The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-02-07
THE DEAD PAST
BY cEclLLE LANGDoN.

| Hes a gOOu IIlenui 700, replleu
Roland Vincent. at was awful strange
and awkward the first day or two, for,
you see. / knew nobody among my fell
low workers, and it isn't much like
school. | thought they would say l
wouldn't do when l Numbered and
made mistakes half a dozen times.
Then my new friend, who has charge
of the stock room, spoke to me and
told me TO see him at the lunch hour"
'What is his name, Roland?" in
guired Mrs. Vincent.
"Robert Leigh. He is a queer act
ing man, hardly ever speaks to any
body but has been so kind and helpful
to me-"
It got TO be so finally that Roland
visited Mr.. Leigh regularly once a
week. When he did so, he remained
| till after ten o'clock at night.
'Its just jolly| Roland told his
mother repeatedly. "Mr. Leigh has
q gas stove and a regular housekeep-
ing outfit He gets up meal about
as fine as yours, mother, and that's
saying a lot. Then he clears the table
and gets out the books, and goes over
what / have read for the week. l am
lpsning so much, mother"
"Does he never smoke, or drink, or
play cards, or that like" questioned
Mrs. Vincent anxiously.
"Oh, never that" replied Roland,
quickly. "He has a cabinet of Curl
ositles. once, a long time ago, he says
he knew all sorts of men, for he was
doing some detective work. In his cab
met he has the rope that hanged a no
torious murderer and a knife with
which a foreign PRINCE was assassin
ated. He showed me last night trick
gambling outfit, and proved to me the
frauds employed to defraud gambling
victims. It was so interesting"
Mrs. Vincent's eyes dlated. She
seized Ronald's arm with a trembling
hand.
ooh, my sonl my SOM She spoke
in so intense a tone that Ronald view
ed her in wonder promise me never,
never to touch cardw
"Dont worry about that" returned
Roland at once Anybody hearing Mr..
Leigh tell what gambling leads to
would never do So
81 wish you would ask Mr.. Leigh to
tea some evening Roland" said Mrs.
Vincent. 1--WE must return his cour-
tesles in some way"
Il did once" explained Roland, "but
hn eofI Ia, r,,,pr- want anvrtxhara I do
wish you could meet him, though. He
seems interested in anything that con-
Germs me. You know, | could not tell
him much" and Roland glanced close
ly at his mother, and then at framed
photograph on the wall.
Always he had believed that cOun-
terfeit presentment Of an austere, dig
nified looking man to be that of the
father he could not remember. She
became strangely agitated.
"ROland," she said, 81 have taught
you from childhood to regard your IA
Their as dead to us"
"But not really dead, mother" per-
sisted Roland.
AT all events lost to the world ana
to u.s." continued Mrs. Vincent. 81 for
bid you ever to mention his name
again" Mrs. Vincent broke down in
tears and hurried from the room.
One evening Roland came home in
a great state of excitement. He was
earlier than usual and his ami
mated face told that he was stirred up.
ooh, mother, ! guess our good luck
has come! !" he cried buoyantly. "What
do you think? The house is going to
open a branch in Rio de Janeiro, and
Mr. Leigh is to take charge of it at a
big salary. He says he has been work
ing for the promotion for years, and
he has the privilege Of appointing his
own assistants, and he says if we will
remove to Brazil he will start me in
as his chief clerk at four times the
salary I am now getting"
Mrs. Vincent had been busting the
furniture and wall hangings when Roll
and came in, and now she listened to
him, buster suspended.
"Won't you come and call upon him
with me?" urged Roland. Maybe you
would consent to move to Brazil after
hearing Mr.. Leigh tell Of the great
business prospect 1t would be for me-"
eyes" assented Mrs. Vincent, after a
moment of thought. 81 think we had
better have n talk with him together.
There is the door bell" and she left
the room. AS she passed into the hall
She struck the cord suspendng the
time-honored photograph. Frame and
all came to the floor with a crash. Two
photographs fell out upon the carpet.
As the under one caught the eye of R0-
land, he uttered quick ejaculation. 1t
was Mr.. Leigh!
"Fatherl" he said simply, extending
his hand and looked appealingly into
The eyes Of the other.
"You know, then" began Mr..
Leigh,
"Only that you must be the father I
have lNged to know, Oh, tell me
all!
And then the veil Of mystery that
had so long hung over the past Of
the devoted family was drawn aside.
Born with the instincts of a gambler,
Alan Vincent had risked his own for
tune and that Of his wife in a ven
turesome speculation, and had lost.
Begrared, the wife had resentfully
shut MIN out Of her life, ard he had
become & wanderer under an assumed
name. But now he had repented Of
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