The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-03-04
CHATTER III
Inheritance

fouF uAy. AAtfF JACK MarfSne Sat
staring into the Goals on tho hearth.
On the table beside him lay a PIE
OF note paper all closely written In
the clear. sman script OF his father.
My son: CfaeRas had wrstten) I
have a feeling that I may never are
you again Not that fear you will
Re killed seem 10 have an unac-
countabie assurance that having
como thru so much you win 20 on
safely 10 the end But TIN not 70
SURE about myself. I've been told my
heart Is bad And lately things have
gone against me- There Is nothing
new In that For 20 years I've been
losing out
Perhaps DIDN'T h~sne tire arnhi
ton l might have 20 my undsrtak.
ingz Until you began to grow up
I accepted things moro or less as I
found them.
And while 7 tried to give you ar
education tina: would enable you 20
hold your own IN . world which
deals harrhiy with the ignorant and
unframed. II was also my hope To
pass on TO you something OF material
value.
This iand which runs across
Squitty island from the Cove TO
Cradle bay and extending n mile
hack-tn an n trire over 600 acres
was 20 be your Inheritance. Long
AFRO this place came into my hands
At little more cost than tho taking.
II has begun to grow valuable. In
years 10 como Il will - of far
greater value. had hoped to pass
u on TO you intact. unencumbcred.
an Inheritance OF some worth.
But I must forcgo tina, dream and
you. my son. your Inheritance IL
has slipped away from me. How
this has come about I wish 20 make
clear TO you ~ II happens that you
come home while I arm stlll alive, we
can talk this over. But I may no,
he here So am writing all this for
you tn read There are many things
whic hyou should knCw-or at least
which l should like you To know.
Thirty years ago
Donald AacRae's READ oornrrrnfca-
don 10 his son began a. that point IN
the long AFRO when the yacht out.
sailed his sloop. and young Horace
Cover. snarting with Jealousy.
struck that savage blow with a pike
pole at man whose fighting hands
wer. tied by a promise. Bit by bit.
incident by incident old Donald
traced ont OF bitter memories all the
passing years for his son To under.
stand. He made Elizabeth Morton.
the Morton family. Horace Cover
and the Cover kin stand out in bold
relief. Donald MacRae had truly
said 10 Elizabeth Morton that she
would never have another chance. BY
means were necessary they had mar.
Red her out of hand to Horace
Cover.
That must have been she citing
on the COUCH Jack MacRae whis-
pered, TO himself. that middle aged
woman with the faded rosc-leaf face.
Lord. Lord. how things get twistedF'
Tho they so closed tho avenue to
a mesailiance, still their pride must
have srnarted because OF that clan
destine affection. that boldly attempt
ed elopement Most OF all. young
Cover must have hated MacRae---
with almost the same Jealous tnten.
sity that Donald MacRae must for
time have hated him--because Cover
apparently forgot and never forgaYe.
Certain things could not be otherwise
accounted for. Donald MacRae wrote
TO hts son. Cover functioncd In the
salmon trade. In timber. in politics.
In whatever MacRae set on foot. he
ultimately discerned tho hand OF
Cover. irnplacable, hidden, striking
at him from under cover.
And no by tho time young Jack
MacTsae outgrew the island teach
ers and must go TO Vancouver for
high school and then 20 the Univer.
sity OF British Columbia, old Donald
had been compelled 10 borrow money
on his land to meet these expenses.
Whereas in the beginning MacRae
had expected TO meet easily the OBJ
legation he had incurred. the end Of
IL was the loss. during the second
year OF the war. OF all the MacIsae
lands on Squitty--ali but n rocky
corner Of few acres which includ-
ed the house and garden. All the
rest--acres OF pasture. cleared and
grassed. stretches OF fertile ground,
blocks Of noble timber Htill uncut
had passed thru the hands Of mort.
gage holders. thru bank transfers. by
devious and tortuous ways. until the
title rested in Horace Gower--who
had promptly built tho snowy sum.
mer house on Cradle bay 10 flaunt
in his face. 80 old Donald believed
and told his son.
CONTINUED In Our Next Tssue.)
Continued Tomorrow