The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-10-20

| dear mother that I have taken this
abrupt decision"
What do you mean2"
My dear boy, let me reason with
you for I'VE minutes, and then YOU
will understand Mr. Kingsley and /
have made q compact TO forget the
past and 1 Should not be doing right
10 open wound that has taken so
! long 10 heal It would not be loyal
on my part TO stay here; Addison IS
returning 10 New York, and 1 must
go with him You can quite under
stand how much my presence at your
wedding would hurt him; il would re
kindle the hatred that has snouIdered
during twenty years Tor the man your
neither loved Don't you think that
in the eyes Of the WOTlo IL would be
defiance of his wounded EHnor? The
world Is not charitable, and IL will
not hesitate to say that Charles Doug
lass still fools his partner 1t would
be an insult 20 the memory OF your
mother In the eyes Of the world. you
would be the respected son Of Addison
Kingsley. If only for your mothers
memory. I think he has shown
noble spirit in forgetting the past ip
guarding the secret Of your birth. and
We have not the right to openly re-
sUscitate the past, and to divulge that
secret"
The doctor seemed very depressed. for
nv reasoning had touched him without
entirely convincing him
He tried another argument.
!
about you. Kingsley is capable of any
thing"'
You say that. nv boy. after having
recognized the mistake YOUR mother
made in accusing him OF my death.
Shamei l should have thought better Of
you. William
Il don't know WV l said that" he
stammeTed- I sail II without reason
I have a strong presentiment that your
going away together. and renewing your
partnership. viii result in some calam-
! ity on the other side-sOmeJhing ter
riblei Something terrible is going 10
happen. feel IT,"
He put his hand before his eyes as
though to blot out some fTiEhtful pic
ture that he saw.
The idea Of taking I with you."
he continued. in a low voice; I do not
understand it at all. What does it
mean? Is 1t true that YOU are going to
adopt him. and give him career? It
all seems so unnatural - SO altogether
strange"
1T is not strange. It Is quite simple.
Kingsley has given me several proofs
of good faith. I owe him at least one"
What do you mean2"
He has promised to forget the past;
by an act that Will touch him that I
pledge myself equally to forget, as
much as possible. If / concentrated all
my attention on you, II would, as l re-
marked a little while ago, open the old
wound again. Now, If I Douglass,
bachelor. adopt a youth without family
ties in the eyes of the world, 1t would
greatly mitigate the fault OF the past.
I give you my word that this act has
touched him more than I can express
to you: he was moved to teaTsi I have
shown good policy In taking this step.
I would not insult you by thinking that
you would be hurt by not lnheriting all
my money at my death. You Will al
-
step that I have taken in order to hide
my real sentiments for you VIII deceive
everyone. Addison Kingsley included
Very WELL" said the doctor resigned
", but why Z; why not some one
| else?"
why some one else more than I?
I have been cut off from everyone for
so long that I seem TO know no one
in the world. Here IS an unfortunate
youth whom I have met here. I have
made him my prOtege; his mind is
weak, but he is not mad You told me
yourself that he IS not dangerous. Be
sides, am Kidding you Of an incum-
brance, which sooner or later might
bring trouble upon you"
THAT is true" he replied: you are
quite right, but I had made certain
plans for the future, and now they have
all fallen through. I had hoped that
YOU would stay always with Evelyne
and me; in some respects she and L
are placed in the same pOsiuon-she
has no father: I have one, but 1 have
not the moral right to show my affec-
ton openly for him You could have
been a father to both OF US; our home
would be your home. Evelyne and L
would have done all we could to make
you happy. But you prefer to go and
1 must submit"
Williams emotion was communicative.
II he had continued much longer in that
time, I should have broken down COM
pIetely I was sick of the lies and
scheminCi How much I wanted to
throw aside my hypocrisy, and tell
him all, and be Barrabas, the sculptor,
Fortunately, at this weak moment he
was called away on a hurried visit to
a patient, and I had time to recover
myself
great contrast 10 the doctors sor-
row was the delight of Evelyne and
Narcadian Evelyne did not try to hide
the cont eminent she felt. I was taking
L away with me. L was going
across the seal was going 20 protect
him. OH how she and Marcadian
wished me good luck, and bon voyage!
The lawyer scarcely left my side dur
ing the few days that remained He &C
companied me to the different stores;
he told me the best houses to get what
required; he made them show me the