The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1914-12-23
CHAPTER II.
TSa Cinp of 49, r.

Out-of-doors, high brazen noon, 6
day in spring, the clamorous life Of
New York running as fluent as quick
silver through its brilliant streets.
Wlthln-doors, neither sound nor sun
beam disturbed a perennial quiet that
was yet not peace.
The room was like a wide, deep
| well of night, the haunt of teeming
shadows and sinister silences.
Little, indeed, was visible beyond
the lonely shape that brooded over
| 1t, the figure of an old man motion.
less in a great, leatherbound chair.
His hair was as white as his heart
was black. The rack of his bones,
clothed in thick black dressing.
gown with waist-cord of crimson silk.
from the thighs down was covered by
| black woollen rug. He stared un.
bllnkingly at nothing: a man seven.
! elghths dead, completely paralyzed
| but for his head and his left arm.
Presently faint clicking signal dis
turbed the stiffness. Seneca Urine put
forth his left hand and touched one
of row of crimson buttons embedded
In the desk. Something else clicked
this time a latch There was the
faintest possible noise of a closing
door, and smallish man stole noise.
lessly into the light, paused beside the
desk and waited respectfully for leave
to speak.
"Well?"
"A telegram, sir-from England"
Give it mel"
The old man seized the sheet of vel.
low paper, scanned it hungriIy. and
crushed 1t in his tremulous claw with
gesture of uncomfortable emotion.
Send my daughter Judith here!"
Two minutes later a young woman
in street dress was admitted to the
chamber of shadows
You sent for me, father"
"Sit down"
She found and placed chair at the
desk, and obediently settled herself
In it,
Judith-tell me-what day is this ?"
My birthday. / am twenty-one."
And your sisters birthday: Rose,
too, is twenty-one"
yes"
You could have forgotten that" the
old man pursued almost mockingly.
DO you really dislike your twin-sister
SO intensely?"
The girls voice trembled. you
know" she said. I'VE have nothing in
common-beyond parentage and this
abominable resemblance Our natures
differ as light from darkness"
And which would you say was
Light"
Hardly my own: I'm no hypocrite.
Rose is everything that they tell me
my mother was, while THE girl
smiled strangely-'1 Think am more
your daughter than my mothers"
A nod Of the white head confirmed
the suggestion. 1T il true. I have
watched you closely, Judith, perhaps
more closely than even you knew
Before was brought to this"-the
wasted hand made a significant ges.
ture-I was q man Of strong pas.
sfons. Your mother never loved. but
rather feared me. And Rose Is the
mirror Of her mothers nature. gentle,
unselfish, sympathetic. But you, Ju.
dith, you are like q second self to
me-"
An accent Of profound satisfaction
Informed his voice The girl waited
n silence that was tenseiy expect.
mt
Then, IL on this your birthday
we're to ask service Of you that
night injuriously affect the happiness
# your sister,"
The girl laughed briefly: Only
six it,"
And how far would you go to dc
ny will?"
Where would you stop in the sery.
ce of one you loved?"
Seneca Urine nodded grayelv Ana ,
fter brief pause. Rose is in love" ,
e announced.
Oh, l know-I knowi" the father
fnrmed with a faint ring of satisfac- I
ion. I am old. cripple, prisoner of 4
his living tomb: but all things ri
hould know-somehowI come IN "
now in course OF time!" d
It's tIuc-that Englishman she
craped ea acquaintance with on the
iviera last year-what's his nameHI
aw, Alan Law"
In the main,' the father corrected
lildly. you are right Only, he's not o
nglish. His father was Wellineton v
aw, of Law & Son." 1T
She knew better than to interrunt. b
1T her seeming patience was belied II
: the whitening knuckles az a hand d
at lay within the little pool Of HOOD. c,
d light
And presently the deep voice rolled :.
!: Law and ] were once friends: