The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-07

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 1.-THE sCoUNDREL HAS ALREADY PAID FOR
 IT wITE HIS LIFE"
 at last, his father had come ashore, borne on the shoulders of two roust- abouts, while the captain and officers stood with barred heads and thankfully left the unwelcome task of explaining the tragedy to the amiable and willing Colonel Moreau.
 My boy" said the latter, now lay ing a fatherly hand on young Ran dall's heaving shoulder, "although 1 am a stranger to yoh, suh, have ventured to assume temporary control of this terrible affair, foh am southern gentleman, as was MT. Ran dall, and feel bound to yoh all by the ties of sympathy and country. I was a witness, suh, to the events which preceded and prompted this out rage, and, although I am aware it is but poh satisfaction, still it is some thing to know that the scoundrel who was instrumental in causing yoh poh fathers death has already paid foh it with his life. My name, suh, is Colonel Moreau, and if I can be of any further service to yoh all in this dark hour of tribulation pray com mand me, suh. As an old soldier l beg of yoh to meet this calamity with the fohtitude of a Christian gentle man," with which admirable and pious adjuration the good colonel f1ourished his handkerchief and helped himself to a generous pinch of snuff.
 'T-I thank you, Colonel Moreau, for all you have done," said young Ran dall stonfly, looking on the huddled thing at his feet. "You-you say you witnessed my fathers deathT
 ''Not exactly, suh, foh he shot him. self in his stateroom. However hard to bear, I think yoh should know who and what prompted his death. The scoundrel, suh, was the notorious Cameo Kirby, of whom, perhaps, yoh have heard"
 Young Randall nodded duly, and Moreau, entering into the spirit of the tale, continued: ''I fohmed an acquaint- ance, suh, with yoh poh father when he came aboard at New Orleans. He confided to every one that he had sold his sugar crop foh ten thousand and had the cash with him, and he was in mighty high spirits because he was on his way back home to see his chil- dren. Poh gentleman! As delicately as Lean must state that he was not quite himself, and by that, suh, mean that he had been imbibing little too freely. I don't have to tell yoh, suh, that there are certain characters on all the big boats who Keep a pretty sharp lookout foh gentlemen with money who are in the condition yoh poh father, suh, was in tonight, and expect there was more than one river gambler on board who would have liked to get his hands on MT. Randall. But the one who got him was the slickest and clev- crest of the lot, the Cameo Kirby whom I have mentioned. This rascal, suh, inveigled yoh poh father into a private stateroom, piled him with mob liquor and won from him net only all his money and personal efrects-even Including a miniature Gf yoh dead mother, su6-but also deed to his en- tire plantation and all his slaves, every thing which he owned. I was too late to save Mr Randall, but. knew Kirby by repute, and was so screamfngly outraged by the whole affair that de nounced him foh the low scoundrel he was. Thereupon he drew on me, but I was the quicker and shot him down like a dog. They carried him ashore, suh, at the landing below this, and the river is cleaner foh his death"
 "You have taken vengeance out of my hands," said young Randall un- steadily. '"The coward and villain! For a stranger. sir, the attitude which you have displayed toward my family has been most considerate, and 1 will never forget it. The-the hospitality of a house in mourning
 "No, no, my boy" interrupted Mo reau, again employing his fatherly hand. ''I am sensible of the honor, but I couldn't think of it. This is a time when yoh all must wish to be alone, and business calls me north. l merely stepped ashore in yoh interests as any gentleman would have done. There goes the bell. and I must run for it. Honored, suh, to have made yoh acquaintance, though of co'se l deeply deplore the necessity which oc- casioned it. I will venture to pay my respects to yoh family when I return south, and pray command me in any occasion yoh may have. Yoh servant, suh." And with a magnificent bow the colonel turned and raced for the gangplank, boarding the Shotwell with a leap that shamed his fifty odd years (To be continued.)