His Family

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 444, 20 October 1904, Page 8

His Family

""D Y J OVE - Gerdi'' * don't kno^j fj what to make y)u!" e*j •laimed Tom Fairleigh. drawing orMs gloves with considea-a.'*le show o vexation. "Amy Hepburn'* bappines is dear to me. In fact, 1 jama her to-night to tell you that I !• ▼>' her—"To tell me!" broke in Gordoif "Why don't you tell her?" J "Wait—can't you? Let » e tfnialf Z have told her, and she has decline* me. It was done very gently with the greatest possible fa* my feelings, but nevertheless I wif declined. Don't think me a f - >1 b«* cause I come here and make a c >zifaM ■ion whisk can be nothing less thsi| mortifying. Pm doing it for I mjf» sake." «Tor Amy's taker* echoed Gu*dor». "Yes; I Want to see her happy, and yon are the man to make her ao* Bhs declined me on your account. Oi couse I knew long ago that you were my rival, but did not know until two hours ago that you were the tncoess-' tal one. Yon aren't wsrthy of hei and don't dsserrs hsr, but don't thiiA ! 4or a moment that I believe myseli more worthy or more deserving.' Pausing suddenly, Farleigh walked tt Us friend's side and laid a hand on Ids shoulder. "I can't understand what you mean by leading Amy to believe that you care for her while aB the time dividing your attention with Well Forthdyke. Would you be inhuman enough to break a heart as loyal as Amy's?" "Don't get tragic, Tom. Pm Ufc* going to break anybody's heart. Wtfi is rich, you know—" i» "And so are you," sneered Farleigh, walking hurriedly to the door 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 Hepbarns, reflect upon what earned their downfall in fortune and then let me see if you are strong enough to leap this Brahmin foal barrier of caste." "■* With this parting shot Farleigh passed quickly out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Harry Gordon gave vent to a long whistle, •sttled himself back in a ehair and thoughtfully lighted a cigar. "That was quite a jolt," he muttered, looking upward through the curling wreaths of smoke. " low hap*

py oomld I be with either, were t'other charmsr away!' It's as sore a« can be that I love one and fancy the other. Bnt who will unravel thia Gordion knot? Which is it to be—Amy or Sear' A knock fell on the door, not on the outside door, bnt on a door leading Into a closet. Hairy Gordon stirred uncomfortably in his chair, a Taxed look coming into his eyes as he fixed them upon the closet door. Aft- . *r a brief interval of ailenes the knook was repeated, "Now, what in the world •soused you?" cried Gordon. "Business is business,** came a hos* low Toice from the other side of the eloset door. "I'm hers 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 seemed to grata harshly on Gordon's ear. *" "Weß, whU do ywi wantr -bs asked. "I want to come out and show myself. You know Fm here, but a little ocular demonstration wont come •miss, I take it. Bemember, I'm showing consideration for you. J anight hare kicked open this door and ■talked- out into the room. But I didn't. I rapped." "Can't you put it off? Comsv 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 himself shout in his chair. "Com* ssi." "Msi siasat eVecr flew open and a wefl laa Lloped skeleton strode out and drepped with a rattle into a chair. The cavernous eyes were Wankly expressive—to Gordon. For him also there was something sarcastic in the grin of the fleahless jaws. "Dust me off," said the skeleton. "I want to show up as frightful as possible to-nl^ht." The request presented itself to Gordon as a command Which he was powerless to disobey. Picking up a feather duster, he plied it vigorously •bout Ihe gleaming white bones. "Achoo!" he sneezed, dropping the duster and falling into fci» chair. "You ought not to neglect me," •aid the skeleton. "I'm one of the family and should be treated as such. Jfow, then, let's have a chat" The skeleton crossed his bony legs •ad settled back comfortably. "Will it do me any good to have a •hat with you?" queried Gordon.

