Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-12-13
CHAPTER IIl-contlnued.

little to tell. Your brother was the
almost puzzling psychological prob
lem that I ever tried to solve. He
could have been one Of the most brill
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-
ously to study. / don't think he did.
And that was probably his limitation
learning came too easy to him. 1t
can, you know"
He stopped, as If he had no more to
say; stared at his napkin and folded
1t with careful precision.
"The presidents letter said that
that-Y
The girl seemed unable to finish the
question, but the preacher guessed
what she wanted to know. He again
fumbled his napkin, unfolded it, 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-"and friends, though /
would rather not speak Of it at all,
and should not do SO, only that Il Is
my duty as your minister to tell you
the truth-Kenwood Colin was a very
severe trial to the college authorities.
Ills 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. It
was the-red lock-"
The preacher raised his specialized
eyes up from his plate and stared al
the girl curiously.
RED lock-T
'Didn't you know e had itT'
The preacher looked his bewilder
ment.
"Then please, please, don't mention
that you know It'll Please don't ever
/ lowed you kncwed, bein' his room
mate, or I wouldn't "a told He wa.
that 'shamed e had it, and alw'yl
KEEP it combed under SOS it didn
show"
The banker had been staring at tn.
tablecloth. He Mfted his face.
1.-THE curse of Colin,'" he com
mented thoughtfully. HE was a sc;
pirate in the days of Queen Elizabeth
Red Colin they called i'm. Look
like his blood would "a run out b. thi
time, but it hain't. Every three r fou
generations it shows up, gener'ly on
child in family with lock O. hal
as red as fire. Nobody would think
lock O. hair and drop o. blood coul
set child back hundreds O. genera
lions T. what OIL Red Colin must &
ben, but 1t does.
"The minute saw that red lock o
Ken, / knowed e was doomed. "
licked i'm and reasoned with i'm an
prayed over Im-but / knowed all tn
time 1t wouldn't do no good That
the main reason / sent i'm off t. tn
kind of a college did-where the
amt nobody much but preachers ,
runnin' it. He didn't like t go t. this
kind, but hoped bein' throwe
amongst men like that might head o
what / knowed was in i'm"
The preacher leaned back in h
chair; dropped his hands in his lap.
"Permit me to say" he observed
his jerky fashion, shat was as gray
mistake as you could possibly ha,
made"
"kk5hs -" the old man answere