The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-22
VIII.
Continued.

Continued.
Meantime all was quiet behind the screen.
Than l heard quick movement, followed by
the shutting OF door. and l realized that
an escape had been effected from the room
In a way I had not calculated on-that is, by
means Of the dressng-room opening out or
the alcove in which my bed stands.
1 had thought myself weak man up to
that hour: but when | heard that door close,
/ bounded to my feet and attempted to reach
the hall before the man who had thus
escaped me could find refuge in any OF the
adjoining rooms. But l must have fallen
!nsensible almost Immediately, for when l
came to myself l found the footboard of the
bed within reach of my hand, and the clock
on the point OF striking 2.
I dragged myself up and staggered back to
bed. l had neither the courage nor the
strength to push the matter further at that
time. Indeed, l felt sort of physical fear,
probably the result OF illness, which made
Il quite impossible for me to traverse the halls
and creep from room to room seeking for
guilt in eyes whose expression up to this
unhallowed hour had betrayed nothing worse
than a reckless disregard OF my wishes.
Yet it was torment unspeakable to lie there
IN an uncertainty which threw cloud over
all my sons. For hours my thoughts ran the
one gamut, George, Leighton, Alfred, cling
ing agonizedly to each beloved name in turn,
only to drop into a dreadful uncertainty as
remembered the temptations besettlnS eacl
one Of you, and the readiness with which you
all, from the oldest to the youngest, have ever
succumbed to them. There was no determln-
ing point in the character OF any or you
which made me able to say in this solitary
and awful communion with my own fears,
This one at least is innocent!' If | dwelt on
Georges generous good nature, l also re-
called his wild extravaganza and the DEBTS
he so recklessly heaps up at every turn ne
makes in this God-forsaken city; II some
recollection Of Leightons strict ways in open
matters Of conscience came to soothe me,
there instantly came with it the remembrance
Of the various tales which had reached my
ears Of certain secret attachments which
drew him into circles where crime IS more
than suggestion, and murder possible az
tendant upon every feast Then Aired
youngest Of all but the least youthful III ms
attitude towards the world and his fellow
men-what honorable ambition had he ever
shown calculated to give me solace at this
awful time and make the association or MS
name with a damnable crime an impossibility
and an outrage?
Meanwhile, my whole mental vision was
clouded with the pictured remembiances OF
your faces as seen in childhood, in early
youth, or at any other time, indeed, than
the intolerable present. Georges, when he
brought home his first school medal Leigh
tons. when he denied himself new pair OF
skates that he might give the money 10
crying street urchin .Alfred's, when the feve1
left him and his cheeks grew rosy again with
renewed health. All these young and lnno~
cent faces crowded about me, awakening
poignant suggestions of the change which &
few short, short years had wrought in rela
tions which once seemed warm ana alive with
promise. Then, a group Of frank-eyed boys
now-this awful question: which?
It was not till an hour had passed that
remembered that the phial had not been re-
turned to the cabinet In whose possession
would it be found? Should l have search
made for it? l turned cold in bed at the de-
basing, the IL tolerable prospect of acting as
detective in my own house. Then the pol
soned glass! it still stood beside, me- if
left it untouched 1t would show suspicion or
my part and suspicion might preciptate my
DOOM How could l avoid taking it withou
raising doubts as to my discovery OF The
trick which had been played SO near me? II
the feverish condition Of my mind but one
plan suggested itself. Throwing out my arm
l precpitated the glass to the floor, ove1
which I heard it roll, with extraordinary sen
sations. Then I waited for daybreak, in mucl
the same condition Of mind In which maj
awaits his last hour for my heart yearnee
over my sons even while painting under thu
consciousness that one Of them was mon
ster Of ingratitude and innate depravity.
When Hewson the girls came down
and 1 heard the stir of life in the house.
rang my bell and asked for Hope. She cam
In with beamng face and smile full of hap
Djuess She had risen from a beauty sleel
and possibly because my thoughts had beef
SO dark I had never seen her look so brign
and lovely. But her cheeks paled as sn
approached my bedside and noticed my miser
able appearance; and it was with suddel
anxiety she cried: ..s
What wretched night you must hav
had uncle! You look poorly this morning
You should have sent for me before
Again I summoned UP all my powers o
acting.
81 knocked over my medicine In the night
Perhaps that is why 1 look so wretched.
did not sleep after four You can say SO
If any of the boys ask after me at the break
fast table"
With a womans solicitude she 1noye
around to my side, where the screen stood.
'Why, what's this?" she exclaimed, stoop
ing as her foot encountered some small object
1 expected her to lift the glass. Instead o
that she lifted the bottle. 1t had been lef
there on the floor and not carried out of tn
room, as had naturally supposed
l endeavored to look undsturbed and as i
this bottle had been thrown over with tn
glass, but failed ptiably. At the sight o
her dear, womanlyi face and the affection
beaming in every look. l broke down an
raised my arms lmplOrlngly tCWafOS ner.
g"Come to my arms'' | prayed. LET m
feel one true head on my breast
The next minute l was conscious of havn
said word too much Her look, which yo
all know and love, changed, and, while sh
submitted to my caresses and even warml
returned them, it was with an appearance
Of doubt which l almost cursed myself 70
having reused in that innocent breast.
why one true hearth" she repeated. Gar
there not others in this house. George an
Alfred love you devotedly; and little Claire
what child could show more fondness for
grandfather than she?N