The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-06-25
CHAPTER xvIi-Continusd.

oo VIII oocu new arrival. HI
neither turned nor moved at any one,
entrance, but LETT 1t to MI. Black to Dc
the nonors and make the best of a ait
uation, difficult. II not inexplicable Il
all OF them. Nor could It be seen tina,
any u these men-city officials, promi
nent citizens and old friends. recor
nized his figure or suspected hi.
Identity. Beyond q passing glance hi,
way, they betrayed neither curiosit,
nor interest, being probably SUFFICIENT
ly occupied in accounting for thei,
own presence In the home of thei,
once revered and now greatly ma
iigned compeer. Judge Ostrander. 1t
lacked through his son. was about tf
say or do something which each and
every me OF them secretly thoueht
q better be left unsaid or undone
yet none showed any disposition tc
ieave the place; and when, after q
snort uneasy pause during which all
attempts at conversation failed. thew
heard q slow and weighty step Al.
preaching down the hall. the suspense
was such that NO one but Mr.. Blach
noticed the quick whiri with which
oliver turned himself about. nor thu
LOOK OF mortal anguish with which hs
awaited the opening Of the door and
MS fathers entrance among them. No
one noticed. l say. until. simultaneous.
" with the appearance of Judge o..
trander on tho threshold, q loud cry
swept through the room of Don't!
CONT and the man they had barely
eoticed, flashed by them all. and fell
at ne judges feet with q smothered
repetition Of his appeal: Don't, f.
ther. DON'T"
Then. each man knew why he had
e summoned there, and knowing,
gazed earnestly at these two faces.
Twelve years Of unappeased longing,
OF smothered love. rising above doubts.
persisting in spite Of doubts, we're con-
centrated into that one instant of mu.
tual recognition. The eye of the f.
incl was upon that Of the son and that
OF the son upon that of the father and
Tor them, ct least in this first instant
or reunion. the years we're forgotten
and sin, sorrow and oncominR doom
enaced from their mutual conscious
ness.
Then the tide of life flowed back into
the present, and the Judge, motioning
to his o to rise. observed very dis.
tinctly:
Don't is an ambiguous word, my
son. and on your lips. at this juncture,
may mislead those whom l have called
here to hear the truth from us and the
truth only. You have heard what hap
pened here a few days ago. How a
~long-guarded, long-suppressed suspi.
cion-so guarded and so suppressed
that | had no intimation Of its ex.
istence even, found vent at a moment
of public indignation. and I heard YOU.
you, Oliver Ostrander, accused to nv
face of having in some boyish fit of
rage struck down the man for whose
death another has long since paid the
penalty. This you have already been
told"
Yes" The word cut sharply
through the silence; but the fire with
which the young man rose and faced
them all showed him at his best. But
surely, no person present believes 1t.
No n can who knows you and the
principles In which I have been raised.
This fellow whom | beat as a boy has
waited long to start this damnable re-
port. Surely he will get no hearing
from unprejudiced and intelligent
men"
THE police have listened to him.
Mr.. Andrews. who is one of the gen.
tlemen present. has heard his story
and you see that he stands here silent,
my son. And that is not all. Mrs.
Scoville, who has loved you like a
mother. longs to believe in your limo
cence, and cannot"
A low cry from the hall.
It died away unheeded.
And Mr.. Black. her husbands coun.
sell" continued the father. In the arm,
low tones of one who for many long
days and nights had schooled himself
for the duty for this hour. shares her
feeling. He has tried not to; but he
does. They have found evidences-you
know them; proofs which might not
have amounted to much had It not
been for the n mischievous fact
which has undermined public conf
dence and given point to these attacks.
I refer to the life we have led and the
barriers we have ourselves raised
against our mutual intercourse. These
have undone us. To the question. Why
these barriersT' l can find no answer
but the one which ends this struggle.
Surrounding myself. I ask you to do so
also. Out Of the past comes a voice
the voice of Algernon Etheridge. de-
manding vengeance for his untimely
end. 1t will not be gainsaid. Not sat
isfed with the toll we have both paid
in these years Of suffering and repres-
sion-unmindful Of the hermit's life !
have led and Of the heart disappoint-
ments you have borne. its cry for pun
e.hmapt remains insistent. Gentlemen