Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-04-19
CONTINUED
CHAPTER VII

oAAAI L LII WI
WANDERERS.
Notwithstanding the sensations OF
the day and the novelty of my sur
roundings slept exceedingly we'll that
night, once sleep had seized the brain.
The day had been full of wearying,
strange surprises. but l possessed in
full the superb quality of youth. A
thousand trains might have whirled by
at express speed without arousing me;
the man with the strange eyes might
have picked the lock with impunity.
But none of these things happened,
and when ! finally awoke beheld my
father, already dressed. sitting on the
edge of his bed watching me.
"You sleep soundly." be said.
smiled. always"
"An easy conscience?'
II think Sc"
@'Sabbee." He had a. way of using
odd words, chiefly Of the pigeon Eng
lish variety. which he had picked up in
the far east. Other words also, which
were pure Chinese. he used in moments
Of great excitement. but Of them
could only guess the meaning. do
you know" be continued. troubled,
earnest look playing about his eyes. II
have not slept soundly for 20 years.
"That, l suppose. is why you look
so pale and ill?''
He shook his-head slowly as though
balancing some matter in his mind.
$50 look pale and i'll. do I? Yes, !
suppose do. but man is apt to think
little of that to which he is accustom-
ed. And I've had some cause" he
added as If speaking to himself; 1--WE
had some cause"
l did not doubt him for an instant.
His face, his suspicious manner. the
sudden starting at a sound, the peer
ing at people from beneath the brows-
were these things to be associated with
a man of clean reputation? would
not have had my fathers conscience
for kings ransom.
l went below to breakfast, leaving
him in his room. He was going to
have a little of something brought to
him, protesting a dislike to crowded
public places. thought it rather fas-
tidious Of him, but beyond that it trou-
bled me nothing. If man wishes to
eat alone and can pay for the priv
ilege, there is nothing more to be said.
/ preferred the stir of life and the view
of people.
AS I lounged about the vestibule
smoking an after breakfast cigarette
curiosity led me to look at the visitors
book, which lay open on a desk a lit
tie to the right of the Office. On the
page for that day there were already
two entries, but on the page of the
day before l failed to see my fathers
name. And yet l had most assuredly
seen him advance to the book, take up
a pen and write. What he had written
was in total ignorance of, but that he
had written something felt perfectly
certain.
There had not been many entries that
day, only some nine or ten, but among
them there was no name resembling
ours. The two last, written in the same
hand, were "R. Martin" and ID. Mar
tin," and ! knew that these must be
the names which my father had insert
ed. An indefinable shame seized me.
hastily turned the page and quilted the
desk. hoping that no one was watch
ing. | SUNK away from the lynx eyes
of the young man in the ofice-slunk
away in the shadow like one who had
been caught doing discreditable
thing.
n I
on the door and almost at the same
moment turned the handle, but to my
surprise the door was locked. .
"Who's thereT cried my father.
IT,"
"Ohw
heard him limp across the room; the
lock went back with a click. Then the
door was but partly opened, and his
beetling brows filled up the aperture.
Il was just going to change" he ex-
planned in answer to my look of inter-
Sogation. Probably, but the room was
full Of tobacco smoke, and a book was
turned face open on the table. i.
went to my bed and sat down. He
threw himself into an armchair, picked
up the book and resumed his pipe.
had no book, no armchair, no pipe, and
even IL had had all three 1 could not
have interested myself in one Of them.
10 l sat doggedly still for a quarter of
O hour or so, thinking, thinking; but
Instead Of thought easing my mind or
Mod it but irritated the one and rem.
Aered the other more tempestuous- This
secret, horrid life might suit one who
feared the light of day, but ], had been
+ accustomed to fresh air and the open
oe1ds, and could not tolerate this sit:
ing In prison, as it were, this mora
ond physical confinement. So. after
4 .nuch hesitancy, after numerous fatal