Show r f 1 A J i t W t st s- s t ir H B R 8 i t Y r j IJ M t lil t k f I il i Wj y V I il a H E R I G- G e- e B III 0 L t. t J. J Q 0 Joseph Mc McCord rd WN U Service CHAPTER XIV XIV XI Continued V-Continued 15 Through it all nil over It all the name Dale had been unable to force torce from his lips back In the study How long ago That was the mem mein memory ory his battered consciousness Desired De do- sired most of ot all to crush Even as his fingers tried to mutilate the tangible evidence and failed tailed Elaine Elaine EJaine Her face watching him through all this nightmare It would not be blotted out No matter how he beat at it with his bare heart That hurrying maddening procession procession sion swinging past his staring eyes Where was the end A host of ot puzzling shadows vs forging forging forging forg forg- ing by Taking shape at last Those were pennons streaming from bobbing bobbing bobbing bob bob- bing lance tips Clearer The half- half forgotten game of ot dreams Old guests of the Table Round And e ever er present in the the U mo-U motley Y Yot ot mail mails a lone rider Coming Corning out again hidden behind arms that bore no device Blank The shield ld argent j i Dales Dale's arm was across his hI tact to shut away the picture He rolled over and pressed his eyes deep among the dead leaves Sobs broke from him Elaine When that first storm had spent itself the boy who had been Dale Farwell roused and stared dully at his surround surroundings At the trees looming looming looming loom loom- ing darkly on all sides It was the same world he had seen slip from ben beneath ath his feet H He still was in i it J if it no longer of oi it For the moment his mi mind refused refused refused re re- re- re fused to recognize the present or future He must go back a a- a little reconstruct his chaos Adjust himself him rn sell self to a perspective of t some sort Slowly matters began to to right themselves in his numb brain It came back to him how his is fa father father fi- fi ther thor That was it He had no father But But he did He was the son sons son o of Ward Kelsey That should ha have been his name too No right to that other of which he had been so proud Who was Jonathan Farwell Farwell Farwell Far- Far well Only his mothers mother's husband A A man who had been kind t to him for her sake Had he This man of God Who stood upon upon up upon on each Sunday and told people h how w to be good Live righteous lives hate sin And he let let me live live he this lie lic He lived it too Wb Why Why All these years giving hims himself 1 to the task of saving souls What about his about his own soul What about bout The Lady Lee No use to push that out of his mind nind any longer The thing that mattered most of all He groaned softly to himself She was waiting for him now now- somewhere In La this soft darkness He had promised His last words had told her that nothing could ever keep them apart How could he ever tell her He couldn't Never to see her again What would they tell her when she called the parsonage What vo would ld he say say- sayIn in the message he must send before he went away from all this That he had made a mistake That she must try to forget To have to hurt her so No right even to look at ot her Never to hold bold her close The warm per perfume ume of her hair He couldn't stand this If It only he could start on that trip to the wilderness Bury himself forever Another dream shattered He never never nev nev- nev er wanted to see that man Hear his name Didn't dare see him I There were other wildernesses I He would find them Only ask to tobe tobe tobe be forgotten No riding out with colors now The clouds lowered Rain drops rattled sharply on the leaves Dale rose painfully to his feet Blundered on Deeper into the i woods Pink stood watch alone In his kitchen until the first streaks o ot dawn tinged the thc east cast and andi Albert Hickman arrived with Ith a clink clink of f milk bottles Pink had passed the hours tipped pack back in a a chair heels rest resting ng on th the table as as he be sat starIng staring staring star star- ing at the thc wall and l lighting one me cigarette after the other He had gone several times tunes to the back porch to peer Into th the darkness I and to listen Usten Then into the parlor only to 10 o hear that mo monotonous ot pacing pac pac- 1 ing overhead A moment later he h hesi hesitatingly sl sl- on on the k knob b banci and anci peered peeked cautiously into the thern r roam room m. m The light still burned Jonathan Farwell his face a. a e drawn drawn and h hag haggard g. g gard and Suddenly old turn turned d to face his I. I I. I Dale ha hat has not come come back were bis his