The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-23


footman said, with a supercilious glance
at the visitors ill fitting clothes
Not to say as how I don't. ship
mate" he answered Gryly. having i'm
mediateIy regained his accustomed sto-
lidity, "seein' as I've sailed twelve
thousand miles to meet Up long er
Cap'n Whitaker Ransome. Does he
live here?"
Eyes. but he's sick. on his death bed,
and nobody is admitted"
A girlish figure, with pale face and
large brown eyes, beneath which dark
semi-circles showed, came forward
softly.
Are you an old friend of Mr. Ran
some's?" she asked of the sailor. You
said you had come so far to see
him"
but unattractive face upturned to him.
seeming almost spectral in the dark
ness of the hall.
My father, Miss, was Stephen Par
kerr he answered. pulling off his cap
land ="
"Oh, 1 have heard my father speak
of him frequently. Please come this
way" she said. But nobody can see
him." she continued, when she had led
him up stairs and into little recep-
ton room. I'm SO sorry, How he
would have liked to meet the son of
his old friend!" She put her handker-
chief to her eyes, while he sat uncom-
fortably on the edge of a sofa and
twirled his cap in his hands.
so he's goin'. is hep" he said, as
she finally, brushing the tears away,
raised her head.
There is no hope" she answered
is only a question of time-a very short
time"
well. of course" he condoled, its
hard. But he's an old man-and-and
of course, We see-but there. that
amt what I come TO sayi It's par
ticPer unfortunit-it is all round-that's
what it is. Because dye see, my
father, who was great friends long of
him when they was cap'ns together,
and afterwards, too. when Cap'n Ran
some gut rich in tea, in Ceylon, leavin'
the sea, though my father kept at it
till he died. You knOwed about that,
didn't YEP" he asked suddenly.
"Oh, yes, He often has told me of
Captain Parker and what great friends
they used to be. But 1 thought
thought"
She stopped in confusion, arresting
her glances which were straying over
his face and general appearance as if
she were surprised that son of Cap
finement.
Eye see, I ruined away he said,
as one replying to a criticism. No
colleges for me! The sea, dye mind?
/ was all for that. Twas again the
old mans will, but he was kind sort,
the old man was, and when he died
he didn't hold it agin me. No, he left
me everything. So there We are. And
among other things he left me some
what to say to Cap'n Ransome, a
somewhat that's important" He paus-
ed and glanced at her face, which was
anxious. Then he proceeded. 1T has
to do with thing long gone by-to
right great wrong, to say il above
board. and it can't be done onless [ can
see him. Jest two minutes alone with
him"
But, sir, Mr.. Parker she cried in
agitation, rising and standing before
him, 'he can't meet anybody. The
least exertion wears him out. The doc
tors say
Miss" he interrupted, ''yore his
adopted daughter, amt We, not his real
one?"
Yes. sir, am; but he has been more
than a father to me, and
well, it's for yore sake I want to
see him!
He crossed his knees and sat back
confidently. But the girl with a wan
smile of relief answered:
Then. sir, no matter about it. if it
is only for me. ] certainly should not
have him disturbed on my poor ac-
count. If it We're for another
He seemed taken aback for an in
slant.
We'll, there is another" he said,
after some hesitation, but 1 didn't
want to speak of him. 1 don't know
him, not even his name, but you do
lady. 1t will make a difference to
him. Whoever he is. he is yore promis-
ed husband"
Her face. a moment before pale, and
determined as a face of its meek char
acter could well be, now flushed to a
real beauty, the set lines softened, the
lips quivered, and the mild eyes flash
ed into eagerness. Her whole form
took on a womanly coyness almost i'm
possible to imagine in her until it was
seen, and she spoke with an excitement
which she tried in vain TO hide, inter
rupting him:
MIR. Parker" she said, 'if you will
wait here one minute L will see what
1 can do. The doctors are with him
now, and I will ask their advice. If it
is possible for him to receive anybody
in the world, you shall be that one"
She ran out hurriedly, blind to the
expression on his face, whatever it
might be, scarcely seeing him or any
thing, recognizing no logical gaps in
the situation, intent only on one thing
the thought of HIM.
The sailor jumped up and softly fol-
lowed her down the dim hall, his face
grim, his eyes glittering. Four doors
beyond she stopped and went in. The
sailor stole on to the next door, turn
ed the knob and peered into the va
cant room, ran to a cabinet of ebony,
inserted a key, pushed the slide back,
exchanged for a long envelope ne saw
there one which he took from his Doc
ket, locked the cabinet, and inside of
one minute was back in the reception
room, sitting as he was when the girl
left him.
Presently she returned, regarding
him strangely.
My father says that he was under
the impression that his friends son was
an Oxford University man, and that he
was no longer living" she said, hes
itatingly.
"Oh. well. we see" he answered read
lily, Il ruined away from there. Yes.
that's it, l ruined away. No college
for me, And so twas give out that 1
was dead. That's it. Dye see?"
His words were far from reassuring