Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-12-24

uAhAAuhh AdtneF became the scion OF
family of unblemished lineage.
But a mere change of clothes and
condition does not penetrate FAR he
low the surface. A Silken gown can
not alter the currents of shoddy
soul, and while externally the spurious
heir was all F. F. V, internally he was
negro. After q few years. never hav-
ing discovered the deception practieed
upon him by RoXana. Percy Driscoll
died, penGileSs. but his brother. the
judge, his prayer for children of his
own denied. adopted the supposititious
Tom and made the boy his heir. He
sent him to college. He gave him ev-
cry advantage that an affectionate
father could have given boy of his
own, but the raw material which was
the real Tom was poor, and the soil
unfruitful. The boy acquired a taste
for dissipation for which the simple
life of DawSon's Landing offered no
assuagements. He plunged into the
gay whirI of st. Louis, ganerlng moth
ing but diSgraceful gambling debts.
Worst of all he was at heart a snoh
abused the real heir now become his
slave, and acquired a profound detes-
tation for his ancient nurse. Roxana,
OF whose real relation to him he was
unaware, until goaded to intense re-
sentiment by his contemptuous and
brutal treatment. she acquainted him
with the terrible facts of his birth
and ancestry. and demanded that he
treat her as a mother on penalty of
exposure.
The revelation Frustrated the i'm
poster for brief period. but failed 70
spur him on to better behavior. He
went from bad to worse, STOPPING even
to HOUSEKEEPING In order TO obtain
funds TO pay his gambling debts In
his mothers power, and she not at ali
disinclined TO blackmail, he was driv-
en- to all sorts Of expedents to satisfy
his own and her demands. But through
ii all he managed to maintain an out
ward appearance Of superiority that
enabled him TO dazzle his interiors
and deceive his equals. The judges
love for the hoy blinded him to the
lads evil character. but once he near
~ dlsinherited him on the score of
cowardice. A pair of mysterious Ital.
ian twins settled at Dawson's Land
ing, and at a public meeting. Tom
having provoked him to action by his
inSolence. Luigi the stronger Of the
{rfs hn. II a.
House of Driscoll off the stage into the
audience. the stain Of which insult n
real +. f, V. would have wiped ont
upon the field of honor, but for which
the cowardice of Tom found ample
satisfaction in the police court, which
proceeding so outraged the good judge
that for the honor Of his family he
personally fought Il duel with the Of
Tending Italian wounding him, and
thus laying the foundations for much
future trouble.
Came now the supreme touches ir
the career Of the spurious Tom. For
the payment of newly acquired gam
bling debts, with RoXanas consent.
Tom sold his own mother back into
the slavery from which at Driscoll's
death she had been freed hut in vio-
lation of his promises he sold her
down the river" a crime that reacted
upon his unfiial head when the re
sourceful RoXana escaped. and under
threat of exposure Of his real status
in life, required him to indemnify her
new master lest she be apprehended
and returned TO him. Having no other
resources Tom resolved upon the rob
berry Of his benefactor, the judge. in
the fulfllment of which venture he
murdered him. his weapon being an
oriental knife Of unusual design, which
he had stolen from Luigi, the Italian
in one Of his theft-raids.
The murder Of Judge Driscoll
brought great excitement to Dawson'E
Landing. and the Italian twins narrow
~ escaped lynching for the crime.
The whole community adjudged them
guilty-all but Pudd'nhead Wilson.
who volunteered to defend them
in court. a poor reliance since the
were his first and only clients. But
Pudd'nhead was unafrald. The evi
dence against them was most conyinc-
ing, but
There were finger-prints upon the
knife handle, and they were not the
iinger-prints of the accused
Whose finger-prints were they?
Tom, secure In his sense Of safety
because of the overwhelming evidence
against the twins. ventured to taunt
Pudd'nhead upon his confidence IN
winning his case. He entered his
study, and seating himself at Pudd'n
heads side while he STUFFED the prints
in his collection, he picked up one Of
the records.
"Why here's old Roxy's label" he
said contemptuously 'Niggerpaws
Ell? There's a line across her thumb
print. Now how comes thatf
Puddnhead taking the glass from
Toms hand held il mp 10 the lamp.
The blood sank suddenly ont Of his
face. He gazed mt the polished sur
face with the CLASSY stare Of a corpse.
The mystery was solved
Toms thumb-print standing clearly