The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-05-22
CHAPTER vi.
WE SHALL BOTH GO DOWN TO-
GETHER.'-


'By the way" said Hendricks,
after a moments pause, in which
each man covertly regarded the
other, where is your daughter
now?"
'Eh; what's that?" The question
seemed to surprise the banker Hen
bricks frowned, and his red fingers
beat tattoo on the arm of the chair
while he looked the other firmly in
the face.
GAS. the guardian, or rather trustee
of the affairs of her father, Martin
Frale, it is not strange that 1 should
like to see the young lady,"
"But surely, man, you are not"
'No, 1 am not going to tell her
that her father was driven to crime
in an effort to save her mothers life.
But if Frale is living, it would be
comfort to him if 1 might carry him
the good news of her welfare. You
know that even a man who has been
years in prison has not lost all
fatherly feeling"
"Well, but Martin Frale is dead"
Granting that he is. 1t might be
that was instructed to see her, and,
being man of my word, would nat
urally wish to carry out the agree
ment."
Ellison was silent. During an ex-
perience of years among men, he
had never met with such a human
enigma. Who was this man? At
least he knew much, and was
amiable, and might be easily man
aged if treated with kindness and
consideration.
"Then you promise that if I tell
you where the daughter is''-he did
not have the courage to say "my
daughter" in face of the facts pre-
sented-"you will be silent respect
ing her origin?"
81 am listening"
"Can I trust you?'
For a moment the face of Hen
bricks relaxed, and he smiled.
cit seems to me that just now we
have reasons to trust and yet dis
trust the other. One will safeguard
the other. You need, however, have
no fear that she will ever learn
whose daughter she really is. I
know that you can mean her no
harm, and that she is safe. But 1
should like to see her for reasons it
is not necessary for me to state."
Every well. After the terrible af
fair of the other night, 1 thought it
best to have her removed to the
home of her old nurse"
"And where might that be?" and
the question came as if Hendricks
was dealing in court with recall
citrant witness.
1.-The nurse is housekeeper for the
one lawyer that this town affords,
named Jared Henslow.''
'Henslow?" the other repeated,
rubbing his forehead.
"What, you know him?"
"How should 1 know him? But
the name is familiar. I once knew
a man of that name"
''Well, she is there"
Hendricks rose and stood for a
moment looking down on the floor
with strange expression on his
face.
'For this last information 1 thank
you-as the friend of Martin Frale,
of course. I have no doubt that she
has led happy life all these years"
''She has been brought up as the
daughter of a rich man should be-"
replied Ellison, Electrically. Then,
remembering that he was not ad-
dressing an ordinary visitor, con-
tinued: 81 am quite sure that, if
Martin Frale was living, he would
never have regretted having trusted
his daughter to my care. What,
after all, does it matter if some
trickery was used in the matter to
retain the fortune in the family, in
stead of allowing it to be scattered
among a dozen perhaps worthless
relatives of my wife. Martin Frale's
daughter must have gone to an
asylum as a child, and never known
what happiness meant, but for this
strange circumstance in her life.
She has been carefully reared, has
enjoyed everything that money could
purchase. Could Martin Frale, were
he living to-day, wish her different
ly off? Would he attempt to drag
her down to his own level again?
Would he take her from the luxury
in which she has been bred, to diff
ferent life-one of possible misery?"
LAS the spokesman of Martin
Frale, I believe that he would do
nothing of the kind" said Hendricks,
in a low voice. "She would hardly
love her old father with the
brand of shame upon him-the
father she never knew. She would
not be a woman to care to change
her lot for the sake of carrying pos
sible comfort to the declining years
of an old convict"
Job Hendricks at this juncture
seemed to be particularly interested
in a picture on the library walls,
for he turned his back on his COM
4