El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-23

IneH he IpSt vi ltdiy NV SNtipSN
down into the road beside the driver.
"Get in again. said he. land drive
on. Ride a half mile. then come back
for me. / must see the Widow Jones'"
The driver. awed both by the occa-
sion and the feeling it had called up in
Mr.. Sutherland. did as he was bid and
drove away. Mr.. Sutherland, with n
glance back at the road he had just
traversed. walked painfully up the
path to Mrs. Jones door,
A moments conversation with the
woman who answered his summons
proved the rivers supposition to be
correct. Philemon had passed away.
He had never rallied from the shock he
had received. He had Joined his below
ed Agatha on the day of her burial, and
the long tragedy of their mutual life
was over.
at Is a mercy hat no inheritor of
their misfortune remains" quoth the
good woman as she saw the aff1iction
her tidings caused in this much rever-
ed friend.
The assent Mr.. Sutherland gave was
mechanical. He was a~nxiously study
ing the road leading toward Porches-
ter.
Suddenly he stepped hastily in.
Twill you be so good as to let me sit
down in your parlor for a few min
utes?' he asked. 81 would like to rest
there for an instant alone. b final
blow has upset me-"
The good woman bowed. Mr.. Suther-
lands word wasilaw in that town. h
did not even dare to protest against
the 'alone' which he n so pointedly
emphasized, but left him after making
him., as she said, comfortable, and
went back to her duties in the room
above.
1t was fortunate she was so INT
nable to his wishes. for no sooner had
her steps ceased to be heard tina Mr..
Sutherland rose from h cas- chair in
which he had been seated and, putting
out the lamp Widow Jones a insist
I'd on lighting, passed directly to the
window, through which he began to
peer with looks of the deepest anxiety.
A nan was coming up the road, n
young man-Frederick. As Mr.. Suth-
erland recognized him he leaned for
ward with increased anxiety till at the
appearance of his son in front his scru-
tiny grew so strained and penetrating
Adt IL tShit " SACiSiSS a hidShCtAS
influence upon the passerby. for when
directly opposite the window Frederick
involuntarily reused from his abstrac-
ton and looked up. The glance he gave
the house was but momentary, but in
that glance the father saw all that he
had secretly dreaded AS his sons eye
fell on that iuttering bit of Grape, tes-
tifying to another death in this already
much bereaved community, he stagger-
ed wildly, hen i'm n pause of doubt
drew nearer and nearer till his fingers
grasped this symbol of mourning and
chung there. Next m he was far
down the road, %plunging toward home
in a state of great mental disorder.
With sinking hear Mr.. Sutherland
net his eyes drop from this flying figure
to search for the man whom a little
while before he had seen following i'm
mediately behind his son. He was fol-
lowing him still aud fastened by the
house just as Mr.. Sutherland's glance
fell on him, SO that whatever was
TRANCE or pitiful in h foregoing scene
must have had this man for a witness.
A hair hour afterward Mr.. Suther-
land cached home. He had not over
taken Frederick again or even his ac-
companyinG shadow. Ascertaining at
his own door that his son had not yet
come in. but had been seen going far
Their up the hill. he turned back again
into the road and proceeded after him
on foot
The next place TO his own was occu-
pied by MIR. Halliday. AS he approach
ed il he caught sight of n man stand
ing half in and half out of the honey
suckle porch. whom he at first thought
to be Frederick. But he soon saw that
II was the fellow who had been follow
ing his son all the way from Porches-
ter, and. controlling his first movement
or dislike. he stepped up to him an
quietly said:
"Sweetwatcr is this your
The young man fell back and showed
n most extraordinary agitation, quickly
suppressed. however.
Yes, sir: it is no n else. Do o
know what | am doing hereE"
Il fear 1 do. You have been to Por-
chester. You have seen my SOM
Sweetwater made n hurried. almost
IN e~ntreating. gesture.
Never mind that, Mr.. Sutherland. l
had rather you wouldn't say anything
about that. / am rs much broken up
by what 1 have seen as you are. ! new
or suspected him. sir: only the girl to
whom he has so unfortunately attach
ed himself. But after seeing him
abandoned to grief in that place. over
that grave, what am l to think? What
am TO do? l honor you; I would not
grieve you, but-but-oh. sir. perhaps
you can help me out OF the maze into