-
parture with fathers disappearance
No, it would be too extraordinary"
~ am thinking. said mother, "that
this Andre. the brother. may have come
to st. Petersburg on purpose to harass
your father and obtain money from
him. Poor father may have been so
shocked and Mortified by his sudden ap-
pearance here that the shock temporari-
ly upset his reason. go that he"-
"No. mother, I can't believe itr' l
interrupted. Father is too sane and
too manly to collapse in that way at the
shock of seeing his rogue of brother.
Only consider We will not do him the
injustice of believing it possible. What
was this Andre sent to Siberia for p
political murder He got into bad
set at the cadet corps as youth. Heav-
en- knows why he should have inclined
to revolutionary ideas, youth of such
position and prospects as he enjoyed.
But he did. The commandant expelled
him for some foolish speech or action.
and he went from bad to worse. Even
tually the poor wretch was concerned
in diabolical plot, was arrested. tried
with the rest-under his assumed name.
thank God-and dispatched to Siberia. .
"Where he is still to be found, never
fear, mother Did be actually kill a
manH'
81 believe sor' said mother. shudder-
ing.
"Oh, they'll have taken good care OF
him, don doubt it. He is still there.
This man in London is father and no
other He must be- We must find a bet
ter theory for his turning up in Eng
land than this Your original one about
delusions and financial worries is better
than the other. Borofsky will bring
back dear old father to us: never doubt
it. mother.
"God grant it prove 80. dear, brave
Boris. she sighed. II would not be
cruel or unkind, but do sincerely hope
and trust this terrible Andre, whose
crime caused your dear father so much
shame and bitter sorrow. is, as you
say, securely looked after in some ST.
berian mine. If he were really at large,
should fear know not what for our
beloved.
"How could he injure father. except
ing by revealing himself and causing
father shame9" asked. II am sorry
to hear of this shady relation, dear
mother. But really don't see how he
can have anything to do with this mys
terry Of ours.
Mother became pacified gradually
and thought with me that there were
too many chances against the probabil-
ity of my disreputable uncle having
turned up in London to make such a
theory worth troubling ourselves about
We therefore dismissed it, leaving
Andre the convict to languish in his ST.
berian mines. so far as our imagina-