The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-07-01
X.-(Continued).

The Corinth Courier waited. 1t had
everything 20 lose and nothing to gain.
The editor got very drunk-and he
hadn't been drunk In 10 years-and sent
his impotent lamentations to heaven on
more than one street corner He desired
all Corinth t. know that he couldn't
help himself. That was the curse OF
running a newspaper in q small town.
His hands were tied. But be was able
70 give an excellent demonstration that
his tongue was not tied-that Is TO say
not properly tied.
Before nightfall Of that memorable
day, the population, Of Corinth, from ex-
treme youth to doddering old age, knew
that Chetwynd Blagden had robbed the
bank ana had fled, under cover Of
night. to join a vile temptress In New
York; vampire In the shape OF q
woman. Nc er, everyone knew that
Horace BIZ s,as had gone up to the
Giants ca. -(ghastly misnomer!)
at noon ana I'D not been seen outside
Its doors since. Hundreds Of people
went out of their way to walk past the
house during the afternoon, casting fur
tive glances at the windows. Officials
Of the bank and Of other concerns In
which he was interested, telephoned to
the house, M each In turn was told
that MI. Blagden could see no one, nor
would he speak with anyone.
MI. Presbrey approached the house
~ W COuAluSuLAy SApSCIluB 10 Dc duLllt
ted. he was turned away by h sour
faced Martha, much to his surprise. A
couple OF curious witnesses e. the gate
below hurried away, snickering over
the minister's rebuff. Mr.. Presbrey
walked very stiffly up the street, dimly
conscious of a shy. evasive sense of ella.
ton, admittedly unbecoming d man of
his parts, but singularly insistent, Just
n same. At his own dinner table that
evening he confided certain beliefs 20
his wife. chief among them being the
opinion that Mr.. Blagden was narrow.
He even went so far as to question that
gentleman's attitude toward the unfor-
tunate children of Mary Midthorne.
Chickens come home to roost," OBJ
served Mr.. Presbrey, a remark which
may appear vague to the reader of
these lines, but not so to Mrs. Pres
brey, on whom the, inference was not
wasted. "
Neither of the Midthornes was seen
on the streets that day. They kept
close to the house, and they spoke In
undertones. All through the long az
ternoon, they wandered through the
tomb like house, occasionally pausing
In the hallway near the closed door of
their uncle's room to listen for sounds
from within. Sometimes they wondered
IL the two people who confined them
selves there We're dead or alive. Only
at rare intervals were signs Of life ap-
parent, such as the shifting of a chair,
or the tread Of slow moving feet, or
the sharp tapping of finger nails on
the arm Of a well known rocker, in
which their uncle was wont to sit.
MI. Blagden, on his return from the
bank at noon, had gone directly up
stairs, followed by his wife. Ten min
utes later he emerged alone. He or
dered the erVants to come to the IL
brary. and there, In the presence Of
the Midthornes. he announced to the
astonished household that his son had
transgressed the law and was no long
er a member of the family. He gave no
details, knowing full well, that they
would be supplied by willing tongues
before the day was over, more expan-
sively than he could have presented
them even If he had been inclined to
stoop to the task.
You may go now" he said CURLY,
to a gaping audience, composed Of COOK,
parlor maid, waitress, gardener and
stable man. He had said all that he
intended to say. Bear in mind what
! have said about mentioning my sons
name In this house. or. in the presence
Of his mother or myself. It is possible,
ed and-er, ahem!-brought back to
Corinth. If such should be the case,
/ shall not deny him the right TO seek
counse and the help of the two persons
who are responsible for his coming into
this world. This Is his home when he
chooses to come back to 1t In humility
and contriteness. But as long as he
elects voluntarily to remain a fugitive,
Am outcast. you might say-Just so
long shall he be regarded as an enemy
to this household. / am his father. II
he comes to me for help, for support
ay, even for love-I shall not fail him.
You may go now"
HN,.Rw.tN- a. ~. -
wants filed out, he said: "Your Aunt
Rena will not come down to luncheon.
II you will sit down, I shall try to tell
o as clearly as I can Just what Il is
that Chetwynd has done. I do not ex-
pect you to soy that you are sorry for
him. Perhaps I ought not to expect
you to bo sorry for his mother or me.
/ shall merely ask you to be consider
ate. II you are to gloat over his fall
from the pedestal on which we placed
presence"
At the end of his careful and rather
monotonous recital, he lowered his chin
and fumbled for a moment with the
tassels on the arm OF the chair In which
he sat facing them.
MY children" he said huskily, IT am
a God fearing man, as you have rea-
son to know. But I am. about to DEFY
Him. shall pray to God that my son
may never live to face these charges. ]
would rather have him take his own
life today than to continue in the life
he has begun to lead"
He arose and, placing a hand on the
shoulder of each, looked into their eyes
with a film over his own. 4
II would give all I have in the world
II my son could have looked me fairly
and frankly in the eyes as you have
always done II he could have done
that, he would not be where he is to-
l day"
Eric'e, gaze wavered for a second,
but ne managed to keep II steady after
q mighty effort OF the will. He would
NOT be where he is today" The words
seemed to burn themselves into his
very SOU. ~. .
Adam Carr will not be turned aside
went on Horace, beginning to pace the
floor. II hates me. He will not rest
until he has found-hIm. There is nc
way to keep this dreadful thing from
going to the public. Before night the
newspapers will have II all. lit will
kill your aunt, I fear. To think that
hen boy may be bounded for years by
one so implacable as Adam Cart" He
stopped at the table, from sheer force
of habit, arranged the magazines on the
corner, restoring the pile to itsNaccus.
toned symmetry. His was a we'll or
dered home. Nothing was ever out OF
| place.
nd ~ --