The Princeton union., 1900-04-26
paused before him, a dogged expression

paused before him, dogged expression
/ in her unsteady glance
Dawes been blabbin' to you, Ron,''
she said; II wouldn't pay no attention
to that boy"
You've been keeping something
from me-something concerning my
self, all my life,' he heard himself
saying in deliberate tones.
She caught her BREATH and then
/ looked through the hall at Bud Tarbell,
who was turning his wagon away from
! the gate. 49,. .-.' 49,.
''Dave top me back thar at the grave
jest now," she faltered, "that you said
you never would give me no trouble
about anything. If 1 knowed that
you would not bring me to court, an
that you would let us have the insur-
ance money to buy land in Texas, Ron,
I'd not keep back thing
'Your name shall never be men
toned" he promised, now chilled to
the center of his heart by what might
b:revealed. "Ihave right to know it,
if am not your son, and not his. You
know you are welcome to the insurance
money"
"Can't you put it off till after supper,
when all the rest is asleep? I am so
excited"
mo, I'd rather know now," he said.
The wind blew the fine flakes of snow
under the roof of the porch, and they
fell and melted on her iron-gray locks.
She did not look at him when she be-
gan, nor did she give him her eyes
steadily once through the whole re-
cital.
/ you've heerd bout yore pas BUSH
whackin' days up in Tennessee endurin'
of the war;" she began. "sHe was a sort
of head man against 'em all. They
made good deal by it, fust an last.
He used to tell me all about it fore we
got married an I was sech foolish
young thing that thought his conduct
was smart, an that Jade Fanshaw was
about the finest ketch in them noun
tains. They did their biggest business
an made their biggest hauls by captur-
in folks that was travelin' heer an
yam through the mountains to git away
fro m the war, as most of sech folks had
money about 'em. They didn't kill
often, unless it was through lack of
proper Judgment, like, for instance, in
threatenin' a man to give up his treas
ure by drawin' i'm up on a rope an let
tim i'm hang a mite too long. Whar
you come in was this away" Mrs.
Fanshaw cautiously closed the door
leading into the hall and then went on:
"a man and his wife an baby about
four months old come long in a car
riage driv' by a nigger man. an yore
pas crowd was lynn in wait fur 'em a n
helt 'em up in a lonely mountain pass.
The man was a young confederate Of
ficer, an the woman was mighty good
lookin' an dressed as fine as a fiddle.
That's one reason the gang thought
they had money. They ordered all of
'em to git out on the ground, an the
officer did so at once, an tuck the baby
from its mother so she could git out.
"Well, they say he had no sooner
put foot to the ground fore the nigge1
driver whipped up the hosses like mad
an managed to dodge the shots an git
, away. The tale Jake always told me
was that the officer started off at. full
speed after the carriage an got shot ac
+ cidentally, fallin' with you in his arms
The wust part of it fur the gang was
! that the man had no money about him
, an they had a live squallin' baby or
hands. Then they drawed lots as tc
= who was to put the baby out O. pain, an
,, it fell to Jade, an he fetched you te
put the job off on me. I'D been married
two yeer an never had no child, an a.
I was by myself in a lone cabin from
morning till night an often all night
= begged Jade to let me have you fur com
y pany an as he didn't seem to want t<
bother more about it, he give in. No
body but the gang ever knowed yo,
- - wasn't my child an they scattered t.
' all parts of the world after the surren
der. After that Dave an the gals wa
born an nobody ever suspicioned tha
you wasn't a Fanshaw."
Ronald, pale and excited, Leaned
against the watershed.
"Do you know the name of the of
fcer?" he asked.
THAR wasn't a thing to show who h
- was,'' answered Mrs. Fanshaw. II
:, didn't have a thing in his pockets ex
=, cept a silver tobacco box. You've see,
- it a hunderd times; all the children Gu
their teeth on it; it's in the front room
= with matches in it,
~ She went into the house and brough
= it back.
- "I've told many lie about this lii
'' tie trick" she admitted, with a shru
and a little smile as she gave it to hin
He had seen the box often before
- and remembered that words were er
graved on it. He held it to the hgh'
- making out the following: Error
- Elizabeth to"
~ "This does not help me much," h
said, 'but I shall not rest till I kno,
~ who am. Is any of the old band livin
X now?'
y, "Thar must be some of 'em, but tn
" Lord only knows whar they are; the
seemed ashamed of Their war conduc
> an amt anxious to keep up old frient
'e ships. Now, Ron, remember yore prom
d ise!" -r-....