The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1905-10-27
Ills Hearts Desire
BY SIR WALTER BEsANT
By SIR WALTER BEsANT

Leighan come back again, and him In
ragsw
$50 1t is-it's Mr.. David" cried Mrs.
Exon, clapping her hands. ITO think
that none of Us knew him at first sight!
And that you should come to my house,
of all the houses in the parish, first, and
me not to know you! and you In this con-
dition! But you'll soon change all that;
and Ill make up the bed for you-and
your uncle and Miss Mary will be down.
right glad to see you, Mar. David! To
think Of my not knowing Mr.. David"
CHAPTER K.
| 1t was exactly IL o'clock Sunday morn
ing when Mr.. Leighan was suddenly
startled by mans step. He knew the
step somehow, but could not at the mo-
ment remember to whom 1t belonged The
man, whoever he was, knew his way
about the place, because he came from
the back and walked straight, treading
| heavily. to the room where Mr.. Leighan
was sitting and opened the door. 1t was
David coming to call upon his uncle ON
his return. There was some improve
ment In bis appearance. Joseph Exon
had lent him certain garments in place
OF those he had worn the day before;
the canvas trousers, for instance, had
gone, and the terrible felt hat with the
hole In the crown. His dress was new
of nondescript and incongruous kind,
the sailors jacket Ill asserting with tia
rustic corduroy trousers and waistcoat.
he threw open the door and stood con-
fronting the man whom he had last seen
dead, as he thought, killed by his own
hand. He tried to face him braseply,
but broke down aud stood before him
with hanging head and guilty eyes.
49," said Daniel Leighan, ''it 10 Da-
vid come back again. We thought yeu
were dead"
''You hoped was dead; say 4 out, -
said David. with a ropy voice.
Dead or alive, It makes no differences
to me. Stay; you were in my debt when
you went away. Have you come to set
tie that long-outstanding accountT'
David stepped into the room and shut
the door behind him.
"You have got something to say to me
frst," he said in a husky voice. "Havs
1t out now, and get 1t over. Something
you've kept dark, ehf'
what do you meanT
"Outsids they knew nothing about It.
That was well done. No occasion 10
make family scandal-and me gons
away and all-was there? Come, let us
have 1t out, old man. Who robbed me
of my landr
His words were defiant, but his eyes
were uneasy and suspicious.
Say, rather, who fooled away his In.
heritance with drink and neglectT'
Robbed me, sayV
IF had not bought your land some
one else would. If you've come home IL
this disposition, David, you had bette,
| go away again az soon Id you please
Don't waste my time with foolish talk, .
"'David's gone you said. when hs
comes back. we'll have it out. We won't
have family scandal Well, an
back. / thought you were dead"
II am not dead, as you see"
"Well, go on. Say what you've 70,
to say. I'll sit and listen. Come; w
owe you so much. Pay 1t out, then"
David" said his uncle. quietly
drink has evidently driven you of your
head. Family scandal What was there
to hide? Good heavens! do you suppose
that the whole Of your family, with hs
prodigacV and drunkenness, was moi
known to all the countryside2 Why, your
history is one long scandal Thinss t.
hide? Why, the whole parish was &C
ashamed of you that 1t rejoiced wher
you went away. That Is all I have e
say to you. David. What are you staxoa
like a black pig fort"
"Ohw cried David. sis 1t possible
What does he meant Come. old man
don't bottle up. You can't DO anything
to me now, and might do a great dea
for you; might, II you didn't bottle ur
and bear malice. Come-you and me
know-let's have It out"
what do we two know? All I know
is that you have been away for six years
and you come back in rags, that you hal
fit Of some kind last night up at JOSEPH
Exon's. Have you got any account tc
give of yourselfT
"Don't bottle up" David said, feebly
There's nobody here but you and me
I'll own up. And then can help 20,
as nobody else can't you don't bottl,
up. If you debut why should you.
What's the good? There's nobody her,
but you and me. What Is the good Of
pretending that there's nothing? Die
you ever forgive anybody in your life
Do you think believe you are going t.
forgive me-you of all men in the
world?"
J "Leeve of this nonsense about hidin,
and pretending and inferring. Ono woulf
think you had been numbering some
body"
! David sat down, staring with tn.
blankest establishment. He had by thh
time succeeded In impressing upon hi
brain the fixed conviction that his unel,
kept his murderous assault q secret GA,
Of regard for the family name. and h
came prepared to be submissive, to ex
press contrition, and to offer, In return
. for the secret being still kept, to Civ,
back to his uncle the long-lost box full
of papers. And now, this conviction de-
stroyed, he knew not what to think OF
| what to say.
, at can't ber he said, cit cant be
, Uncle, you are playing some deep gam,
with me. You are like q cat with .
mouse. You are old, but you are foxy
you've got game Of your own to play
and you think you'll play that game Low
/