The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-01-16
CHAPTER XII Continued

II shall skip nothing. The woman
I was to have married left me the
evening before, and disappeared with
another man. Had he been free to
marry her she would have had no
need to escape In secrecy. 1 gave up
my work. hunted them through the
Southern states. My mind was oh.
sessed with the idea of redeemfng my
honor. II / had found them should
have killed him. They knew 1t, and
they fed before me. gave them no
rest. For five years pursued them,
running down every clue"
You'll permit me to correct your
memory on that point, john" said
Lawson suavely. For FIVE years you
wandered among tramps and hoboes.
to the scandal of your former friends.
thinking that you were looking for
your fancee. but actually doing your
searching in morphine visions. Such
decisions Of phenomenal activity are
recognized symptom Of your dis
ease. De Quincy imagined that he
visited every corner of the earth while
lying at home In an opium stupor."
Il neyerstouehed morphinesuntil you
gave 1t to me-" said Lancaster.
That delusion is TART Of your dis
ease. No, John. you may have
searched the suburban districts of
Monmouth. but you can't have gone
far, because every few months you
would turn up at the institute, looking
shabbier and more disreputable on
each occasion. and more and more
morphine soaked And every time ]
tried to set you up and help you.
was sorry for you. and you knew 1t
and traded upon my pity; was
shamed by you, and you knew that
and traded upon my shame"
LANCASTER hung his head; Joan ID
her hand lightly on his, and after that
he continued to return Lawson's gaze
steadfastly.
II went to you, Jim Lawson" he
said. because l had placed you in
charge of the institute when elected
to head the other branch o. the t-ust
fund. the Avonmouth hospital. had
given you the charge here because you
were"
"Your illegitimate half-brother."
said Lawson bluntly. 1--WE are not
mincing our words. Because you
robbed me of my own birthright as
your elder brother, by reason of the
fact that my mother was not legally
married to our father. Yes, go on"
AT last, Joan, was. broken down
completely" continued Lancaster. 1T
was a monomania, that search of
mine, as came to understand after
ward, perverted pride that had eat
en- into my heart and left no place for
other thoughts But / did not become
addicted to morphine until this man
urged it upon me, under the guise OF
medical care. And even then could
have broken off the habit at any time.
but had no heart to, and it gave me
relief from thoughts that tortured
me-"
$50 they all think said Lawson.
1T was he who told me that could
never break 1t off, who urged me to
continue the use Of it with sophistical
arguments which had not the energy
to oppose had been five years away
from Avonmouth. The people at the
Southern hospital believed me dead
and did not undeceive them. never
meant to return. When came here
it was always by night, to this man
whom / believed to be my friend, to
avoid shaming our name in the eyes
of Aiillville Thus none ever saw us
together, and Lawson and resembled
each other as much as we do today"
More. I hope, john" sneered the
other. 1.-THE life one leads tells as the
years go by"
Nobody in these parts had seen me
since l was boy. had left home
young, and studied at Johns Hopkins
and abroad. Lawson had taken my
name. The old neIghbors had gone
away, and If any of the country folks
have long memories, they have close
tongues, too The matron and Jenkins
are both newcomers. 1 had passed
out of memory.
This devil saw his chance and
grasped at it." he went on with I'D
den vehemence. Here was the ia
nous Doctor Lancaster. broken man.
an outcast. and believed in Avonmouth
TO be long since dead. And here was
the Lancaster known to Millville and
Lancaster village. at the head of this
Institute. Why shouldn't he get me
to take his place here while he went
to Avonmouth and claimed to be /?
Lawson was ambitious. He wanted to
be something bigger than the superin-
tendent OF little hill institute. And
he wanted to get his fingers on the
trust fund at Avonmouth. Do wrong
you?" he demanded, turning fiercely
upon the other.
"Not in the least; you honor me-"
said Lawson. with u suave bow. II
wanted to take the fund out of your
worthless supervision and devote It to
proper uses"
.'This must be stopped~ shouted