The Bozeman courier., 1927-07-01
PAGE NINE

But Mark saw; he saw it all. He saw
the whole hneness Of Old Burden in be-
friending the son Of a colleague. He even
saw Old Burdens friendly guile in get
ting him to give an opinion on the old
case Whillon VS.. ClavelI. Old Burden
had felt that one day Mark would trace
his real parents, and having traced them,
would discover his fathers real identity,
and had taken care to assure him Of his
fathers innocence in advance. And there
was no doubt Of that innocence, when
his father cried: But how can you say
am innocent? The case went against
me-"
"I know" laughed Mark. "Why, Old
Burden gave me all the material with
new matter Just before sailed. I1e may
have had an intuition should find you;
he may have wanted to prepare for any
eventuality. You must have had poor
defending counsel, sir; guarantee I'd
have got verdict for you, even on the
old material. But with the new-Charles
Whillon is dead now, you know, sir. His
diaries make 1t plain that he gave you
verbal instructions to convert those trust
funds. He was coward and a weakling
though. He funked facing the music
when the crash came and the funds van
ished into thin air. Perhaps he thought
he had riSked jail, too, in ordering you
to sell out safe stock and buy that risky
stuff. That's why he took refuge behind
the fact that there was no evidence OF
I
why, proving your innocence is going to
be child's play. But-but why did you
abscond on the bail and hide away here,
sir?"
"I was coward" said his father
hoarsely.
mo-" said his mother. ''He did it for
me-and you, Johnnv. You were coming,
you know, and the case seemed hopeless.
Whillon had won his day, and there was
no evidence on our side once Whillon
h
er. He thought Of me and the shame
and shock to me in my condition. and
he thought Of you, born with a convict
for a father. So he sank his determine
ton to face it out and came away for
our sakes.
'T know, I remember some Of it. It
helped to bring me out here" said Mark.
1--WE decided to settle here, it was the
most cut of Of all the places" went on
| his mother. "We hired natives from the
Marquesas and they built this house. We
. planted as best we could, and lived as
best we could. Your uncle did a little
trading with the cutter, and when that
was lost with him we had to make do
with big canoe. We've been homeSick,
but happy. Very homesick Of late, my
! dear, because we missed you, as well as
home"
"And now you've got me-and I'm TAX
ing you home"
, "You can't as a rising young lawyer
, take John ClaVell, an abScOnd1ng lawyer
? home, my boy" said his father thickly
Cant ~" laughed Mark. For wasn't
it the John Clavell, lawyer, in my blood
> that has made me the lawyer that am
( Tt is your blood in me, sir, that will
: prove you innocent"
-Fis father hid his face in his hands
a. Mark rose and walked to the win
II, y Ic saw the Witch's Hat towering
, abcv -hS trees IS it had always lowered
! in his d<ssVcr
!. "you = story about that hill
!. didn't q. Al' 80. ne said.
t DO rc,, -,i5's-o ,or th a. my Saar?" sht
i said, COR ID y to Ia e'oe. "lc was {
D silly little story ABOUT that seing tnC
e Of the witch VINO protected and J..
e after us always"
e "Tt wasn't silly, and you were righ
: aboUC her." he smiled. ''For she brotlgh
me here. The memory of her hat stucl
i in my mind, though I forget the story.
Z would you like to hear it again
johnny" she said softly, so very softly.
: Eyes, DEAR" he said, putting his arm
y about her thin shoulders; "tel me now
8 as we look at it for the last time, for
:; feel that none Of us are going to see
: again."
Copyright: 1926: BY Douglas Newton