The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1916-01-13
CHAPTER xvIi-coatlavsd.

And SO with each new arrival He
neither turned nor moved at any ones
entrance. but left 1t to Mr.. Black to do
the henors and make the best OF . sit
sation. dinicult. il not inexplicable to
all Of them. Nor could It be seen that
any OF these men-city oflicials. promi-
nsat citizens and old friends. recog
sfse6 bis figure or suspected his
identity. Beyond . passing glance his
vay. they betrayed neither curiosity
Dor interest. being probably sufficient
" occupied IN accounting for their
own presence in the home Of their
once revered and now greatly ma
hgneA compeer Judge Ostrander. At
tackled through his son. was about to
say or do something which each and
every one Of them secretly thought
had better be left unsaid or undons
Yet none showed any disposition to
leave the place: and when. after q
snort. uneasy pause during which all
attempts at conversation failed. they
heard . slow and weighty step ap
preaching down the hall. the suspense
vas such that NO one but Mr.. Black
notaeed the quick whirl with which
Oliver turned himself about. nor the
hook Of mortal anguish with which he
awaited the opening Of the door and
his fsther's entrance among them. No
one noticed. I say. until. simultaneous.
" With the appearance Of Judge Os-
trander on the threshold. q loud cry
swept through the room Of Don't!
dont!" and the man they had barely
noticed. flashed By them all. and fell
at the judges feet with q smothered
repetition Of his appeal: Don't f.
ther. don't!"
Then. each man knew why he had
been summoned there. and knowing.
gAxed earnestly at these two faces.
Twelve years Of unappeased longing.
Of smothered love. rising above doubts.
persistfng In spite Of doubts. we're con-
centrated into that one instant Of mu.
tual recognition. The eye Of the IA
thef was upon that Of the son and that
Of the son upon that Of the father and
for them. st least in this first instant
Of reunion. the years were forgotten
and sin. SORROW and oncoming doom
e6aoeA from their mutual conscious
ness.
Thse he tide Of life flowed back into
the present, and the Judge. motioning
to his son to rise. observed very d.
tinetly:
Don't 70 IN ambiguous word. my
son. aad on your lips, at this juncture
may nislead those whom I have called
here to hear the truth from US and the
truth only. You have heard what hap
pened here . few days ago. How 4
long-guarded. longsuppressed suspi-
eion-so guarded and 20 suppressed
that I had no intimation Of its OF.
Sstence even. found vent at . moment
Of psblIc Indignation. and heard you,
you. Oliver Ostrander. accused to my
facs Of having in some boyish 1T 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 nrs with
which the young man rose and faced
them all showed him At his best. But
surely. NO person present believes It.
No one can who knows you and the
principles in which have been raised.
This fellow whom beat as 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,
ny son And that 10 not all. Mrs.
scovills. who has loved you like a
nothsr. longs to believe In your limo.
esnce, and cannot"
A low CRY from the hall.
II died away unheeded.
''And Mr.. Black. her husbands couu
sell" continued the father. in the firm
low tones Of one who for many Ions
days and nights had schooled himself
for the duty for this hour. shares heI
feeling. He has tried not to; but he
does. They have found evidences-you
know them; proofs which might no,
have amounted to much had II moi
been for the one mischievous fact
which has undermined public conn
1ence and given point to these attacks
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 barriers? can find no answer
bat the one which ends this struggle
Buccumbing myself, ask you to do st
also. Out Of the past comes a voice
the voice of Algernon Etheridge. de
manding vengeance for his untimel,
end. 1t will not be gainsaid, Not sat
isf1ed with the toll we have both pait
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