The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-03-22

what -r whom cid ,s.n Investigate
tilete e. te easpea
"on sail Cheney. sirling. a IN
yestisatsd the eirth 81 y Roy
I5elchNr.
And you found out all abolt hitn2'
"YoS. ahd thath4 Why I'm mere. Ypu
knpT' ire story OF 'Eaeeet CHARLEY.
what h. liz"
no paspea me preacher. II don't.
I've just heard OF him. that's ail."
The mans manner convinced cheney
he Was lying. He did know. he nlust
be made Il tell.
Would your flock care to know
about your BIRTH"
NO" Numbered Belcher. NO. /
don't want that, not now.n
Then tell me what you know of
Basket Charley" said Cheney. You
do know something, don't you?"
Yes, l know. and If you'll promise
not to reveal my identity IN tell"
You have my sacred promise re-
piled Cheney. "Candidly, Mr.. Belcher,
all l want to do is to establish the
birth of Mr.. Farwell. 1t is simply an
act of justice. and you as a man of
God should not hesitate to do that.
You preach justice and mercy to you
congregation every Sunday. Exempli-
fy those teachings now by clearing
this mystery. Practice what YOU
preach"
An right, sir, l will. l don't know
you, but you look like a man of o
word" Mr.. Belcher settled himself
back and closed his eyes as if thinking,
and continued:
II need not speak of my origin, you
know that. When l was IA l went to
EN,noor and apprenticed with old man
Reyburn. The two girls We're totally
unlike. ane was austere and almost
p%uritanical in her IDEAS Maggie was
the prrancifa and thn11obt life ,,-ac
naught but pleasure. Poor girl, it was
her ~undoing. She visited Detroit once
and while there met a man named
James Eastman. He was of the world
and she of the country. He wrote her
frequently and she was very much in
love With him. MIR. Reyburn and Jane
did not approve and said so. but Mag
gle was set in her ways, couldn't have
been moved in amy manner. During
one visit to Detroit q marriage took
place. oh, it was u legal marriage, all
right"
"Thank Cod for that"
Cheney under his breath.
Yes" continued Mr.. Belcher.
there's no doubt of the marriage.
I've seen the certificate. But after
the marriage Eastman soon tired of
his country wife. 1t was che old, old
story of neglect and abuse, and finally
desertion. After he left her Maggie
tried to get work but couldn't work
very hard. Things went all wrong at
the farm: Mr.. Hepburn died; Jane
couldn't run it, neither could 1, and it
Was sold. 1t didn't bring much money
ecaus a mortgage had to be paid
off. The night we We're to leave Mag
gle came home and brought with her
a baby scarcely three weeks old. Jane
was incensed n stormed furiously,
upbraiding Maggie for her acts. She
finally refused to have anything to do
with the child. oh, 1t was awful, that
scene," Mr.. Belcher shud6ered at the
memory and resumed.
Maggie was very i'll and the ac-
tons OF her sister made her worse.
She was desperate. indeed. l wasn't
much myself, but I was sorry for her.
She came out to the barn where I was
and made me promise before God that
some good family. Then she would
get We'll and go to work some place.
Her spare earnings would go to the
child and later she would come and
claim him. I promised and then we
cast our minds about for the proper
persons with whom to leave the baby"
Cheney was intensely interested. Bel
cheers manner was very earnest and
truth Was stamped on every word he
uttered.
odd mar Farwell was one of those
dear fine men liked by everybody. He
N"9 pour as 1t CiluIcll mouse DQt al
ways willing to share his crust with
one more unfortunate. He would look
after the boy. Maggie wrapped the
baby up in some warm clothing, wrote
a note-my God, YOU have it there"
INTERCEPTED TIE minister noticing the old
iaded letter Cheney held towards him
Yes, that's it. She pinned it to the
babys outer garment, inserted $3.50,
and that night | left the baby on Mr..
farWelfs doorstep. She Went without
seeing her sister again: left that night.
Two weeks later she died. That's all,
sir, every word | know"
Yes" said Cheney, but the man.
where is he? Was he never heard
of a~fterwards?"
Heard of Damn him-danm
him. said Belcaer, j~ustifiably forget
ting he was a preacher. Yes, he was
y week before he came to Detroit and
acted as if nothing had happened.
Later he Went west, l believe. mar
ried again and is now a respected
member of society,"
Where in the west; do YOU know"
"california. Why, he's rich. end
his wife Maggie lies in an unknown
grave and his boy is u nameless
man."
Why in Gods name didn't You
speak out if You knew all this"
Numbered Cheney.
Because | Was weak-weak. Jane
Reyburn was Very butter. She made
me promise never TO say a WORD to a
living soul, and / promised. You
have wrun@ ii from me. but | am glad.
My conscience is easier han it has
been in many a day That was all.
The next day Cheney was back in
Chicago, and twenty-four hours later
Farwell came in respons to a tele-
gram from Cheney.
You IA succeeded?" he said after
Cheney's greeting.
YES
And have l the right to hold my
head up among decent people? Have
l a NAME, or-am l "a
You have the right. Mr.. Farwell.
all the right the law and God a give
you" and Cheney told him the pitiful
story.
Farwell sat with bowed head. and
the tears slowly trickled through his
fingers. Poor mother. poor little
mother" he said. And that brute,
that brute-God. what punishment he'll
get some day" Suddenly he looked up
and said: Colonel Cheney, were not
through yet. l want to see my-no,
can't call him by that sacred name-I
want to see Eastman; al you locate
him.
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