The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-02-06

man. He was stout and below the
medium height. He might have been
forty-five. There was no trace of gray
in either his coarse black hair or his
short black beard. His face was flushed
and his steely blue eyes glittered with
the intentness OF his glance
do you wish to see me?" Andrew
asked.
Yes" said the stranger. His voice
was low and deep. and Andrew fancied
there was peculiar accent to it. land
now that I've seen you 1 want to talk
to you"
"Sit here" said Andrew, and pointed
to a chair beside the desk.
- The stranger shook his head.
NO." he said. What have to say
can be better said standing
VERY WELL" said Andrew, and turned
so he could face his visitor.
MY name is Rawdon," said the
stranger, James Rawdon." He paused
and looked hard at Andrew. I'm the
father of Anna RaWdon"
Andrews face slightly flushed. He
put out his hand
"Glad to meet you, Mr. Rawdon,"
he said
The stranger waved aside the prof
fered hand.
That's as it may be-" he muttered.
We'll find out how glad you are q
little later on
i, Andrew stared at him.
81 loi l,o
T "All in good time" returned the
stranger. He stepped to the outer door
and turned the key. Now we can
have the little affair quite to our
selves" he muttered, as he met An
drew's astonished gaze ut isn't going
to take long-unless you drag it out.
Now, who is Anna Rawdon?"
Andrews momentary. anger at the
mans act and the mans tone vanished.
He would humor this singular visitor.
Miss Rawdon is one Of the stenog-
raphers of my Office he replied. "She
is an unusually capable and intelligent
young woman. l assure you that both
her services and her personality are
highly esteemed"
Fair words said the stranger, ''fair
words-and easy said. And now who
am T."
You have just told me that you
are Miss Rawdon's father
The stranger nodded.
True" he said And that is all
you know Of me?"
THAT is ALL Andrew replied.
} Perhaps it's all that's creditable,"
said the stranger. Il was the black
sheep Of my family, and very respec-
table family it is though I'm the last
man on earth to boast OF such things.
m English as you see, and an Eng
2ishman whose prejudices are bitter is
not pleasant sort of fellow I'm an
advanced Socialist and q kicker against
the established order OF things I've
had good education too, though I
never made any good use of it. The
class l found myself in-or rather that
Il sOught-WaS not a class to deyelop
a-man's intellect. 1t developed my gift
OF CAB, however, and that made me a
leader among them Perhaps it was
a bad thing for me, yet I'll not admit
that the cause is bad. Anyway, good
or bad, I'm tied up to it, He looked at
Andrew, and his frown deepened. You
have no sympathy with the cause, have
you? What is your fellow man to
you? You can't see anything beyond
your bank account
You are wrong there" said Andrew,
and his face showed no resentment.
Il take a lively interest in my fellow
men,"
The strangers face cleared.
I'm just what | am,'' he said, "no
better, nor worse Anyway, I'm too
old to want to change Oh, I know
that | have been a drag Oh my family.
My daughter would have been a lady
If she had had less selfish father.
There was nothing too good for her
while her mother lived. Her mother
was a lady, if ever there was one.
God knows why she married me. But
she kept things straight, and she kept
me straight, and there was nothing she
wasn't ready to do for our girl. And
now that she's gone''-he suddenly
passed his hand across his forehead
why, things are all at skies and sew
ems. | left my work, I went back to
the old associates and the old club. and
my daughter had to go out and earn
her own living. Understand me. I'm
not an idler, I'm an agitator. I'd rather
talk than eat. Some day. maybe. I'll
show | can fight, too" He paused alb
ruptly and stared at Andrew. Course
me-" he suddenly cried IF I'm not
reeling off lot Of cheap CUFF about
myself. That's like me. I come here
to have a reckoning with you, and
before / know it I'm talking about
myself He stopped short and adj
vanced a little nearer. "Well, there's
one good thing gained. You can easily
see that my girls not bit like her
father. Shes her mother over again
4 and no one knows it better than / know
it. And she's very dear to me. She's
SO dear to me that if any man as much
as gave her an evil look I'd kill him in