That«remains to be seen. It uied

to do yonr father good. Why, it was i? my custom to visit him every night. - As he eat before that table writing I'd sneak out of that cWet. coiue flnictly np behind him r,~A put nn •rm caressingly amundj - : s «eck." The skeleton laughe*; - ' Ms __- bony jaws with , ..neer-ion Q f "crack- [ ling aotindf ih.it nnd« "-w? ?n ,i.;„ r 1 \ ** " SCu l 0 fcU*rtle -.. -.. ,}rg | '•'urn white a)} n -■ i ... ** j looked up into nr-**ac< ." ».„ j eprang fo his fee* ftwi *• ~S ~ ! we hat awr "- C M „» r^** u— . • *-'-"*Jtai . eur " fc~. t- * - «,.i v 7 »***• **JL«* Ctir* | "* gt:d a;, r< *f «'i«. • cf r imo i?. It is ; 2 thf re jl«i»' iMu i ki vhtopißgl « etcj.h. J; •"*•%* :'ies mb core*;

"You succeeded in shortening my father's life,** returned Gordon, gloomily "Under your«<yranny he sank into his grave long before his time." "So he did, bo he did, ar.J he passed me on to you with the rest of his property, seal an 4 personal It was a rich inheritance, my dear boy, even though I had to be dragged at its heels. Yet don't accuse me of any responsibility for your father's taking off. He was the author of my existence. Like Frankenstein, he built me up bone by bone, and was not conlent until he had made a gigantic monster and had breathed into my bony breast the breath of life. Then, in order that I might not afflict his sight, he stowed me away in that closet. Suppose I became the instrument of his own undoing. Is it not true that he was, nevertheless, the author oi his own downfall?"

"Your logic seems to me as merci- j less at it is correct," answered Gordon, with knitted brows. "Still there are some points relating to your history oa which my mind is a trifle obscure. What possessed my father to call into being a creature of your disagreeable character?" "The almighty dollar, young man. He created me in order that you might inherit a little more wealth. He did not think then how I should one daj 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 my relations with you are not so intimate as they were with your worthy father. I was evolved out of the ! wheat pit of the board of trade. Your | father was a bull, and he mercilessly ! gored both life and fortune out of e j jertain 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 band across his brow ha an effort to remember. * I "Yes, Hepburn lost every penny he hod in the world through that dis- ! aatrous wheat deal. He was forced into bankruptcy, and, unable to bear the disgrace, took his own life. His money went to increases the store your father left you, my boy, and it j \b new posisble for you to live in ' uxury while Hepburn's wife and children must struggle on as best they : 3an. However," and the skeleton got op and started back to its closet, "it b not for me to moralize. Now that I've caught, myself delivering a homily I'll just take my departure. Au re voir, my dear fellow!" Halting at the closet door, the skel--ston waved its adieu and disappeared within. Gordon sat in his chair, deep in thought, while his cigar burned it•elf 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 io as I please." * * * After Harry Gordon and Amy Hep-s-Bra 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 •hair. "My dear," he said, "1 have a confession to make to you. My father snse did your father a grievous wrong, and I have made myself the happiest fellow in the world by undoing However, as we are not to have any secrets from each other, you must know about this." j A look of astonishment came into Amy's blue eyes as she watched her j husband proceed to the closet, throw open the door and go rummaging "in- . side. * i "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 with my wife." | The family skeleton dropped into a | chair and shook until it rattled like t a score of castanets.

"I'm done for," it groaned. "You're fixed me, young man. I just dropped in to say good-by forever. But don't introduce me to your wife. We're anret before." "That's so, 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 neak. " 'Let the dead past busy its dead.* If we are happy, isn't that enough?" r "Enough, yesi" And he pressed a rapturous kiss upon her fair cheek. That kiss pronounced the doom of fhe Gordon family skeleton. Forthwith it began to fade into the air, finally tfinishing and leaving not a wrack bebdnrL—Chicago Herald.

Claiclc Wit Added *4.no to Collection. A man came up to me one day after service in a frontier town, and was pleased to address me in this manner:, "Bay, 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 bet-ween the amovit he had put in the collection basket and the figure he mentioned, for my missionary work, he stepped suddenly, looked at me with his mouth wide open, and then'slowly nn : N(l from his poeke. 54.90, which he r hsi:.'.9fl to u*e witi'ou 1 a word.—Eev. 0? Tov.-ni.el. ■• "rativ, in Ladies' H- jonrual