His Family Specter

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 405, 11 February 1904, Page 6

His Family Specter

O Y J® VE - Portion, I don't know II what to make of you!" exebumed Tom Fail .vigh. drawing- on Id* gioves with considerable show of vexation. "Amy Hepburn's happiness is dear to me. lu fact. I came here to-night to tell you that 1 lore her—" "To teil me!** Lruke in Gordon. ••Why don't you icil her?" "Wait—can't you? Let me •finish. Z have told her, and she has declined DC It was done very gently and with the greatest possible regard for say fecFngs, but nevertheless I was declined. Don't think me a fool because L come here and make a confession which can be nothing less than mortifying. Pm doing it for Amy*« Mice." Tor Amy's sake?" echoed Gordon. "Yes; I want to see her happy, and yon are the man to make her. so. She declined me on your account. Of eouse I knew long ago that you were say rival, bnt did not know until two boors ago that yon were the successful one. Ton aren't worthy of her and don't deserve her, bnt don't think for a moment that I believe myself more worthy or more deserving." Pausing suddenly, Farleigh walked to his friend's aide and laid a hand on . **ais shoulder. "I can't understand what yon mean by leading Amy to be* Have that you ear* for her while all ♦he time dividing your attention with Kail Forthdyke. Wonld yom be inhuman enough to break a heart as loyal as Amy's**** * •'Don't getrtrugle7*3RtJm?~*Ptti not going to break; anybody's heart. Nell la rich, "^ "And so are you," sneered Farleigh, walking hurriedly and laying his hand on the knob, "but Amy Hepburn is poor. Society dares you to wed with poverty. If you love Amy, are you man enough to dare? Examine into the financial condition of the Hepburn*, reflect upon what sensed their downfall in fortune and •sben let me see if you are strong enough to leap this Brahminical barrier of caste.** • With this- parting shot Farleigh passed quickly out of the room and •lammed the door behind him. Harry Gordon gave vent to a long whistle, settled himself back in 'a chair and thoughtfully'lighted a cigar. "That was quite 1 a jolt," he muttered, looking upward through the curling wreaths of smoke." "How happy could I be with either, were t'other sharmer away!' It's as sure as can be that I love one and fancy the other'. Bat who win unravel thia Gordkra knot? Which is it to be—Amy or ITeHr*: ' A knock fell on tha door, not on the outside door, but on a door leading into a closet. Harry Gordon stirred uncomfortably in his chair, a vexed look coming into his eyes as he fixed them upon'the closet door. After a brief interval of silence the knoek wss repeated. "Now, what in the world aroused ■"scnT* cried Gordon.' "Business is business,? came a hol- ' low voice from tha other aide of th*» eloset door. "I'm here for a purpose, and if I do not make that purpose manifest once in awhile you'll forget all about me." *" This remark was followed by a clanking, cachinnatory outburst that •earned to grata harshly on Gordon's ear.

-Wen, what do yon wantr ha asked. •-..,_ '•I want to eome out and show my■elf. Yon know I'm here, but a littla ocular demonstration won't come amiss, I take it. Bcmember, I'm showing consideration for yon. 1 might have kicked open this door and stalked out into tha room. But I didn't. I rapped." "Can't jou put it off? Coma out to-morrow. I've got something else to think about now." "The high and mighty order of family skeletons are not in the habit of playing second fiddle or taking back seats for anybody. Tm coming at once." "All right, then," groaned Gordon, squaring himaHf abamft in his chair. "w* ****** * l *** * ew open and a vambstloaed skeleton strode out and drips si with a rattle into a chair. "The cavernous eyes were blankly expressive—to Gordon. For him also there was something sarcastic in the grin of the fleshless jaws. ."Dost me off," said the skeleton. "I want to show op u frightful aa possible to-night." The request presented itself to Gordon as a command which he was pow- } erless to disobey. Picking up a feather duster, he plied it rigorously about the gleaming white bones. "Achoo!** he sneezed, dropping the duster snd falling into his chair. "You ought not to neglect me," said the skeleton. "I'm one of the family and should be treated as such. Kow. then, let's hare a chat." The skeleton crossed his bony tsga. and settled back comfortably. - "Will it do me any good to hsve sj chat with you?" queried Gordon. "That remains tc be seen. It used" to do your father good. Why, it was my custom to riait him every night. As he sat before that table writing I'd sneak out of that closet, come quietly up behind him and put an arm carrjsingly around his neck." The skeleton laughed, working his bony jaws with a succession of crackling sounds that made Gordon shiver. "How it used to startle him! He would turn white as a sheet as he looked up into my face. Once ha sprang to his feet in desperation, and we bad a wrestle all about the room, overturning chairs, tables and every* thing else that came in our way."

