Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-08-11
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By Henry KitchelI Webster

1t could be done less painfully with a
revolver. That was rhetoric with him.
Men shouldn't use rhetoric in times like
this. Tom, 1 want your word of honor
that you won't do it."
You don't know what you're ask
ing" his son answered, brokeniy. IF
she had died. only that. 1 could have
faced the loss like a man, as you have
asked me to do; I could go on living
upon my memories of her. But. dad.
I've murdered her; that's what it comes
to! 1t was in no idle caprice that she
left the yacht last night. I drove her
away! Oh, of course, 1 didn't
know that at the time. 1 began MAX
ing To- to her and I showed her, not
the man she had always known, but a
hot-headed, hot-blooded brute that she
was afraid of; until, at last, she told
me that 1 seemed to be trying to kill
even the old love which she had always
had for me. She left the yacht
because she wanted to get away; be-
cause h was afraid Of mel That's the
memory I've got to live on, and, I tell
you. I won't do til"
The terror died out Of his fathers
face. 1t was stern, the face of a Judge,
when Tom finished. rs there no n
in the world but yourself?" he asked.
IF what you say is true. II you are
responsible for taking my daughter
away from me-she was my daugh-
ter; was loved like a daughter
because you have done that, you
now propose to take my son away,
too, and leave me childless. Is that
your idea of atonement? Would It be
her idea, do you think? VIII it be
hers, do o think, If her spirit Is wait
ing anywhere, watching US, conscious
Of the things we do and of the things
we think? Dr. will she see that it was
the act of a coward-of a man who fed
his post of duty in the world because
1t was a hard one to keep"
His voice changed there. suddenly;
the sternness was gone, the tenderness
came back. Tom, my boy, you will
see 1t that way some day for yourself.
You are not a coward; but until you
see it, I "a your bare promise
Slowly h tears gathered in the boys
eyes, filed them full and overlooked
them. Once or twice his pale lips
twitched; then. holding put his hand,
II promise" he said.
4uSH his unsteady ups W1ueneQ INTO
a sort of grin of agony. "And yester-
day at this time" he said, 81 was call
ing Cayley a knave aud a murderer
Cayley!'
His composure broke down there COM
pletely. He rolled over on his face.
buried it in the crook of his arm. his
shoulders heaving with sr1othered sobs.
The old gentleman closed his eyes
and waited. He could not watch; he
could not go away, and, for a long
while. he could not speak. Finally.
when he could command his voice. he
began again talking quietly of some
thing else.
ITS strange to me-" he said, that
we ever recovered possession Of this
yacht at all. let alone that we were
able TO It without cost
ing US the life OF a single man.
This gang must have had a leader.
and a clever one. The way he
Unanswered his men TO keep them
out of sight while he drew way
first n party and then the other from
the yacht was a piece Of mastery
strategy. He worked It out perfectly
In every detail. He got possession of
the yacht without losing a man. with
out ven firing a hot that might give
the alarm. And even with the warn
ing we had and with the help Of the
fog, ! don't see how we defeated a
man like that His success must have
gone to his head and made him mad.
4