The Ordway new era., 1921-05-06
CHAPTER xrv-con.inued-


ben staring at each other. Events
were happening. deTe!opDencs unfold
ting. too fast for compensation The
Old nan ras staring a. them ooth.
from one 10 the other. as II unable 70
grasp a revelatlon that had been t7Eels-
fy years coming. He stretched Up his
hands at lzs- to the young man pulled
his face down TO hiln- gazsd on Il a.
at something Of which he had long
dreamed bat ueTe- hoped 20 see;
turned back 70 the man on the soor.
-Mar1sn Richmond, III reqults the
deed you've done the one good deed
of your evil life The little girl I've
raised as my own, the child Of the
good woman you cruelty killed. the
child you deserted, your daughter
stands before you"
The girl recoiIef In horror The IN
natural father strained his glazing
eyes toward the daughter his thought
had outraged; cry n1uttered Up CUT
Of hfs chest and brought with II sIizh
of froth and blood; he stiffened' his
face frightened horribly; he fell heavy
agalnst the arms Of the sherif-dead-
The girl turned away from the gr71e-
some sight, stole half falteTin2
glance at the bewndered face of the
Pearihunter. threw herself down b. the
eide Of the couch and bowed her face
upon the old mans bosom
-'Unsay It, Daddyi On, Daddy, IN
say itT
He softly stroked her hair with his
great, gaunt hand.
'Trs the truth, Dotty, and can't be
unsaid- But you owe him no respect
a parent only, never a father. He de-
serted you, and killed your mother
fn ways unspeakable killed hsr-a
woman Of the high blood Of the
DawnsJr He furnbled the picture up
on his breast, held 1t before his face
a moment, laid It back God! y he
groanez1. THE ruin he wrought For
years I searched for her'-he spoke
the name In reverence, "and you, my
SON"
His hand found Its way back into
the Pearihunter's; his eyes strained
hard toward the face bending over
him.
They seemed hungry TO know many
things-the twenty years Of wander
ing, the death Of the woman Of the
picture; how the young man came to
be just there; Of his wounded arm.
But with the steady courage Of sol-
dier who knew the end was near, he
put them by, and dropped his eyes to
the girls hair
-Your grandfather. Dotty. old God
frey Dawn, cast your mother off when
-f<.A II
and dying in poverty and want, she
sent for me at last" The girl was
crying softly. He stopped, put his
arm about her and drew her close. u
had the prlyilege-and honor-of max
ing her last hours less terrible. She
died without-seeing you. You we're
three years old when gave up the
search. left everything In the hands
of my good friend, Judge Eskridge,
and came up here to lose myself In
tbese vast woods along the Wabash,
a present from General Jackson"
His eyes closed YEARLY. He lay
20 still, and the pallor on his face was
10 gfiasuy that the Pearihunter bent
anxiously over hin. But the heavy
lids presently unclosed; the voice,
queer and hoarse from long disuse,
and nodceabiy growing weaker, fall
tered on.
ASeven years. 1t seems only this
sn0rning he shot mel And yet, IT
couldn't be, or Dotty wouldn't be the
wonderful woman she mas become, nor
you, my son. the man you are-the man
I was when led Jackson's rangers.
Heaper Dawn Red, the quayering
voice hesitated. "No, no, let that
name perish with his who dlsgraced
st. The Judge knows. Hesper Dawn;
David Wulf Warbritton. Both Of the
high blood Of the Dawns; your moth
ers both named Hesper Dawn, distant
cousins. both the same name. and both
Of the same high blood. Neither need
you be ashamed, my son. Of your name
Of Warbritton. 1t has been more or
geAs on the tongues Of men since the
brave days Of Saxon Harold. Share
your estate with Dotty. II In in the
viii that you do 80. and there's ample
Tor you both. The Judge will know"
The PearIhunter was on the point
of mentioning the letter-the death
ok the girls grandfather. his reIenting
MIS- Will. But the faltering voice left
him 10 opening.
my son, you are man grown, but
yUu will not deny your father the
heart hunger Of twenty bitter years"
His voice was fast failing; his eyes
strained hard to ind the Pearlhunter's
6ace, though he was bending low over
him. The young man rend the mean
ing. the twenty years Of longing. In
<lse sfrafning syes. He knelt down and
eald hfs face against the old mans
c1Aeeag. An arm stole about his neck
90 held him close.
i long tims the old man lay still.