The Saint Paul globe., 1902-09-05
The Globes Daily Short Story

| "a man with a mark like that ought to
be found"
| That's what think" returned Ven
nlng, but l haven't found him yet"
! AS ne spoke the tall clock in the COR
ner chimed the midnight hour the
gentlemen arose, bidding their host
! goodnight and departing, each one
thinking of Venning's loss.
| A rev weeks after this DR.. An1es was
starting out for his afternoon round of
calls. AS he opened the street door a
young man came up the steps, smiling,
| though rather pale.
! Caught you just in time, didn't I,
| doctor?"
| whats the matter, Eaton?" said
the physician, seeing that something
was wrong with his young friend
| "Oh, I've been trying to blow up the
| laboratory over here at Columbia
Guess there's some glass lodged in my
| shoulder"
Come in,' said the doctor, leading
the way back to the office. 'Tll patch
| you up"
Though Eaton laughingly remon-
| strated, the physician assisted him to
| remove his clothing. AS the young fell
| lows muscular chest was barred, DR..
| Ames stified an exclamation; almost
| the same instant his face clouded with
disappointment. There, on the right
| side of the breast a letter was tattooed
but not the letter v. Hoping that
Eaton hadn't noticed his momentary
confusion, the doctor quietly took out
| the glass and began to dress the slight
wound. ~,
"If you don't mind telling me, I'd like
to know where you had that tattooing
done?"
'"Eaton laughed. you know as much
about it as do," he said. THAT letter
L l. ,rIsx1<a
ber. Haven't you seen it before?"
mo-" replied the doctor, thought
fully, Though I've been your family
physician for years, you've never need
| ed much attention"
"Pve been provokingly healthy.
haven't II"
"You certainly have, and now I'm
questions. Since you can't tell me
where you were tattooed, perhaps
you'll tell me why?"
Il can't do that, either, doctor. You
know how reticent old Eaton could be
when he liked. I never could get any
satisfaction out of him; whenever 1
asked him why he had branded me
with q wv he would always say, Be
cause knew you'd be wayward or
wise He never would speak of it seri-
ously; guess 1T was only one of his
Whims-he had plenty of them"
Il should think he did!" exclaimed
the doctor, thinking of the eccentric
man who had checkered his life with
so many freaks and fancies. Giving
the last touch to the dressing, the doc
tor asked Eaton to step over nearer
the window. 'I want to look at that
letter." he said, drawing up the shade
to get a stronger light.
AS the doctor examined the w
through a powerful glass he grew more
L
excitement. Eaton, also, was looking
at the letter on his breast.
II wonder" he said, thoughtfully, as
If speaking to himself, "if that w
has anything to do with my real fath-
err"
with your what?" cried the doctor
sharply.
my real father" Eaton repeated
'The night before he died old Eaton
told me that I was not his own son---
that he knew nothing of my parents
that he bought me from"
"a HindooI"
"How did you know?" Eaton cried in
astonishment.
The doctor was half way across the
room.
"Wait here till come back" he
called, closing the office door behind
him.
Striding rapidly through the hall the
doctor said to himself: THAT Hindoo
ought to be torturedl Stole the boy
and changed the W to sW'-the glass
showed up the letter-last half lighter
than the first"
BY this time the doctor had reached
the telephone;' he called up the club
and asked for Venning. A moment lat7
er anyone standing near might have
heard him say
Hello. old boy! Come UP to my Of
f1ce-there's a man here-wants to
see you-and say, Venning, take an
automobilel"