Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-11-01
THE BOOK OF MICHAEL SUN
LOCKS.
CHAPTER I.
RED JASON.


RED JASON.
Now the facts of this history must
Rtride on some four years, and come
80 great crisis in the lives of Greeba
and Jason. Every event of that time
seemed to draw these two together, and
the first of the circumstances that
Bound them came very close on the
death of Stephen Orry. Only a few
minutes after Greeba, at the bidding of
her two brothers, Steam and Thurston,
Aad left Jason alone with the dying
man, she had parted from them with
out word or warning, and fed back
10 the little hut in Port-y-Vullin. With
wild laboring of heart, painting for
Breath and full of dread she had burst
the door open, fearing to see what she
dare not think Of; but instead of the
evil work she looked for, she had found
Jason on his knees by the bedside, sob
bing as if mis- heart would break, and
Stephen Orry passing away with a tend
sr light in his eyes and word of bless
ing on his lips At that sight she had
stood on the threshold like one who
il transfixed, and how long that NOM
eRt had lasted she never knew. But the
thing she remembered next was that
Jason had taken her by the hand and
drawn her up, with all the fire of her
spirit gone, to were the man lay dead
Before them, and had made her swear
10 him there and then never to speak
Gf what she had seen, and to put away
from her mind forever the vague things
she had but partly guessed. After that
Re had told her. with a word of pain,
that Stephen Orry had been his father;
that his father had killed his mother
by base neglect and cruelty; that to
wipe out his mothers wrongs he had
vowed to slay his father; and that his
Sather, not knowing him, save in the
vision of of his delirium, had died in
abe act of blessing him. Greeba had
yielded to Jason, because she had been
conquered by his stronger will, and
was in fear of the passion which
aashed in his face; but hearing all
this, she remembered Michael Sun
Ecks, and how he must stand as the
son Of the other woman; and straight
way she found her own reasons why
she should be silent on all that she
Had that night seen and heard. This
secret was the first of the bonds be-
tween them; and the second, though
Tess obvious, was even more real.
Losing no time, Adam Fairbrother
had written a letter to Michael Sun
Iocks, by that name, telling him of the
death of his father, and how, so far
as the facts were known, the poor man
came by it in making the port in his
boat after seeing his son away in the
packet This he had dispatched to the
only care known to him, that of the
Lord Bishop Peterson, at his Latin
School of Reykjavik; but after a time
the letter had come back, with a note
from the Bishop saying that no such
name was known to him, and no such
student was under his charge. Much
afraid that the same storm that had led
Stephen Orry to his end had overtaken
Michael Sunlocks also, Adam Fair
brother had then promptly re-addressed
his letter to the care of the Governor
General. who was also the Postmaster,
and added a postscript asking if, after
4he sad event whereof he had thought
Ct his task in love and duty to apprise
MIN, there was the same necessity that
his dear boy should remain in Iceland.
~But, indite me few lines without de-
aay." he wrote, giving me assurance
Of your safe arrival, for what has hap
pened Of late days has haunted me with
many fears of mishap."
Then in due course an answer had
some from Michael Sunlocks, saying
ne had landed safely, but there being
no regular mails, he had been compelled
"a await the sailing of English ships to
carry his letters; that by some error
Ne had missed the first of these, and
was now writing by the next; that
many strange things had happened to
Hin. and he was lodged in the house
af the Governor-General; that his
tather,s death had touched him very
seeply: being brought about by a mis-
ahance that so nearly affected him
self: that the sad fact. so far from
TSaving him free to return home, seemed
4o make If the more necessary that he
should remain where he was until ne
aad done -nat he had been sent TO oo'