Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-07-22

e
EM M standing by one of the win
:. ;. Ss;S-r---- dows intently regarding
min. Andrew turned a little farther
in his desk chair and looked at the
sman. He was stout and below the
medium height. He might have been
forty-fve. There was no trace Of gray
g in either his coarse black hair o. his
short black beard. His face was flushed
and his steely blue eyes glittered with
the intentEess of his glance.
''Do you wish to see me:" Andrew
sEasked.
s. eyes," said the stranger. Els voice
sswas low and deep, and Andrew fancied
.fthere was aspeculiar accent tosit. "And
;Fnow that I've seen you want to talk
;sto yon,''es
s "sit here 2 said Andrew. and pointed
; tosa chairsbeside the desk. e
& ThsSstrangera shook his head.
\ NO." he said. aWhat have to say
: can be better said standing"
q every WE'LL" said Andrew, and turned
SO liz SOllu IoSC NASitOi.
3 'My name is Rawdon," said the
& stranger, "James Rawdon." He paused
and looked hard at Andrew. Pm the
Il father of Anna Rawdon."
{ Andrews face slightly flushed. lie
4 put out his hand. @
s Glad ,tosmeet yoIi Mr.. Rar'lon.''
: he said ~ &
{ The stranger waved aside the p:of.
8 fcred hand. 3sssf g
i THAT'S, as it may be-" lie muttered
Z "We'u find out how glad you arc 4
! little later on
3 Andrew stared a, him.
Explain yourself" he said.
i .".-All III good time" returned the
\ stranger. He stepped to the outer door
Sand turned the key. Now We can
shave the little affair quite to our
Selves 2 4he muttered, as he met An
dreWs astonished gaze. "It isn't going
TO take long-unless you drag it out.
Now, who is 'nna Rawdon:"
- Andrews momentary anger ut the
mans, act and thesmaRs tone vanished.
lie weuId hunor this singular Visitor.
s. "Afiss Rawdon is one Of the sterog-
.rapners OF my Office" he replied. "She
is an unusually capable and intelligent
young woman. 1 assure you that both
her services and lcr personality are
highly esteemed"
s 'Fairswords,," said the stranger, "fair
w6rds-and easy. said. And now who
am Iifp =
'You have just told me that YOU
arc Miss Rawdon's father"
! The stranger nodded.
True" he said "And that is all
you know Of meg"
'TEat is ALL" Andrew replied.
Perhaps it's all that's ~ereditablc, :"
said the stranger. 81 was'the black
sheep Of my family, and very respec-
table family it is though I'm the last
man on earth to boast Of such things.
I'm English, as you see, and an Eng
lshman whose prejudices are bitter is
not pleasant sort of fellow. I'm an
advanced Socialist and a kicker against
the established order of things. I've
had good education, too, though /
never made any good use Of It. The
class found myself in-or rather that
I sought-was not a class to develop
mans intellect. 1t developed my gift
Of CAB, however, and that made me q
leader among them. Perhaps it was
a bad thing for me, yet I'll not admit
that the cause is bad Anyway. good
orsbad, i IN tied up to it." lie looked at
Andrew, and his fr, wn deepened. "You
have no sympathy with the cause, have
you? What is your fellow man to
you? You can't see anything beyond
your bank account"
''You are wrong there" said Andrew,
and his face showed no resentment.
81 take lively interest in my fellow
men," :
The strangers face cleared.
I'm just what I am." he said, "no
better, nor worse. anyway, I'm too
old to. want to change. Oh, I know
that have been drag Oh my family.
My daughter would haye been lady
II she had had q less selfish father.
There was nothing too good for her
while her mother lived. Her mother
was a lady, if ever there was one.
Goo knows why. she married me. But
she Kept things straight, and she kept
me straight. and there was nothing she
wasn't ready to do for our girl. And
now that she's gone'-he suddenly
passed his hand across his forehead.
"why, things are all at skies and sew
ems. I left my work, went back to
the old associates and the old club, and
my daughter hadsto so ont and earn
her own living. Understand me, I'm
not an idler, I'm an agitator. I'd rather
talk than eat. Some day. maybe, >Tll
show l cen fight, too." He paused ab-
1uptly and stared at Andrew. Course
me-" he suddenly cried, "if I'm not
reeling off lot of cheap guf about
myself. That's like me. I come here
to have. q reckoning with you, and
before I know it I'm talking about
myself" He stopped short and adj
eyanced little nearer. "Well, there's
good thing gained. You can easily
see that my girls not a Bit like her
father. She's her mother over again,
and no one knows it better than I know
it. And she's very dear to me. She's
so dear to me that if any man as much
us gave her an evil look Id kill him in
his tracks. Do you understand that,
Mr. Andrew Barton?"
His eyes glittered. His attitude was
menacing.
81 think I understand you," said An
drew quietly.
The man nodded slowly. He drew
back LITTLE and passed his hand across
his forehead
MY dead wife gave Anna into my
keeping" he said. 81 have neglected
her, but there are limits to this neglect.
I am her natural protector, her de-
fender-her avenger, if need be-"
And-aru ,,aoordod him cfoodiIv