The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-02-04

IcifhltVh hu was = ktahNal' if"H th' 'u
bonnie, aud musical Virinoso ~ wei
lie could fence. ride, aud carry oil III
prize Ia games requiring physical proves
a. well a. mental fitness. lie wac, Ia fact
a prodigy IN MANY ways, and Was ~ eoI
sidered by HE fellow students. lie, how
ever was not perfect. be lacked socla
charm. and in 40 far failed Of hcine ID
complete gentleman, This he Was mad
TO realize IN the following way:
One morning hts guardian came Ia hiu
with a letter from his father, IN which
together with some words ot commenda
ltion for his present atialnmenls, that IA
Ither rNpressed certain dissatisfaction
with his general manner As being toi
abuiud aud selfsatisiied with those IT hl
own sex. and much too timid and dcpre
catory with those Of the other. Ihoma
felt the criticism aud recognized IT. jlis
ticc: but how had hts father. proved b,
his letter TO be NO longer myth. he
come acquainted with defects which
Thomas ins,inctively felt could never
have attracted the attention of his fai
from polished GUARDIAN
His questions ON this point ELECTED a
response that COMPOUNDED him. lie was
not the only son Of his father: he had a
brother living. aud this brother. Older
than himself by some twenty years of
more. had just been in Paris, where, IN
all probability, he had met him, talked
with him. and perhaps pressed his hand.
II was discovery calculated 10 deepen
the impression already made upon Thorn
ass mind. Only a purpose OF the greatest
importance could account for SO much
mystery. What could il be- What was
he destined TO do or say or be- He was
not told. hut while awaiting enlighten'
ment he was resolved not to be a disap-
pointment to the two anxious souls who
watched his career so eagerly and exacted
from him such perfection. He conse'
quently moderated his manner, and dur
ing the following year acquired by con
slant association with the gilded youth
about him that Undesirable charm OF
the perfect gentleman. which he was led
to believe would alone meet with the ap,
proval of those he now felt bound To
please. At the end Of the year he found
himself finished man of the world How
truly so, he began to realize when he
noted the blush with which his presence
was hailed by women and the respect
shown him by men of his own stamp. In
the midst of the satisfaction thus eype-
rienced his guardian paid him final visit,
"You are now ready" said he. ''for
your fathers summons. II will come in
a few weeks. Be careful, then. Form no
ties you cannot readily break: for, once
recalled from France. you are not likely
to return here. What your fathers pur-
pose concerning you may he | do not
know. but it is no ordinary one. You will
have money. well.appointed home, fam.
ily affection. all that you have hitherto
craved in vain, and in return you VIII
carry solace to heart which has awaited
bnn linz fnnab for twpntU M
much ! am ordered to say; the rest you
will hear from your fathers own lips"
Aroused encouraged. animated by the |
widest hopes, the most extrayagant an ,
,icipations, Thomas awaited his fathers |
all with feverish impotence and when |
t came, fastened to respond to it by an |
voyage to America. This was |
ome six months previous to the tragedy |
n street. On his arrival at the |
wharf in New York he was met. not by |
lis brother. as he had every reason to
.ypect, but by a messenger in whose face
vii tidings were apparent before he
poke. Thomas was soon made acqualnt-
d with them. His father, who he now
earned was called Cadwalader The himself
lad always been called Adams, was i'll.
possibly dying, He must, therefore, has
en-. and, being provided with minute in
tructions as to his way. took the train at
nee for a small village in northern Penn
ylvana.
All that followed was dream to him.
lie had hurried through the night, with |
he motion of the ship still in his blood,
o meet-what? He dared not think.
Te swan in veritable nightmare. Then
anne stop hurrying from the train, a
alt on 4 platform reeking with rain flor
he night was stormy, a call from some
ne to hurry, the sight of painting horse
roaming under lamp whose blowing
anne he often woke in after nights to
g, push from persuasive hand, then ,
ride over a country road the darkness !
t which seemed impenetrable, and
nally the startling vision of an open
DOR. with Meg Merrilies of woman :
anding in it, holding flaming candle in 9
er hand. The candle went out while he !
oked at it, and left only voice to, guide a
ina voice which, in tones shaken bv i
ill or feeling, he could not tell which, /
led eagerly:
us that you, ladde? Come ava in. =
ONE ava in. Dinna heed the rain. The h
aister's been crying on you a day, I'm n
ad you're no over late
He got down, followed the voice, and, +
umbling up a step or two, entered a mar fl
wv uOUI, Which, was Nlln hlllltuily ltlb ~
zen behind him, and which swung to il
it'll a loud noise the minute he crossed
e threshold. This or the dreariness OF o
e place in which he found himself dis Il
rbed him greatly. Bare floors, stained Il
ais, meagre doorways, and a common Of
ne staircase. lighted only by the miser- Sc
lie candle which the old woman had re- h
were these the appointments of the t'
latial home he had been led to expect? n
lese the surroundings, this the abode Il
him who had exacted such perfection tC
his part. and to satisfy whose stand I'll
d he had devoted years of hourly, daily m
ort, in every department of art and er
ence? A sickening revolt seized him, %
by the smiles of the old WON a.
who dipped and courtesied before him Ell
senie delight She may have OWNED he
) feelings, for, drawing him inside, she DC
eved him of his overcoat, crying all the m
lile, with an extravagant welcome more III
oulsive than all the rest OF
% the fine addie! Wad your puir ", We
Their could see you the moo! Bonnie III
d clever! No your fathers BARN a.
a! All mither. laddie all mither!" b bI
The room was no better than the hall. WI
Where is my father he asked, au- co
striving to keep down his M
ong repugnance. w;
'Dinna We hear him? He's crying on "
Puir man, he's wearing to see We" fn
lear him? He could scarcely hear her. yo
e driving rain, the swish of some great fw
lghs against the house, rafting of nm
ements and doors, and the shrieking of yo
nd in the chimney made all other
nds wellnigh inaudible. Yet as he lis pa
led he seemed to catch the accents of eel
ar-off voice calling, now wistfully, now tn
peratively, Thomas! Thomas!" And he
illed with an emotion almost supersti it.
us in its intensity, he moved hastily col
Yard the staircase. :
,ut the old woman was there before wa
4. INA! Nal" she cried. Come in by {
eat something first" inc
int Thomas shook his head 1t seemed ha,