Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-08-02
CHAPTER XXVI.
HOMELESS.

"No. Ernest, l am not hard on you;
, my fault lies Oh the other side. l have
been weak, and am justly punished for
my weakness; but | am not too old to
reform. Henceforward l will rule In
my own house; and anyone, not except
ing even yourself, who Is indisposed to
submit to that rule, may betake him
SELF elsewhere. Consider well my
words; they are not lightly spoken
Il protest that my conduct towards
you has never been anything but that
of an affectionate SON. Why has all
this trouble fallen upon me: Because
l have sought to make peace between
you and your brother. Was that a
bad task to set myself? l have always
believed, and do now believe more
strongly than ever, that your brother
had no hand in the robbery Of the
sequins.'
Ny father smiled faintly, and re-
marked in Il somewhat sarcastic tone
that he doubted whether l should have
assumed the Christian part Of peace
maker so earnestly in this case II it
had not also been the way to a closer
acquaintance with Miss Marsh. His
words aroused the slumbering anger
within me, and replied to them with
more warmth than discretion:
What you say is very true. When
inclination and duty point the same
way, the duty is well performed"
That has hardly been so in this
case said my father.
MY purpose was defeated by a
natural though unexpected event; and
| | am no more responsible for the death
/ of the old man We followed to the
/ grave yesterday than am responsible
! Ior the death of Charles the First.
Dr. Thurlow has told you that Adams
heart was weak, and that it was a mir
acle he lived so long as he did. 1t was
my i'll fate TO be the one to accuse
him of his crime. Uncle Sans advice
was sound
Very sound" echoed my father bit
terly. And nearly all the property
found in the old mans room, including
he red Turkish chest, was placed there
with my consent when all the rest OF
the house was being Overhauled by
your uncle's workmen"
How about the key which Adams
was about to give ME the moment
before his final seizure"
"Ay, how about it? Have YOU not
spent two days Intellectually trying to
tit it to every lock within these walls
Ernest, you have entirely exhausted
my patience l must absolutely de-
cline to discuss with you again the
robbery of the sequns; and l repeat,
for the last time, my determination.
You may remain here as long as you
will, and all l have is yours, provided
hat you cease to correspond with my
brother, his wife, ana Miss Marsh
Unless you are prepared to adopt that
course you must no longer consider
Ihis your home. l daresay ii pains you
10 be told this so bluntly; but you
must reflect that man does not talk
In this way to his only son without
balm to himself, and surely never with
3ut great cause. l, at least do not"
And with pale face, compressed lips
and strange light in his eyes, my
father passed out of the room.
For few moments | stood still
iazed by the Importance Of the decision
had SO unexpectedly been called upor
TO make. l never for a moment
doubted that I was very ill-used; or
the contrary, considered myself mos
unjustly punished. Ever since my un
cle was at Holdenhurst my policy ha(
been directed with view to effect his
reconciliation to my father and tn,
. winning Of Constance Marsh for my
self; and such desires, I conceived
were commendable and natural in an.
one circulnstanced as | was. The terms
, imposed by my father as the pric
; Of his continued friendship and pro
! lection were too eXacting for me +
, entertain. Deeply as 1t grieved me t.