"You hu'vi eded in. shortening' my father's Hie.'* returned Gordon, gloomily "Cinder your tyranny he sank into his grave iong before his time." "So he did. so he did, and he passed) meoii to you with the rest of his-' property, real and personal ** It was a rich inheritance, my deafcpoy, even 'hough I had to be dragged at its •m-Ik. Yet don't accuse me of any -si*oiisibility for your father** tak--g .>EF. lie was the author of my ex-itt-rice. Like Frankenstein, he built is- up bone'-by bone, and was'notconcnt until he had made a gigantic •lansfcr and had breathed' into my my breast the Tjr'eath. of life;. Then, .1 order that I might not afflict his tght. he stowed me away in that' :losi't- Suppose I became the instrument of his own undoing.- Is-it not 'true that he was,-nevertheless, the author of his own downfall?" "Your logic seems to me as merciless as it is correct," answered Gordon, with knitted brows. "Still there are some points relating to your history on which toy mind is a trifle obscure. What possessed my father to call into being a creature of your disagreeable character?" ? - » 3 »•» "The almighty dollar, young man. He created me in of der that you might inherit a little more wealth. He did not think Jhen how I should one day sit astride.his shoulders like the Old Man of the-Sea, nor did he think that it was possible "for me to afflict his son. For Obvious reasons nty relations with you'sre' not so intimate as they" Wefre with -your worthy father. I was evolved but of the wheat pit of the board of trade. Your father was a bull, and-he mercilessly gored both life and fortune out of a certain bear who was not nimble enough to get out of his way." "And who was this bear?" asked Gordon. "A man named Hepburn.* "Amy Hepburn's father?" murmured the young man, rubbing his hand across his brow in an effort to remember. "Yes, Hepburn lost every penny he hsd in the world through that disistrous wheat deal. He was forced Into bankruptcy, and, unable to bear the disgrace, took his own life. His money went to increase the store your father left you, my boy, and it is now posisble for you to live in .uxury while llepburn'6 wife and children must struggle on as best they •an. However."' and the skeleton got up and started back to its closet, "it s not for me to moralize. Now that I've caught myself delivering a horary I'll just take my departure. Au revoir, my dear fellow I" Halting at the closet door, the skeleton waved it* adieu and disappeared within. Gordon sat in his chair, deep '.n thought, while his cigar burned itself out between his fingers. At last he got up and shook his broad shoulders as though freeing himself from a disagreeable burden. "Society dared me,' he muttered, 'but I know my heart now'and I'll do as I please." * * * After Harry Gordon and Amy Hepburn had been married and had returned from their honeymoon, Harry brought his bride upstairs to his old bachelor's den and seated her in a chair.

"My dear," he said, "I have a confession to make to you. My father Dnce did your father a grievous wrong, and I hare made myself the happiest fellow in the world by undoing it. However, as we are not to have any secrets from each other, you must know about this." • A look of astonishment came into Amy's blue eyes as she watched her husband proceed to the closet, throw open the door and go rummaging inside. "What in the world are you looking for. Harry?" she asked, as he returned to her side. "I'm looking for something that does not seem to be there—the Gordon family skeleton, Amy. For the first time in 15 years it is not to be found in that closet." Just then a clanking tread was heard in the hallway without, the door was pushed slowly ajar and the skeleton limped in. supporting itself on a crutch and looking very much the worse for wear. There it is J" cried Gordon. "What's the matter with you, old chap? Here, sit down. I want to make you acquainted witn my wife." The family skeleton dropped into a chair and shook until it rattled like a score of castanets. # "I'm done for," it groaned. "You've fixed mc, young man. I just dropped in to say good-by forever. But don't introduce me to your wife. We've met before." "That's to, Harry," said Amy. "I know all about this family skeleton of yours. Don't let it worry you, my dear," and she threw her soft arms about his neck. " 'Let the dead past bury its dead.* If we are happy, isn't that enough?" "Enough, yes!" And he pressed a rapturous kiss upon her fair cheek. That kiss pronounced the doom of the Gordon family skeleton. Forthwith it began to fade into the air, finally vanishing and leaving not a wrack b«hinflr-Chicago Herald.

<*al«lc "Wit Added *4.00 to Collretton* A man came up to me one day after sendee in a frontier town, and "was pleased to address me in this manner: "Say, parson, that there service and sermon was grand. I wouldn't have missed 'em for five dollars." When I suggested that he hand me the difference between the amount he had put in the collection basket and the figure he mentioned, for my missionary work, he stopped suddenly, looki■«' at mo with his mouth wide open, and then slowly pulled from his pocket $4.90, which he banded to me without a word.—Rev. Cyrus Townsend Brady, in Ladies* Home Journal.