The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-30
His FAMILY Spectsr.

came here tonight to tell yoi that
love her
ITO tell mel" bioke in Gordon. why
don't you tell her?"
"Wait-can't you? Let me finish.
| have told her, and she has declined me.
/ It was done very gently and with the
| greatest possible regard for my feelings.
but nevertheless I was declined. Don't
| think me fool because come here and
| make a confession which can be nothing
| less than Notifying. I'm doing il for
| Amy's sake
For Amy's sake?" echoed Gordon.
Yes; / want to see her happy, and
| you are the man to make her so. She
declined me on your account. OF course
| 1 knew long ago that you were my ri
val, but did not know until two hours
ago that you were the successful one.
| You aren't worthy Of her and don't de-
! serve her, but don't think for moment
that I believe myself more worthy or
more deserving" Pausing suddenly, Fair
| leigh walked to his friends side and
laid a hand on his shoulder. Il can't
understand what you mean by leading
| Amy to believe that you care for her
while all the time dividing your atten-
| ton with Nell Forthdyke. Would you
| be inhuman enough to break heart as
| loyal as Amy's?"
to break anybody's heart. Nell is rich,
you know
And so are you," sneered Fairleigh,
| walking hurriedly to the door and lay
ing his hand on the knob, "but Amy
Hepburn IS poor Society dares you to
wed with poverty. If you love Amy,
are you man enough to dare? Examine
into the financial condition of the Hep
burns reflect upon what caused their
downfall in fortune, and then let me see
if you are strong enough to leap this
Brahminical barrier OF caste"
With this parting shot Fairleigh passed
quickly out of the room and slammed the
door behind him. Harry Gordon gave
vent to a long whistle, settled himself
back in a chair and thoughtfully lighted
cigar.
A knock fell on the door, not on the
outside door, but on a door leading into
a closet.
Now, what in the world aroused your"
cried Gordon.
Business is business" came hollow
voice from the other side of the closet
door. I'm here for a purpose, and if
l do not make that purpose manifest
once in awhile you'll forget all about
me-"
well, what do you want?" he asked.
81 want to come out and show myself
You know I'm here, but little ocular
demonstration won't come anliss, l take
it. Remember, I'm showing considera-
ton for you. 1 might have kicked open
this door and stalked out into the room.
But 1 didn't. 1 raped"
Cant you put it off? Come out to-
morrow. I've got something else to
think about now
The high and mighty order of family
eli q onf in he hob MI riy1er
second fiddle or taking back seats for
anybody. I'm coming at once"
"All right, then" groaned Gordon,
squaring himself about in his chair.
Come on
The closet door few open and a we'll
developed skeleton STROBE out and drop
ped with a rattle into a chair. The cav
ernous eyes were blankly expressive-to
Gordon. For him also there was some
thing sarcastic in the grin of the flesh
less jaws.
Dust me off," said the skeleton. 81
want to show up as frightful as posi-
BILE tonight
The request presented itself to Gordon
as a command which he was powerless
to disobey. Picking up a feather buster,
ne piled 1t vigorously about the cleaning
white bones.
The skeleton crossed its bony legs and
settled back comfortably.
"Will it do me any good to have
chat with your queried Gordon.
THAT remains to be seen. 1t used to
do your father good. Why, it was my
custom to visit him every night. As he
sat before that table writing Ia sneak
out of that closet, come quickly up be-
hind him and put an arm caressingly
around his neck" The skeleton laughed,
working its bony jaws with succession
of cracking sounds that made Gordon
shiver. How it used to startle himi He
would turn white as a sheet as he looked
up into my face. Once he sprang to his
feet in desperation, and we had a wres-
tie all about the room, overturning
chairs, tables and everything else that
came in our way"
You succeeded in shortening my faith
er's life" returned Gordon. gioomly.
Under your tyranny he sank into his
grave long before his time
80 he did, so he did, and he passed
me on to you with the rest OF MS prop
erty, real and personal. 1t was a rich
inheritance, my dear boy, even though
1 had to be dragged at its heels Yet
don't accuse me Of any responsibility for
your fathers taking off. He was the au-
thor of my existence. Like Frankenstein,
he built me up bone by bone, and was
n
monster and had breathed into my bony
breast the breath of life. Then in order
that 1 might not afflict mis- sight ne
slowed me away in that closet Suppose
/ became the instrument of his own IN
doing. Is it not true that he was never
theless the author OF his own downfall?"
Your logic seems to me as msreiless
as it is correct" answered Gordon, with
knitted bTows. Still. there are some
points relating TO your history on which
my mind is q trihe obscure. What pos
sessed my father to call into being a
creature Of your disagreeable charac-
ter?''
The almighty dollar" young man. he
created me in order that you might in
herit a little more wealth. He did not
think then how l should one day sit
astride his shoulders ike the Old Man
OF the Sea, nor did he think that Il was
possible for me TO afhct his son. For
obvious reasons my relations with You
are not so intimate as they were with
your worthy father. / was evolved out
of the wheat pit OF the board Of trade
Your father was a bull, and he merci-
lessly gored both life and fortune out OF
a certain bear who was not niuble
enough 10 get out OF his way"
And who was this bear?" asked Cor
don.
"A man named Hepburn"
Amy HepbuEn's father murnured
the young man rubbing his hand across
his brow IN an effort 10 remember.
Yes. Hepburn lost every penny ne had
IN the world through that disastrous
wheat deal He was forced into bank
ruptcy. and. unable 70 bear the disgrace.
sock his own life. Ills money went to
increase the store your father left you
my boy. and l. IS now possible Tor yo1
TO live In luxury while eDburn's vie
and Children must struggle on as hsst
they can. However, and the skeleton
set I'd and started back 70 rs closet. ..st