Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-03-13

"UiCu acre these letters uTi'',I.'
so / gave them into the guardianship
Of The most conscientious person |
know. hope you wont demand TO
see these letters. Indeed, SIR. | hope
you won't demand to See thCu. They
were not written for your cyc, and |
would rather rest uu..rr your disul.as-
urc than have them Ia any way made
public"
FrcdcgjcE showed such carunstucss
rather than fagg that Mr.. Sutherland
was astouisill.
''yynrn were these letters wrlttenT'
lie asked. Lately or before You
say they are old. How oldT'
Freltrigk'e breath came easier.
"Somg Of them were written years
Ggo-mOst of them, in fact. II Is "A per-
Eonal matter. Every man has such. l
wish | could hpve destroyed them.
You will lcayc them with Agnes, slrf'
'You astonish lac" said Sir, SuthCr.
land, relieved that hc could at least
hope that these letters were In nowlSc
connected with the subject ~ his own
fri.htful suspicious. "A young girl 10
whom you certainly were most indif.
fcrcnt a week ago Is a curious guar
dian Of letters you decline TO show
your father"
al know it," was Frcdcrick's sole re-
ply.
Somehow the humility with which
this was uttered Touched Mr.. Suther-
land and rous,d hopes he had supposed
dead. lie looked his son for the first
time directly in the eye and with n
beating heart said:
'Your secrets, If you have such,
might better be intrustcd to your IA.
Their. You have no better friend" And
there he stopped with n Mortified, de.
spalriug feeling Of inward weakness
II Frcsrick had committed n crime
anything would be better Than know,
ing IT. Turning partially aside, he fin
gercd the papers on the desk befor,
which he was standing. A large On
velope, containing some legal docu
luNul' ihy h'lblt Hiih' ldhilS II vi
mechanically, he opened it. Frederick
rs mechanically watched him.
81 know" said the latter. "that
have no better friend. You have beef
too good, too indulgent. What Is 1t
father? You change color, look Ill
What Is there In that paperY'
Mr. Sutherland Strengthened himself
there was n great reserve of strength
In this broken down man yet. FiXln,
Frederick with n gaze more penctrat
ing than any he had yet bestowe,
upon him, lie folded his hands benin,
him, with the document held Tight.
between them, and remarked:
"When you borrowed that none,
from me, you did 1t like a man VIII,
expected 10 repay It. Why? Whence
did you expect to receive the none!
with which to repay me? Answer
Frederick; this is your hour for con
fession."
Frederick turned so pale his fathe
dropped his eyes In mercy.
"ConfessE' lie repeated. "Wha
should | confess? My sins? They ar
too many. AS for that money,
hoped to pay 1t as any son might hop
to pay his father for money advance,
to pay n gamblers debt. | said
meant to work. My first money earn
ed shall be offered TO you. u
swell? Well?" His father was hold
ing the document he had just rea,
opened out before his eyes.
"Didn't you expect thlsT' he asked
"Dldn't you know that that poor won
an, that wretchedly murdered, mos
unhappy woman, whose death tn
whole town mourns, had made you he
heir? That by the terms OF this docI
ment seen by me here and now for III
first time, | am made executor an
you the lnheritor of the 100000 o
more left by Agatha Webb"
"No" cried Frederick, his eyes glue
to the paper, his whole face and forI
expressing something more akin to Tel
ror than surprise. "Has she done this
Why should she? / hardly knew her.
"No, you hardly knew her. And she
She hardly knew you; IL she had, sh
would have abhorred rather than eI
riched you. Frederick, | had rattle
you were dead than stand before m
the lnheritor Of Philemon and Agath
Webb's hard earned savings"