The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.) 1895-1911, 1908-10-08

whose very existence. no doubt was a
shame to the institution"
Harry Sanderson turned slowly to
the light. A strange panorama in that
moment had flashed through his brain
Kaleidoscope pictures Of an early
reckless era when he had not been
known as the "Rev Henry Sanderson."
II think | ought to say that ! was
the founder, and at the time you speak
Of, the abbot of The Saints. was In the
same year with Hugh. We sowed our
wild oats together, tidy crop, fancy,
for us both. That page Of my life Is
pasted down. speak Of 1t now be-
cause It would be cowardly not to. |
have not seen Hugh since college
closed four years ago. But then ! was
all you called him--a waster and a
'prodlgal And was more, for while
others followed, led. At college l
was known as Satan Sanderson.'"
ut is the Hugh of the present that
| am dealing WITH" said the old man.
For David Stires was just and he was
feeling a grim respect for Harry's
honesty.
Harry acknowledged the brusque
ktndIiness Of theStone with little mo-
ton of the hand. AS he spoke he had
been feeling his way through maze Of
contradictory impulses. For a moment
he had been back In that old irrespon.
slble time; the Hugh he had known
then had sprung to his minds eye, an
initiative ldler. with certain grace
and brilllancy of manner that made
him all-fellow-well-met but withal
shallow, fopplsh and incorrigible.
cheap and shabby lmitator OF the out
ward manner, not the inner graces. Of
good fellowship. Yet Hugh had been
one OF his own fast set,v They had
called him "Satan's shadow" a tribute
to the actual resemblance as well MS
to the palpable imitation he affected
Harry shlvered little The situation
seemed, In antic irony. to be reyers-
ing itself. 1t was as II not alone
Hugh, but he. Harry Ssn1a1RQp, In the
brought to bar for ju1 ID that
room. For the Instant e how
utterly characterless III Shown
himself Of old, how d alI de-
sire for rehabilitation |nt rep.
utation In the town tn. At
that moment II seeme saving
Hugh from this condemn l(56. he was
pleading for himself as he had been,
for the further chance which he, but
for circumstances, perhaps. had needed
too.
'You," he said, "have lived life of
just aud balanced action II is bred
In the bone. You hate all loose con-
duct, and rightly You hate II most In
Hugh for the simple reason that he is
your SON The very relation makes II
more impossible to countenance. He
should be like you-of temperate and
prudent habit But did you and he
start on equal terms? Your grand
father was "a Standish; your ancestry
was undiluted Puritan. Did Hugh
have. all your fund OF resistance? With
me 1t was the turning of long lane.
Hugh perhaps has not turned-yet.-
A breath Of that past life had swept
anew over Harry, the old shuddering
recoil again had rushed upon him. II
gave his voice curious energy as he
ended "And have seen how far o
man may go and yet come backm
There was a pause. The Judge had
an inspiration, He folded the parch-
ment.
Perhaps 1t would be as we'll" he
said In a matter Of fact way, If the
signing be left open for the present.
He rose as he spoke and laid the doc
ument on the table
For a moment David Stlres sat In
silence. Then he said, with CLINT OF
the old ironic fire, "You should have
been a special pIeader, Sanderson.
There's no client too bad for them to
make out case fort well-well, we
won't sign tonight. / viii read II
over again when l am more equal to
IT,"
For long the old man sat alone, mus.
ing In his chair. At length he sighed
and took up q magazine. He was
thinking Of Harry sanderson.
How iikef be said aloud. 80 San.
derson sowed his wild oats tool
When he stood there, with the light on
his face-when he talked III could
almost have thought It was Hughw |