Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1912-06-27
CITY PRICES

vas ~ hoi hiouy WIN us cnaracLers
1t was plain but rich in its appoint
ments, at once his library and his Of
flee, while the well-filled cases ranged
about the walls showed his tastes TO
be IN the main scholarly and intel
lectual.
How long have you lived heref'a
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 lawyer and a planter7''
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--all sorts Of damned riffrafr
drift in and out Of these new lands"
A deadly earnestness lifted the judges
words above mere rudeness. Fem
tress, cold and distant, made no reply.
For the past twenty years have
been looking for 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
savage scowi.
What's all this 10 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
III so, 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-
drel'-thc colonel winced-"this man
Gatewood had a friend who threw
money and business ia his way--a
planter lac was, same az Gatewood. A
sort Of partnership existed between
the pair. II proved an expensive en-
terprise for Gatewoods friend, since
be 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 tho door stood Mahaffy with
Yanoy and CayeDdish; 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
end debauchcd, but iunnitely good
natured, bore now tho markings OF
deep passion, and the voice that rum
bled forth from his capacious chest
came to their ears like distant thun-
Get ---a~
"This friend Of Gatewood's had q
wife" The Judges voice broke. emo
ton shook him like a leaf; he was
tearing open his wounds. lie reached
over and poured himself a drink. suck
Ing 1t down with greedy lips. There
was WIFE" he whirled about on his
heel and faced Fcntress again. There
was "A wife, FentFess--" he liked FEN
tress with his blazing eyes. "A wife
and child. Wen, one day Gatewooor
and the wife were missing. Under the
circumstances Gatewood's friend waa
well rid Of the pair--he should have
been grateful, but he wasn't, for his
wife took his child, a daughter; and
Gatowood a trifie OF thirty thousand
dollars his friend had intrusted to
himl"
There was another silence.
"At later day / met this man who
had been betrayed by his wife and
robbed by his friend He had fallen
out Of the race-drink had done for
him-thero 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
II she had lived. aud married." Once
more the Judge paused.
What's all this to me?' asked Fem
tress
Are you sure It's nothing to your
demanded the judge boarsely. I'm
derstand this. Fentress, Gatewood's
treachery brought ruin to at least two
lives. It caused the womans father
to hide his face from the world: IL
wasn't enough for him that his
friends believed his daughter dead; he
knew differently, and the shame OF
that knowledge ate into his soul. It
cost the husband his place in tho
world, too--in the end 1t made OF him
a vagabond and a penniless wan
derer"
This is nothing to me-" said Fem
tress.
"Wait!" cried the Judge. About six
years ago the woman was seen at her
fathers home in North Carolina. 1
reckon Gatewood had cast her on.
She didn't 90 SrGk empty-handed. She
had run away from her husband with
a chtld-a girl; after lapse OF twen-
ty years she returned to her father
with boy OF two or three There
are two questions that must be an
swered when l find Gatewood: what
became Of the woman, and what be-
came OF the child; are they living or
dead; did the daughter grow up and
marry and have a SOM When | get
my answer it will be- time enough to
think Of Gatewood's punishment"
The judge leaned forward across the
table, bringing his fnce close to Fem
tress' face. Look at me--do you
know me now?'
But Fentress' expression never al
tered The judge fell back step.