The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-05-01

Ills thoughts were or his father.
vast. inexplicable longing possessed
his soul--a longing for the affection OF
this man who was never tender. who
stood afar OF and was lonely. too. He
could not understand this astounding
change of feeling. He had never felt
just this way before. There had been
times--and many-when his heart was
sore with longing. but they were OF
other days. childhood days. Tonight
he could not crush out the thought OF
how ineffably happy, how peaceful life
would be II his father were to lay his
hands upon his shoulders and say, my
son, love you'll love you dearly"
There would be no more lonely days;
all that was bitter in his life would be
swept away In the twinkling OF an
eye; the world would be full OF Joy for
him and for Lydia.
When he entered the house that
evening he was full OF resentment
toward his father. and sullen with the
remains OF an ugly rage. And now TO
be actually craving the affection OF the
man who humbled him. even in the
presence OF servantsl II was unbe-
lievable. He could not understand
himself. A wonderful. compelling ten.
derness filed his heart. He longed to
throw himself at his fathers feet and
crave his pardon for the harsh, venge.
full thoughts he had spent upon him
In those black hours. He hungered
for word Of kindness or of under
standing on which he could feed his
starving soul. He wanted his fathers
love. He wanted. more than anything
else in the world, 10 love his father.
Lydia slipped out OF his mind,
Yyonne was set aside in this immortal
moment. He had not thought OF them
except in their relation to completed
state of happiness for his father, In
distinctly he recognized them as essen
tials
Ay, he was lonely. The house was
as bleak as the steppes of Siberia. He
longed for companionship. friendship
kindness-and suddenly in the midst
Of IL all he leaped to his feet
I'm going out. gentlemen" he ex-
claimed. breaking in upon an unappre.
ciated tale that Mr. Riggs was relat-
ing at some length and with consider.
able fierceness in view of the fact that
Mr.. Dawes had pulled him up rather
sharply once or twice in a matter OF
inaccuracies. Excuse me, please"
He left them gaping with astonish,
ment and dashed out into the hall for
his coat and hat. Even then he had
no definite notion as 10 what his next
move would be. save that he was going
out--somewhere. anywhere, he did not
care.
Somehow as he rushed down the
front steps with the cool night air
blowing In HIS face, there surged up
within him a strong, overpowering J
sense OF filial duty. IL was his duty TO !
make the first advances. II was for |
him TO pave the way TO peace and hap. |
piness. Something vague but disturb |
ing tormented him with the fear that !
his father faced grave peril and that |
his own place was beside him and not |
against him, as he had been I'm all |
these lily directed years. He could |
not put IL away from him, this thought |
that his father was in danger--in dan. |
ger OF something that was not phys |
ical. something from which. with all |
his valor. he had no adequate form OF |
defense.
AT the corner he paused. checked by |
an irresistible impulse to look back |
ward at the house he had just left. TO |
his surprise there was a light IN the |
drawing.room windows facing the |
street. The shades in one OF them
had been thrown wide open and a
stream OF light fared out across the
sidewalk,
Framed in this oblong square OF
light stood the figure OF a man Slowly. |
as IL drawn by q force he could not
resist, the young man retraced hts
steps until he stood directly in front
OF the window A questioning smile |
was on his lips. He was looking up
into Ranjabs shadowy. unsmlling face.
dimly visible in the glow from the
distant street lamp. For a long time
they stared at each other. no sign OF
recognition passing between them. The
aindu's face was as rigid. as emotion
less as II carved out OF stone; his
eyes were unwavering. Frederic could
see them. even in the shadows. He
had the queer feeling that, though the
man gayeyno sign. he had something
he wanted TO say 10 him, that he was
actually calling 10 him 10 come back
into the house.
Undecided. the man outside took
several hating steps toward the door
way. his gaze still fixed on the face In
the window. Then he broke the spell.
II was notion on his part. he argued.
II he had been wanted his fathers
servant would have beckoned to him.
He would not have stood there like
n craven image. staring out into the
night. Having convinced himself OF
this. Frederic wheeled and swung on
nm ha ctraoA rurx s~.A~o ~~.Itst.sm |