The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1905-1910, 1910-10-07
CHAPTER XIII.
A Great PURPOSE.

Late springtime in old Virginia. The
climate was not unlike that OF the Is
land during the cooler portions Of the
year. thought the man. standing on the
porch of the high-pillared old brick
house set upon a hill overlooking the
pale green waters Of Hampton Roads.
which stretched far eastward past
Newport News and Old Point Com.
fort to the blue OF the Chesapeake and
far beyond that TO the deeper blue OF
the ocean. Back Of him a thousand
leagues OF land and more than a thou
sand leagues Of sea interviewed be.
tween him and the object Of his
thoughts. Not for a day. not for an
hour, scarcely for a moment even was
that island out OF his mind. There
was pleasure and pain 10 the recollec-
ton of IL.
Upon the mans face a stern mel
ancholy had settled. Not the melan.
choly of ineptitude and indifference,
not the melancholy that made him do
nothing, unmindful OF the large issues
OF life In which he had been suddenly
alyzed his activities, but the melan-
choly that comes from the presence In
the heart Of an unplncked sorrow that
neither time nor chance nor occupation
could uproot. a melancholy that came
from the sense Of bereavement ever
growing more keen. and more poig.
nant as the period OF Bereavement
heightened and which sprang from a
consciousness Of imperfections and
failures for which no after achieve
ment could atone. htt
Il had not been difieult to establish
bis rights Whitaker and the chap
lain. armed with the dispositions. had
taken the man across the continent
when the ship had been put out OF
commission At San Francisco. and pre-
sented him to his uncle. the Charnock
IN residence In that great house on
the Nansemond shore overlooking that
estuary Of the James by Hampton
Roads The old man. childiess and
alone. had welcomed hin gladly. The
aevcomer was OF the Charnock blood.
IL was Q strange moment for the To-
lander when they took him into the
great drawing room and showed him
the pictures Of his father and OF bis
mother He was the living image OF
the man. tempered with some OF the
mothers sweetness. This remarkable
nksness-indeed he was not unlike
his uncle as well-oouplsd wit the
mstsrisi proofs. the ring. the Bible.
the evidence OF the ship. together with
what was known. removed every lin
ssrins doubt from the rhihda OF those
most concerned. f
The family was reduced TO those
two, the uncle and the nephew The
old man formally aud legally recog
nized the relationship and offered 10
transfer the properly righttulIy his.,
which since ths discovery Of coal hsd
Increased enorhously in value. TO the
but charnoek would have
none OF it thsn tHe recognized his
unntnsss to deal With such thIpgs. II
the older man would retain H. he
could give q 70 him a Ms death.
he could teach and train
Yin uoW W use ~ bcEeit ot uio one
guide. MS one Inspiration In life. he
you'd nA.d wise counsel snd careful
leading indeed.
In addition to the formal recogni- |
ton. the elder man legally adopted the |
younger and constituted him the heir |
10 his own property which was almost
~ extensive and as valuable as that |
which rightly belonged TO the nephew.
And then these formalities being com |
plsted. the Northumberland and |
he cha plain summoned elsewhere BY
Iheir duties. babe the two farewell
aud left them.
Charnock could not have fallen into
better hands. Education was his nrst
requirement and he applied himself
% Il with . nsres energy aud . grim
liberalization which presently. from
he tplsndid fsuaastion which had
been isid enabled him 70 progress suf-
acisntiy TO 'taks his place land hold
ne own with !mea and women. II was
impossible to keep secret forever the
"details OF such story as his. es-
,sciaIly whentlt was linked vrh a
name 30 famous and still remen Sered
As that OF Katharine Brenton. and II
had been decided by Capt. Ashby and
Whitaker and the man himself that
such portions OF II as would suffiee
% explain his own presence and her
ate should be given TO the world. Upon
he foundation thus afforded ro-
nance builded. Charnock Immediately
became a marked man. lie would have
,een a marked man in any event from
n. auaucgaI ,.ouvar that Ia nnaaas.aa I