The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1912-03-20

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"a Had Flattered Myself That You
Must Have Heard of Me-" Said the
Judge.
be in the main scholarly and intel
lectual.
How long have you lived here?"
asked the judge abruptly. Fentress
seemed to hesitate; but the judges
glance. compelling and insistent, de-
manded an answer.
Ten years."
you have known many men of all
classes as a lawyer and planter"
said the judge. Fentress inclined his
head. The judge took a step nearer
him. People have a great trick OF
coming and going in these western
states-aIl sorts of damned riffraff
drift in and out of these new lands"
words above mere rudeness. Fen
tress, cold and distant, made no reply.
For the past twenty years / have
been looking for a man by the name
of Gatewood-David Gatewood" Dis
ciplined as he was, the colonel start
ed violently. Ever heard of him,
Fentress?" demanded the judge with
a savage scowl.
What's all this to me?" The words
came with a gasp from Fentress'
twitching lips. The judge looked at
him moody and frowning.
Il have reason to think this man
Gatewood came to west Tennessee"
he said.
IF so, l have never heard of him"
Perhaps not under that name-at
any rate, you are going to hear OF him
now. This man Gatewood, who be-
tween ourselves was a damned scoun.
dreP'-the colonel winced-"this man
Gatewood had a friend who threw
money and business in his way-a
planter he was, same as Gatewood. A
sort of partnership existed between
the pair. 1t proved an expensive en-
terprise for Gatewoods friend, since
he came to trust the damned scoun-
drel more and more as time passed
even large sums of his money were
in Gatewood's hands" Fentress'
countenance was like stone, as express
sionless and as rigid.
By the door stood Mahaffy with
Yancy and Cavendish; they under
stood that what was obscure and
meaningless to them held a tragic
significance to these two men. The
judges heavy face, ordinarily battered
and debauched, but infinitely good
natured, bore now the markings OF
deep passion, and the voice that rum
bled forth from his capacious chest
came to their ears like distant thun-
der.
This friend of Gatewood's had a
wife" The judges voice broke. emo
ton shook him like a leaf; he was
tearing open his wounds. He reached
over and poured himself a drink, suck.
ing it down with greedy lips. There
was wife" he whirled about on his
heel and faced Fentress again. There
was wife, Fentress-" he fixed Fen
tress with his blazing eyes. "A wife
and child. Well, one day Gatewood
and the wife were missing. Under the
circumstances Gatewood's friend was
well rid Of the pair-he should have
been grateful, but he wasn't, for his
wife took his child, daughter; and
Gatewood a trifie Of thirty thousand
dollars his friend had intrusted &c
himi"
There was another silence.
"At later day l met this man who
had been betrayed by his wife and
robbed by his friend. He had falIer
out of the race-drink had done fol
him-there was just one thing he
seemed to care about, and that was
the fate of his child, but maybe he
was only curious there. He wondered
if she had lived, and married." Once
more the judge paused.
Whats all this to me?" asked Fen
tress.
Are you sure it's nothing to your
demanded the judge hoarsely. "Un
derstand this, Fentress, Gatewood'i
treachery brought ruin to at least two
lives. 1t caused the woman's fathel
to hide his face from the world;
wasn't enough for him that hi
friends believed his daughter dead; b
knew differently, and the shame o
that knowledge ate into his soul. 1
cost the husband his place in tn
world, too-in the end It made OF hin
vagabond and a penniless wan
derer."
This is nothing to me-" said Fer
tress.
Watt" cried the judge. About ST
years ago the woman was seen at he
fathers home in North Carolina.
reckon Gatewood had cast her on
She didn't go back empty-handed. Sh
had run away from her husband wit
a child--a girl; after lapse OF twer
ty years she returned to her fathe
with a boy OF two or three. Their
are two questions that must be al
swered when l find Gatewood: whs
became Of the woman, and what b
came OF the child; are they living @
dead; CID the daughter grow up an
marry and have a son? When l So
my answer II Will be time enough
think of Gatewood's punishment
The Judge leaned forward across tn
table. bringing his face close to Eel
tress' face. Look at me-do 20
know me now7"
But Fentress' expression never a
tered. The judge fell back q step.
"Fentress. want the boy" he sal
quietly.
what boy?9
MY grandsonl"
, You are mads What do I kno
Of him--or your" Fentress was gail
ing courage from the sound Of b
own voice.
you know who be is and where
Is. Your business relations with tn
man Ware have put you on the trae
] Of the Quintard lands In this star
/ You intend to use the boy 70 gath'
r them In"
You're mad!" repeated Fenuess.
"unlees you bring him 70 me insi'