Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-12-20
CHAPTER III-contlnued.

Really, Miss-Colin, there is very
little to tell Your brother was the
almost puzzIlng psychological prob
1em that l ever tried to solve. He
could have been one of the most bril-
liant scholars the institution ever
turned out. He literally drank up ev-
erything the college had to give, and
that without apparent effort-as the
desert drinks the dew. His penman-
ship; his drawing; his command Of
English-very remarkable. was his
roommate and classmate, and yet /
never saw him apply himself seri-
ousIy to study. l don't think he did.
And that was probably his limitation
learning came too easy to him. It
can, you know"
He stopped, sc If he had no more to
say; stared at his napkin and folded
1t with careful precision.
1.-The presidents letter said that
that-?"
The girl seemed unable to finish the
question, but the preacher guessed
what she wanted to know. He again
fumbled his napkin, unfolded 1t, and
looked around the table. 1t was an
embarrassing moment.
with all due respect to you, his
family''-he glanced at Mrs. Curry and
the woodsman-"a and friends, though
would rather not speak of 1t at all,
and should not do so, only that it is
my duty as your minister to tell you
the truth-Kenwood Colin was a very
severe trial to the college authorities.
His talent for learning was equaled
only by his talent for mischief Yet,
wild as he was known to be, nobody
Thought that he would ever have
forged his fathers name. He was
deeply in debt before his very clever
forgeries were even suspected. much
less detected.
"Then came his sensational killing
of gambler over card game, and his
subsequent escape somewhere into the
great underworld of the city. Since
that, nothing more seems to have been
heard of him."
There was moments silence. The
girl leaned forward; her lips apart (;
her eyes wide.
pore KEN" she said softly. 'He
couldn't hep bein' what e was. 1t
was the-red lock-"
The preacher raised his specialized
eyes up from his plate and stared at
the girl curiously.
RED lock-"
eT0;5v,,% no., Iyr,oxr, 20 bod a. 90
The preacher looked his bewilder-
ment.
'"Then please, please, don't mention
that you know it! Please, don't ever!
/ lowed you knowed, bein' his room
mate, or / wouldn't "a told. He was
that shamed e had 1t, and alw'ys
KEEP it combed under SOS it didn't
show"
The banker had been staring at the
tablecloth. He lifted his face.
"The curse of Colin,'" he COM
nented thoughtfully. HE was q sea
pirate in the days of Queen Elizabeth.
Red Colin they called i'm. Looks
like his blood would a. run out b. this
time, but it hain't. Every three r four
generations it shows up, gener'ly one
child in a family with lock O. hair
as red as fire. Nobody would think q
lock O. hair and drop o. blood could
set q child back hundreds o. genera
tons t. what OF Red Colin must "a
ben, but it does.
'The minute l saw that red lock on
Ken. 1 knowed e was doomed I've
licked i'm and reasoned with I'm and
Drayed over 'im--but knowed all the
time 1t wouldn't do no good That's
the main reason sent I'm off t. the
kind of a college I did-where Their
amt nobody much but preachers a.
runnin' it. He didn't like t. go t. that
kind. but / hoped bein' throwed
amongst men like that might head off
what ( knowed was in 'im."
The preacher leaned back in his
chair; dropped his hands in his lap.
Permit me to say" he observed in
his jerky fashion, that was as grave
a mistake as you could possibly have
made"
sMebbe So" the old man answered.
seBut the devil 'imselt couldn't "a
COPIED with that boy"
The old man beat the tines of his
fork on the table; gazed absently at
randIe, reached over and snuffed it."
"Ain't it strange" he went on, "how
The past fangs the present-the past
with it's sins and plumbers and imper-
fections? Now there's Texie, Graded
In the same arms and nursed at the
same breast, and she's as different
Pom Ken as sunshine is different fom
the wo'st storm that ever wrecked the
woods"
The preacher put his napkin by.