Fotheringay's Son.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 1736, 24 January 1913, Page 2

Fotheringay's Son.

(OURSER'AL

.' jHAFTER XXX. (Continued.) i "Koth'M-ingny!" exclaimed the doctor. "You don't mean that you are a son of Captain Fotheringay? Why. tlie':i Sir Arthur Damian was right—" • "Damian,, Damian!" interrupted ' the voung man. "Why, that was the 'name of mv father's friend!"

| "S:,r Arthur Damian," said Doctor Bernard, "was the man who was staying with me on the day when we announced that you had gained the scholarship; it was Sir Arthur who got you the post as tutor at Glazebrook I never -saw a man so stirred in all "my life as he was when he first ' set eves'on you. He told me all about his friend. 'Fotheringay was the man ..ho loved, and all his life long ho has j been faithful to his memory. My lad, "it will make a world of difference to 'Sir Arthur when he hears tliat Fotheringay's son is istii! alive." "Will itr".asked the young man. There was a new eagerness in his' face. •'■' l judge." said the doctor, "that your father was a brilliant, lovable young man, a,nd that he got into sonic kind "or. . scrape largely, through his own carelessness." "Ho had lost the woman ho loved, said Donnid reflectively, "and I suppose he did not care. I understand that feeling only too well. It seems to me as if I had lost interest m

everything.'' "But don't yon understand," said the doctor emphatically, "the difference it all makes? You are no longer Lavender, the unknown son of an unknown father—you are Fotheringay's son! Fotheringay was the last descendant of a great family. Yon take your place among the aristocracy as this man's son. no matter what "he lias done, I imagine lie wis one of those men who are easily forgiven by sooietv. Sir Arthur spoke of_it as an offense that could he overlooked. Don t you see, my lad, that with your abilities and your name, and with Sir \rthur Damiaii at your hack, there is a chance for vou to attain anything you have a mind to attain? Yen can see that surely?" "Do you mean to say ' Donald heSfl.lv* "Oh, doctor, doctor, I dare nob think of it!" , , "My hid," said the doctor kindly, "vou 'dare think of everything. • I

am not ono of those to sneak without weighing my words, and I see a future for'you-'" "Dare, ito hope, my boy! Of course von may dare to hope!" "You don't know, you don't know! said the young man covering his face with liis 'hand*. "You can't conceive what she is. The generosity, and the nobleness of her—l dare not thmk of it!" "| know." said the doctor. "The woman you l~v<- nlivo and, T hope, kind; the 'woman T loved lias lain under the sods these five-and-thi.rty years. But, thank Heaven, T still rememher!" The two men remained in .silence for a while, and then the, doctor sud-

denly remembered fcli.at ho had .to catch tho pest. "You stay here," ho said, "and think things over a little. I fancy Damiam will want you to go in for a public career." No one was happier than Doctor Bernard wlien he-was. a bout to do anything that could help another. Ho went .back to :lw.s lodgings and .hurriedly wrote a letter to Sir Arthur Damian. "I dare say 'he is shooting, or abroad, or somewhere out of London," he said to himself; "hut if T know the man he .will not wait a moment when he gets my letter." And this is iwbat lie wrote.

"My Dear Damian: You will remember the hand&ome lad you interested yourself in at the prize giving and whom you were instrumental in sending to Glazebrook. You fancied, you will remenrW, that lie had a certain resemblance to an unfortunate friend of yours. Now I have only just learned that in realitv h© is the son of th'o unhappy Captain Fotheringay whom you thought he resembled. He is with me jiow and. very unhappy liecause he ihas fallen —after the manner of thoughtless boys—in love with Miss Glaaebrcok. Are. you sufficiently interested to run; tip and see us ? I want you to advise what Iliad better bo done. The lad lias only become ! aware of Jiis father's name. I know you loved Fotheringay, awd so it is to you that I now write. If I have made

a mistake in doing so, never nii.nd. I shall wait your answer here." "It must be some fhree days at least before I can hear," the doctor remarked, as ilie sealed the envelope. "Three days is a long time to wait, but wo must do it.'*" 1 * Doctor Bernard studiously avoided referring to the subject of their conversation ponding a reply from Sir Arthur Damian. But there was a distinct change in Donald. He devoted himself seriously to reading. "I am going to tackle something stiff," he said to the doctor, picking up a book he was wont to study three

BY ALLAN ADAIR, *ylhor »i "Art island PrlncoM," "A ftSarrlags at F«I1«It y" EtJ>.

years previously. "It will be the best thing." "There's grit in you!" said the doctor encouragingly. "J always know it!" Three days passed and no letter came from Sir Arthur Damian. Both men were vaguely disappointed. "Don't worry/my lad." wvicl the doctor; "Sir Arthur must be away from home. He will not fail us." They had retired for the night when a carriage drove up to the door. "It must be Sir Arthur," said Donald, running downstairs. There- was a loud knock at the door, and in another moment Donald found himself in the arms of his father's friend. The young .man. trembled with excitement, and. ..the tears forced themselves, into his eyes.

•"The doctor thought you would come," he said. "He knew that I. would come!" cried Sir Arthur. ''Do you know what it means to me? It meajns that I have'a son of my own, for .T loved Tony .as if he had been my very,.own; flesh and blood! ; After all these years to come face to face with :his son!" he exclaimed, speaking with emotion. "Do you know," he continued, "my heart'went out to you a-s soon as 1 saw you? But you will not make shipwreck of your life as your poor father did!" "I have known all about that for the last three years," said Donald, with drooping head. "My mother told me when I gained a Baliol scholarship. She told nie inv father was—a thief!"

"Ok, no, no, no!" cried Sir Arthur. "My lad, she did not know Tony Fotheringay! I think I was tho only man who did; and I .went to India when tho affair happened. He was always in scrapes over mcfney matters Money meant nothing to him. He was a brilliant, high-handed, generous young guardsman, and when he wanted anything ho got it. I helped him out of many a scrape; I loved him and would have given my life for him! We all knew he cared /nothing far money; hut he received a blow from which he never recovered. All London was in love with him; and ho was heartwhdle until he met —no. T will not tell you her name. He loved her and vS-he loved him—as far as she was capable of loving. Neither of them thought of money. He l>ecame engaged to her one day. and very soon after she learned that he had not a penny. He met with an accident, and while he was laid up she jilted him nd ■married a nobleman with more money, than she could possibly.make, use of. She is a great lady now, and figures prominently in society, but slip ruined my Tony." I Ho paused, and his agitation kept him silent for several geoo'nds. (To be Continued.)