The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1915-09-24
CHAPTER xviii--censlnusc.

eide must have ended the struggle In
which ! was engaged, had not this
knowledge Of actual and unpublished
crime come to ease my consc.snce.
John 6covilie was worthy OF death.
and. being 30, should receive the full
reward OF bis deed ! need hesitate
no longer
That night I slept But there came
night when did not After the pen.
atty had been paid and TO most mems
eyes that episode was over. ! turned
ths first page OF that volume OF slow
retribution which II the doom OF the
man who aims from impulse. and has
the recoil OF hIs own nature to face
relentlessly 10 this end OF his days
Bcovilie was In his grave, was alive.
Bcoyille had shot mar for his money.
had struck man down In my wrath.
Scovllle'a widow and little child must
face cold and unsympathetIc world,
With smalI means and disgrace rising.
like a wall. between them and social
sympathy. II not between them and
the actual means Of living.
divers future faced him untouc he'd.
No shadow lay across bis path to bin.
der his happiness or TO mar bis
chances.
The results were unequal began
10 see them 40. and feel the gnawlng
OF that deathlcss worm whose raw.
ages lay waste the breast. while hand
and brain fulfill their routine OF work.
"a though all we're we'll aud the foun.
datlons OF life mistaken.
suffered al only towards suffer. I
held on to honor; held on to home:
held on to oliver. but with misery
for my companion and a self contempt
which nothing could abate. Each time
mounted the bench felt a tug at
my arm as OF visible. restraining
presence Each time returned to my
home and met the clear eye OF Oliver
beaming upon me with its evergrow-
Ing promise OF future comradeship. |
experienced a rebellion against my
own happiness which opened my eyes
to my own nature and It's inevitable
= demand must give up Oliver. or
yield my honors. make full confes-
sion and accept whatever conse-
quonces II might bring am a proud
man, and the latter alternative was be-
yond me could forego pleasure.
travel. social intercourse. and even
tho companionshlp OF the one being In
whom all my hopes conferred. but |
could not Of my own volition. pass
from the judges bench to the felon's
cell. There struck the immovabie--
the impossible.
decided In one awful night OF re-
nunciation that I would send Oliver
out OF my life.
The next day told him abruptly
=. hurting him TO spare myself
that had decided after long and ma.
ture thought to yield to his desire for
journalism. and that | would start him
In his career and maintain him In II
for three years II he would subscribe
10 the following conditions:
They were the hardest q loving To- |
ther ever imposed upon dutiful and
loving son.
Fret. he was 20 leave home tnrmedi- |
ately -. within few hours. In
fact
Second, he was TO regard all rela'
tons between US as finished. We were
TO be strangers hencetorth In every
particular save that Of the money Oh |
legation already mentioned
Third. he was never 10 acknowledge
this compact or to cast any siur upon |
the father whose reasons for this ap. |
parently unnatural conduct were quite
disconnected with any fault Of his or
any desire to punish or reprove.
Fourth, he was to pray for his IN.
ther every aight OF his life before he
slept
Was this last n confessioni Had I
meant Il 20 DO suehf n 30. Il missed
It's point II awed but did not brighten
him.
had to contend with his compunc.
tons. as we'll as with grief and dis.
may I, Was an hour Of struggle ON
his part and OF implacable resolution
on mine Nothing but such hardness
on my part would have served rue,
Had tsltered once be would have
won me over, aud the tale OF my sleep.
less nights been repeated. did not
talter. and when the midnight stroke
rang through the house that night
Il separated by It's pea! n sin.hecloadec
but human past from a future arid
with solitude and berett Of the one
possession to retain which MY stu hsd
been hidden
became z father wuhou, son---as
lcpcly and as desclste as though the
separation between us were that OF
the grave had merited and so weakly
stunned
But was not We, satisfied How
could insure for myself the extreme
punishment which my peace demand
ed, without bringing down upon me
the full consequences | refused to
accept.
You have seen how | ultimate
ly answered this question, A eonvset's
bed, q ecnvict's lsclations
Hut after some weeks OF this, fresh
fears arvse, An accident was possible,
Fur all pelas precautions. someone