Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-27

TITS lawyer that looks after him-a
man that tends to my business back
.sWell. what's his natne?"
"Scaylor-Ephra1m SSaylor"
"Scaylor?" echoed George. in amazement.
Eyes. Why, do you Know him?"
why. that's tff ,. man mother and had
that man. He's rascal. Dad"
What did he ever do to you and your
mother?"
don't talk about much. My father had
trouble back there fifteen or sixteen years
ago He was running an engine and had
a wreck; there were some passengers killed.
blame on father, and they indicted him for
mansiaughter. He pretty near went crazy,
and all of a sudden he disappeared. and we
never heard of him from that day to this
But this man Scay!or, mother stuck to it.
knew something about where father was;
only he always denied it.
Trembling like a leaf. Dad raised up on
his elbow whats your mothers name,
son? What's your name?"
George looked confused. ''I'll tell you.
Dad: there's nothing to be ashamed of. 1
was foolish enough l told you once, to go
out on a strike with the engineers down
there l was only a kid. and we were all
bIackl:sted So 1 used my middle name.
McNeal; my full name is George McNeal
Sinclair"
The cid fireman made a painful effort to
contracted, and George rose frightened.
With a herculean effort the old man raised
himself up and grasped Georges hands.
Son he gasped TO the astonished boy,
don't you know me?'
"Of course l know you, Dad. What's the
matter with you? Lie down."
Boy. I'm your own father. My name is
David Hamilton Sinclair. ! had the trouble
George McNeal went white and scared i;
then he grasped the gray-haired man in his
arms.
When I dropped in an hour later they
were talking historically. Dad was explain
ing how he had been sending money to
Scaylor every month, and George was con-
tending that neither he his mother had
ever seen cent of it. But one great fact
overshadowed all the villainy that night:
father and son were united and happy, and
a message had already gone back to the
old home from George to his mother tell
ing her the good news.
And that indictment was wiped out long
ago against father, said George to me:
but that rascal Scaylor kept writing him
for money to fight 1t with and to pay for nv
schooling-and this was the kind of school
ing l was getting all the time. Wouldn't
that kill you?"
couldn't sleep till I had hunted I'D
Neighbor and told him about it; and next
morning we wired transportation back for
Mrs. Sinclair to come out on
Less than a week afterwards a gentle III
tie old woman stepped off the FLYER at
GAINESVILLE, and into the arms of George
Sinclair. A smart rig was in waiting. to
which her son hurried her, and they were
driven rapidly to the hospital When they
entered the old fireman's room together the
nurse softly closed the door behind them
But when they sent for Neighbor and
me, suppose we were the two biggest fools
In the hospital trying to look unconscious
of all we saw in the faces of the group at
Dads bed.
He never got his old strength back, vet
Neighbor fixed him out, for all that. The
Sky-Scraper. once our pride, was so badly
stove that we gave up hope of restoring her
Tor a passenger run. So Neighbor built her
over into sort Of a dub engine for short
runs, stubs, and SO on; and though Dad
had vowed long ago, when unjustly con-
demned, that he would never more touch
throttle, we got him to take the Sky
Scraper and the Acton run.
And when George. who takes the Flyer
every other day is off duty. he climbs into
Dads cab, shoves the old gentleman aside
and shoots around the yard in the rejuve-
| mated SkyScraper at a hair-raising rate of
speed.
After while the old engine got so full of
alkali that George gave her a new name
Soda-Water Sal-and IT hangs to her yet.
We thought the best of her had gone in the
Harvard wreck: but there came a time
when Dad and Saltwater Sal showed US
we were very much mistaken.
Crhe end)