News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1908-12-09

.he railroad track" he sail dog nn(
all! Thought you were far down the
co9at where it's warmer Nothing
g2a Going with You, ehf"
Nothing much" answered the inaI
! tp addressed. Others might recognize
| him - the black sheep. but this non
I C2Ecipt watchman whom chance haC
| set here could not. He knew him only
rs the dingy vagabond whose broker
| head lie had bandaGed in the box car
I'm in letter luck" went on the
! lan in shirt sleeves Il struck this
about two months ago as gardener
| first and now I'm a kind Of a sort Of n
Waterman They gave me a bunk in
| the sumner house there"-he iprked
his thumb backward over his shoulder
but know game worth two of
that for these cold nights Ill show
you can put you up for the night,
he added, IF you like
The Wayfarer shook his head II
must get away tonight but I'm much
obliged"
Haven't done anything have YOU"
asked his one time companion curl
ouS!y. You didn't seem that sort"
The Bearded face turned away. I'm
not wanted by the police. no, but I'm
On the move, and the sooner take the
trail the better don't mind night
travel
You'd be better for rest" said the
Watchman, but you're the doctor
Come in, and Wen have a nip Of some
thing warm anyhow
His guest followed him into a spa
cious hall scarce conscious Of what he
did 4 double door to the left was
shut, but he nevertheless knew perfect
ly that the room it hid had a tail
French window letting on to Il garden
where camellias had once dropped like
blood Tho open door to the right led
70 the library
Thera the yellow hight touched the
dark wainScOtmg. the marble mantel-
piece. dim paintings on the wall and a
great brass bound Korean desk in a
corner What black thing had once
happened in that room? What face
had once looked at him from that
wheel chair? It was an old face gray
and lined and passionate, his father
doubtless, He told himself this calmly
with an odd sense Of apartness.
The others glance followed his pride
fully. It's a fine property" he said
THE owners an invalid, hear, with
one leg in the. grave He's in some
sanitarium and can't get mach good Cf
it. Nice pictures, them be added
sweeping a candle round That's .
good locker over there Must he the
old mans daughter, reckon WcH
III go and get you Il finger or two to
keep the frost out of your lungs l'lt
be cold tonight. Make yourcelt a.
home" The door closed behind hin
The man he left was trembling vic
lently. He had scarcely reprcS@ed
cry The portrait that hung above '.H
was Iessica 5. in a b 70
dress Of soft Romney blue and q sin
gle white rose caught in her hair "'I ,"
old mans dauGhteT" The words S@@.A
ed to ecA0 ana re-c"ho about tie waI*
voicing IL new agony w'thont name
Then Jessca was his sister!
As he stared dry eyed ut tie pic-""e
In the candle light the misery slowly
passed He must know. Who she was
what she was to him. lie must learn
beyond peradventure. He cast a swii
glance around him Orderly rows %
books stared from the shelves; the ma
hogany table held only pile ot ol@
He stl0da to the desk
drew down its lid ard tried the draw
ers. They opened readily. and he rap
dly turned over their litter of papers. |
written in the same grabbed hand that |
had etched the one damning word on |
he draft he had found in the cabin on |
Smoky mountain. Most of the papers !
he searcher saw at a glance We're of |
40 import, and they gave him no clew |
o what he sought. Then, mysteriously |
guided by the subtle memory that |
seemed of late to haunt him, though he
vas but half conscious of its guidance, |
lis nervous fingers suddenly found and
PRESSED a spring, a panel fell down,
md he drew out q folded parchment
Another instant and he was bending |
,ver it with the candle. his fingers |
racing familiar legal phrases of a will
aid there long ago. He read with the
Hood shrinking from his heart:
ITO my son. Hugh. in return for the
are and sorrow he has caused me all
he days of his life. for his dissolute
areer and his graceless desertion, /
10 give and bequeath the sum of
j 900 and the memory of his misspent
outh The residue of my estate. real
nd personal. do give and bequeath
D my ward, Jessica Holme'-