The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-08


as soon as he was alone with his son,
except for the servants, he growled:
so you are my son. There appears to
be no doubt about It The proofs are
convincing. But if you think, young man.
to win my favor by your good looks, you
are mistaken. You look too much like
your mother. whose memory Is anything
but agreeable"
Japhets anger rose. In that moment he
regretted most sincerely that he had ever
found father, even though that father
was the great General De Benyon.
brother to an earl, with fortune made
in tho East Indies
Mr.. MYSTERIOUS disclosures had not
aroused much filial love in his breast. His
father, while a lieutenant. had married a
young woman who had led him to believe
that she was an heiress, while he had
let her believe that he was rich, instead
OF being only a younger brother with
beggarly allowance. When the two
discovered the mutual swindle they sep
arated at once and by common consent
left the child at the founding hospital
in order to hide their marriage The
wife had calmly married again, COM
hitting bigamy with her first husbands
knowledge After her death General De-
Benyon, moved slightly by a sense of
shame, but mostly from desire to have
an heir for his property, decided on AZ
belated hunt for his son.
He applied to Mr.. Masterson, that gen.
tleman being the lawyer for all of his
class; and this of course made the search
very simple.
Disguised wit hthe story, Japhet was
IN no mood to bear his newly found
parents Ill humor. He replied with such
spirit that the general howled to his
servants to throw him out of the hotel
That he did not do 1t himself was not
due to unwillingness. but the general
had hurt his ankle while riding and was
bandaged into temporary helplessness.
The servants advanced dutifully to do
his bidding, whereupon Japhet knocked
them both down and began to belabor
them SO Justify with the first heavy i'm
plement he could snatch that they fed
yelling
They left their master to roar and curse
in unavailng rage for Japhet had prompt
ly locked the door after them. He waited
patiently while his honored father
stormed himself out. Suddenly the old
Bengal tiger ceased swearing at Japhet
and transferred his compliments to the
bandages, which had become frightened
during his violent efforts to rise, and now
caused him intense anguish.
Japhet proceeded to loosen the trap
pings and with his professional skill soon
relieved his pain. Then he bowed re-
spectfully and said:
Now, sir. I will take my leave Had
you received me kindly you would have
found a son who would have met that
kindness with fond and affectionate
heart, for he has yearned for his father
through his whole life. Now I will go,
and neither poverty, privation or any af-
Fiction will induce me to intrude into
your presence again."
He turned to go. The Bengal tiger
glared at him, started to swear again,
weakened and held out his hands.
.'Stop-dont go-Japhet-my son-for-
give me-forgive your father
The Bengal tiger was conquered. Japhet
knelt down and kissed his hand The
general drew him close and the found
ling wept on his fathers breast at last.
Old Bengal tigers are not conquered in
moment. There were many battles be- :
tween the royal old beast and his young
tanner. But gradually the general became
tractable. First he learned to be proud of
his boy, and. such is the contrariness of
man, prouder for his adventures as a
make-believe gentleman than he was of
him for his honest career in Quaker garb
as an apothecary
From pride his feelings gradually
changed to affection, and though it re-
quired great diplomacy to make him
agree to Japhet's marriage with a.
Quaker he consented even to that. The
Bengal tiger was thoroughly tame at
last
The quiet, prim little Quaker girl had
not viewed Japhet's return to the fash
ionable world with satisfaction. Her
fine eyes looked disapproval on him.
When he departed in response to the
advertisement, she had said
"Japhet Newlands. 1 will rejoice at
everything that may tend to thy hap
piness, believe me; but 1 do not feel
assured but that this trial may prove
too great and that thou mayst fall away
from the right path, which thou hast
so lately entered. Indeed, I perceive
that even now thou art excited with
new ideas and visions of pride"
Japhet thought of this remark of
the little gray dove and smiled ona
night when Mrs. Susannah came down
the grand staircase of the grand house
in which they lived with the General,
and asked:
rs not this pretty dress?"
YES my dear" replied her husband.
but Susan, do you not think that it is
cut a little too low"
TOO low? Why De Benyon, it's not
half as low as your great friends, Lady
de Clare and her daughter, wear their
dresses. Indeed, think should know
for if 1 have no other merit, have at
least the merit of being the best
dressed woman in London"
Next Sundays one-page classic will
be Put Yourself in His Place." by
Charles Reade.
Reflections.