Putnam patriot., 1912-05-03
$ savage scowl.

Whats all this to me9" The words lame with a gasp from Fentress' twitehing lips. The judge looked at him moody and drowning.
 q have reason to think this man Gatewood came 10 west Tennessee." " he said.
 If so, have never heard of him" :"
 Perhaps not under that name-at any rate. you are going to heaz Of him now. This man Gatewood. who be- tween ourselves was damned scoun- drel"-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. It proved an expensive en- terprise for Gatewoods friend, since he came to trust the damned seoun- drel more and more as time passed even large sums of his money were in Gatewood's hands" Fentress' countenance was like stone, as expres- sionless and as rigid
 By the door stood MahaTy 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 capaeious chest came to their ears like distant thun- der.
 This friend of Gatewoods had e wife" The judges voice broke. emo tion shook him like a leaf: he was tearing open his wounds. He reached over and poured himself drink, suck ing 1t down with greedy lips. There was a wife" he whirled about on his heel and faced Fentress again. There was a wife, Fentress-" he fixed Fen tress with his blazing eyes. "A wife and child. We'll, one day Gatewood and the wife were missing. Under the circumstances Gatewoods friend was well rid of the pair--he should have been grateful, but be wasn't, for his wife took his child, daughter; and Gatewood a trifie of thirty thousand dollars his friend had intrusted to him,p
 There was another silence.
 At later day I 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-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' 8 treachery brought ruin to at least two lives. It caused the woman's father to hide his face from the world: 1t 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. 1t cost the husband his place in tho world, too-in the end 1t made Of him vagabond and Q penniless wan derer."
 This is nothing to me-" said Fen 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 go back empty handed. She had run away from her husband with a child-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 son? When l get my answer it will be time enough to think of Gatewood's punishment" [" The judge leaned forward across the table, bringing his face close to Fen tress' face. Look at me-do you know me now?"
 But Fentress' expression never all tered. The judge fell back a step.
 "Fentress, l want the boy" he said quietly.
 What bOy?"
 My grandsonl"
 You are madi What do 1 know of him--or you?" Fentress was gain ing courage from the sound of his own voice.
 You know who he is and where he is. Your business relations with this man Ware have put you on the track of the Quintard lands in this state You intend to use the boy to gather them iI."