Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1909-04-02

be had been back in that old irrespon-
sible time: the Hugh he had known
then had sprung to his minds eye an
initiative idler, with certain grace
and brilliancy OF manner that made
him ail-fellow-well-met but withal
shallow. foppish and incorrigible.
cheap and shabby imitator OF the out
ward manner. not the inner graces, Of
good fellowship. Yet Hugh had been
one Of his own fast set" They had
called him ''Satan's shadow" tribute
to the actual resemblance as well as
to the palpabe imitation he affected.
Harry shivered a little. The situation
seemed, in antic irony. to be revers-
! ing itself 1t was as If not alone
Hugh, but he. Harry Sanderson, in the
person of that past of his. was now
brought to bar for Judgment in that
room. For the instant he forgot how
utterly characterless Hugh had shown
himself of old. how devoid Of all de-
sire for rehabilitation his present rep
utation in the town argued him. At
/ that moment it seemed as IL In saving
| Hugh from this condemnation, 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, shave lived life of
| just and balanced action. 1t Is bred
In the bone You hate all loose con-
duct, and rightly. You hate it most in
Hugh for the simple reason that he Is
your son. The very relation makes 1t
/ 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 Standish; your ancestry
was undiluted Puritan. Did Hugh
have all your fund of resistance? With
me it 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. 1t
+ gave his voice curious energy as he
ended: And | have seen how far a
man may go and yet-come back"
There was pause. The Judge had
an inspiration. He folded the parch-
( ment
/ perhaps 1t would be as WELL" he
said in 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 moment David Stires sat in
silence. Then he said with CLINT Of
4 the old ironic fire: You should have
/ been special pleader, Sanderson.
There's no client too bad for them to
make out a case for, Well-well, we
won't sign tonight. | will read it
over again when | am more equal to
It,"
For long the old man sat alone, mus
ing in his chair, At length he sighed
and took up magazine. He was
thinking of Harry Sanderson.
"How ike he said aloud $50 San
derson sowed his wild oats too!
When he stood there. with the light on
his face--when he talked-I-I could
almost have thought it was Hugh
whose very existence no doubt,
shame to the institution
Harry SanuerSOn turned SLOWLY &c
the light A strange panorama in that
moment had flashed through his brain
Kaleidoscope pictures of an early
reckless era when he had not beer
known as the REV. Henry Sanderson.'
81 think | ought to say that was
the founder, and at the time you speal
of, the abbot of The Saints. was in the
same year with Hugh. We sowed oul
wild oats together, a tidy crop, fancy
for us both. That page of my life |:
pasted down. speak of 1t now be
cause 1t would be cowardly not to-
have not seen Hugh since colleg,
, closed four years ago. But then wa!
! all you called him-a waster and 1
prodigal. And | was more, for Will,
others followed | led. At college
was known as Satan Sanderso1.'"
at is the Hugh of the present tina
, / am dealing WITH" said the old man
For David Stires was Just and he wa,
feeling grim respect for Harry's
! honesty.
Harry acknowledged the brusqu,
? kindness of the tone with little mo
I ton of the hand AS he spoke he hat
! been feeling his way through a maze O
, contradictory impulses. For momen