The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-18
THE paIcE OF pIsHoNoR.

| OF the town lived a friend OF our family,
! a splendid type OF the Southern gentle
man. bearing one Of the best known and
most distinguished names in the state.
OF course 1 cannot divulge his name. We
/ viii cali him Colonel Hamilton, for the
sake Of convenience. He had once been
very wealthy, but the civil war had left
MIN barely enough Of his fortune TO ena-
1 bic him TO keep I'D appearances
/ He was q WidoWer. His daughter, a
mere girl. was the mistress Of his house
/ hold. His only son was teller of a bank
! IN certain populous town in Gergia-
The colonel was very proud Of Jack
. that was the sons name-and fairly idol
| lied him. He had made every possible
! pecuniary sacrifice, even 70 morIeag-
! ing the old home, in order that his boy
should start in life equipped with the
/ education and somewhat of the means Of
! q gentleman, and he based high hopes
on the young fellows intelligence aud
! ability. Jack resembled the colonel in
form and feature. which is TO say that
he was tall, athletic, and uncommonly
/ handsome. With this he was high spir-
I tied and extremely sensitive.
During the college terms I practically
| made the colonies house my home.
was regarded as one OF the family ana
came and went as 1 pleased, without
! ceremony.
| "One afternoon-it was a Saturday, and
] 4
my way through the grounds climbed
/ over the veranda rail to save myself the
1 trouble OF going around 70 the entrance,
walked through the drawing-roOm win
dow. and opened the door of the colo
mel study without going through the
usually quite unnecessary Formally Of
knocking. / had brought a book for him
and had gone straigh to the study TO shy
1t on his table If he were not there, for
l wanted to get rid of II before going 70
the stable, where an interesting addition
to the family of the Old darkey coach
mans fox terriers claimed my syhpa-
/ thetic attention, one Of its most curiOusiy
marked members being destined for me.
My abrupt irruption into the study
made me the witness OF a scene that
caused me to stop short. startled and ter
ribly embarrassed. The colonel, bending
forward, with his elbOys prOpped on his
knees, and his face CURED IN his hands,
was crying IS If his heart would break.
His daughter was also weeping. and,
with her arm around his neck, was try
ing TO console him.
Both lifted their tear-bathed faces as
overwhelmed with confusion and most
painfully impressed, 1 stammered an
apology and stepped back 10 withdraw.
The look of hopeless misery OF that dear
old man viii haunt me as long as 1 live.
L tiptoed out and closed the door
and made my way back 10 the college.
Alas I could not do SO. Before reached
the veranda the study door opened and
the colonel in a broken voice. called az
ter me:
Don't go away, Eddie
4 had no further interest in the fox
terrier, and sat on the veranda wonder
ing what terrible calamity could have
fallen upon the house and feeling unut-
terably miserable myself ! could mag
Inc only one thing-that an accident had
happened to Jack, and that he was dead.
The more pondered the more convinced
/ became that 7 had OWNED the cause Of
the cOlonels ahliction.
In a little while he Joined me. He
had regained his conposure, but the
change in his appearance was pitiful.
Since the last time I had seen him-two
or three days before-his gray hair and
mustache had turned almost white and
his face was deeply furrowed with lines
Of suffering.
HE wade no allusion to the scene IN
the library, but talked absently Of vari-
Gus things and asked me questions about
the college. He lit a cigar. but forgot 10
smoke it, Anxious to know the worst,
ventured:
q" Have you heard from Jack Iately?'
81 ] have heard from him.
+" Not bad news, sir. I trust.s
Very bad news
o He isnt-dead?
g Worse; he is a thief. He has robbed |
his bank and disappeared.
ct was the old story. Jacks ambition !
had overreached itself. In his desire 10
acquire quickly wealth and the power
that goes with it he had speculated in !
cotton and lost all he possessed, then mad /
taken money from the bank in an effort /
20 retrieve his loss; then, IN desperation, /
had taken more, hoping by one fortunate !
coup 10 save himse44. and thus had pre- |
cipitsted the ruin he sought to avert. /
Jacks sureties, friends of the colonel. |
had made good the banks loss. but the /
highest influence that could be brought I
to bear had failed TO induce the bank /
officials to let the matter drop. They de- /
clared that the very safety Of the iasti- I
tuition demanded that ne trusted official 4
who had been unfaithful TO his trust I
should be made an example Of. and they
purposed running him down and punish i
ing him. If it took al the funds in the /
bank TO do IT,
-" And. God help me- they are right /
said the old man as q hard look came I
into his kindly eyes Jack has ceased to /
he q son OF mine, and 7 beg you viii /
never mention his name TO me again.
me colonel had sprung TO his feet. 4
Jack faced him.
So Yes, I know.
they have hunted me ike dog /
They were watching the house, and I was
forced to run 20 escape them. Dad, (
Rad 90 come-to see you once more.
Even as he spoke there was ring
at the bell.
There they are now. What shall /
5o2 OH dad. dad dad. it isn't Tor me I
care-I was mad-its for you.
ET~r ar "a 20 ]
ten what he was as 70 turn thief there
is only one thing possible Tor him 10 do.
''The colonel stood erect. cold. stern
''The Old, proud look came into Jacks
face.
Again the bell rang.
The proud look d-ed away. Jack
bowed his head IN shame and remoTse
and turned toward the door As he
went 0ut he faced about and said.
Dad-f0rgive.
me colonel never moved. never Ut
tered 2 sound.
Il had sat a silent. petrided spectator
of the scene. The colonel had forgot
ten me. His son had not noticed my
presence.
CAS- soon as Jack had gone TIE c0loneTs
lenaanor underwent an appalling
change As his boys footsteps sounded
an the stairs he became um1. EhastlT
rzIor spread over his face. his fps
lutVarff he shook rs though stricken
with aaisT. We could hear Jack r1av.1e
ABOUT be- the room above l- was bis
dan. rs he called II Ia has b9ynood days
The lock az arclT and despair ln IRE
I'D mans eyes Yves aWiui. For the frsr
.ln1e I began to realize the TRAGEDY thai
was being 81 enacted understood tle
rrnort u the fathers words 20 rs sen
Before I could move the report - pls-
.oI broke the Stiffness q tee house fel-
Owed - the sound CT 3 body faliug
overhead
IA r-.a. =i-h cane lr1- The oid nan