The Snowflake herald., 1922-10-06
BOOK ONE
THE CALL OF THE BLOOD
cHAPT l

Bruce was wakened by the sharp
ring Of his telephone bell. Instantly
he was fully aroused, in complete con-
troll of all his faculties. And this is
not especially common to men bred in
the security of civilization. Rather
1t is a trait. of the wild creatures; a
little matter that is quite necessary
If they care at all about living. From
tiersmen learn the trait, too; but as
Bruce was a dweller of cities it
seemed somewhat strange in him.
Then he grunted rebelliously and
glanced at his watch beneath the pill
low. He had gone to bed early; it
was just midnight now.
He had no doubts whatever concern
Ing the nature of this call. There had
been one hundred like it during the
previous month. His foster father had
recently died, his estate was being set
tied UP, and Bruce had been having a
somewhat strenuous time with his
creditors. He understood the mans
real financial situation at last; at his
death the whole business structure
collapsed like the eggshell 1t was.
Bruce had supposed that most of the
debts had been paid now; he won
dered, as he fumbled into his bedroom
slippers, whether the thousand or so
dollars that were left would cover the
claim of the man who was now call
Ing him to the telephone.
'This is Mr.. Duncan" he said cold
ly into the transmitter.
"How do you do, Mr.. Duncan" a
voice answered. pardon me If l got
you up. 1 want to talk to your son,
Bruce"
Bruce emitted a little gasp Of
amazement. Whoever talked at the
end of the line obviously didn't know
that the elder Duncan was dead
Bruce had a moment of grim humor
In which he mused that this voice
would have done rather we'll if it
could arouse his foster father to an
swer 1t. "The elder Mr.. Duncan died
last month";" he answered simply.
There was not the slightest trace of
emotion in his tone No wayfarer on
the street could have been, as far as
facts went, more of stranger to him;
there was no sense of loss at his death
and no cause for pretense BOW. "This
Is Bruce speaking"
He heard the other gasp. "Old
man, Tn sorry" his cOntrite voice
came. 81 didn't know of your loss
This is Barney-Barney Wegan-and
just got in from the West. Haven't
had bit of news for months. Accept
my earnest sympathies-"
Barney OF course" The delight
grew on Bruce's face; for Barney We
gan, a man whom he had met and
lea ned to know on the gym floor of
his club, was quite near to being a real
friend. Sand what's up, BarneyY
The mans voice changed at once
went back to it's same urgent, but
rather embarrassed tone "You won't
believe me If 1 tell you, so / won't try
to tell you over the phone But I
must come upright away. May II"
"Of course"
'Tll be there In q minute"
AOIuSC huhS up OiOWiy OCoCCAuCO W
his library, and flashed on the lights.
For the first time he was revealed
plainly His was a familiar type; but
at the same time the best type, too
He had the face and the body of an
athlete, q man who keeps himself fit;
and there was nothing mawkish or ef-
Terminate about him. 1t is true that
set In a brown, clean-cut face. never
knowing exactly why they did so.
They had startling potentialities.
They were quite clear now, wide
awake and cool, yet they had a
strange depth of expression and
shadow that might mean, somewhere
benesth tse bland and cool exterior, a
capa lty for great emotions and pas
SiNnS