first w words rd a Not yet Dominie I have bave l lost st him too I Farwell Farwel offered In a curiously flat voice Gone The finality stirred Mul Mul- grew crew to action Talk T lk sense he countered roughly You know that kids kid's no nc quitter Any moren you Sit down Pull yours yourself ell together With unexpected docility the mm minister min min- ister sank to a seat on the bed Hell He'll come conic back the little man mar Insisted You been thi this t. t around ever since he was born The kid got it all in one pack package ge What do o Y you o expect He Hes He's s had ld to go out i iby by himself and workS work it out Same as youve you've been doin When he gets here hell he'll be fixed d to talk Then you and hl him c can m get together Why should he come to me I drove him away My 1 punishment is almost greater than I can bear Pinckney I tried to carry it alone Did I d do wr wrong mg Did I 11 L LissOn Dominie Dominic I I cant can't tell teU you I reckon reckon- Id I'd have done the same as 1 you You ou wasn't sure I mean you you never never had bad it In black and white You know what Im I'm to o say What else was there to believe bellee Farwell persisted There never was anything else to believe God forgive me mc I hoped the man was de dead d. d Now he comes out of the past past One of them things That's all If U th there re wa was any doubt was the bitter retort why did that man hide himself all these years Why did he not find me Why There Is no answer m To anything In life Pink came came nearer He stood looking look look- ing mt down at the crumpled figure Dominie Dominic he began slowly I 1 aint v very ry good at nt sayin things But aint yo you sort sorta ru in out on on yourself your your- self tonight And on the kid You We have never xi ri Doctor Farwell Fir Fir- well welt No It was vas a a colorless word But I I. I am ani not ot surprised to see you now Then you ou know Im I'm Wade Kel Kel- sey The name had no sooner left the speakers speaker's lips than the door leading lead lead- ing mg to the tle dining roohi room closed abruptly By an unseen hand The unexpected sound recalled Fn Farwell well to the duties of host Will you be seated Thank you We can talk tall here If It you feel It necessary We are al alone ne I mean Jonathan n Farwell walked to the hall hail ci door or He He c closed it and came back to the nearest chair dropping wearily to its cushioned seat scat A Afew Afew Afew few brief hours had aged him per per- His shoulders sagged The white face was pinched and drawn Weli Well sir Perhaps this Is more difficult than I realized A slight hesitancy marked K Kelsey's attempt Sudden s sympathy mpa t filled him This man was I suffering He He- was ill Can you understand what brings me here he ventured I suppose y you u know that I have met Dale Dalci He t told me so He Is gone Far Far- Farwell Farwell well said listlessly First Elaine Today Dale Dale What That would you do there in yo your your r smug smug righteousness and smirch her name name Didn't It occur to you ou that Dale might might- be your son That he is four your tour fouron son on Elaine's boy You po poor r blind fool toot And to think I have- have hated you all these years Farwell slowly slowly- passed his hand handover handover handover over his mouth as if he had receIved received re re- re- re a blow His lips twitched but no sound C came He Ie peered up vacantly at at his accuser I am beginning to tc understand Kelsey remarked quietly We must get to the the- the bottom of this his Pull yourself yourself your your- self together man Is there anything any any- thing I can get you Farwell Farwell shook his head Then listen to me He drew his chair closer and seated himself This is no time to m mince nce words It m mins means ns too too much t to that boy To all sU of us I Ican I I can tell you some things you dont don't Kf know V. O That is w what it brought me here CHAPTER XV Well Vell start with me You'd best bOsi make up your mind to accept what I tell you Is th that t understood said Kelsey A slight nod of the head was Farwell's Farwells Farwells Farwells Farwell's Far Far- wells well's reply When you you came came to t to I 1 Iwas Iwas was a transit man man with the old bId il i l 1 L S L i. No I loved her too well know Pink hesitated then summed up I always let you handle han dIe dle the church end But heres here's how howall howall howall all this hits me If Gods God's all you ou figure re whys why's He lettin our kid sit in a cro crooked ked game No sir The kids kid's a square shooter You cant can't I Iteli tell teli me no different Dope it ou out for tor yo yourself sell II Nine o'clock found the parsonage enveloped in silence Jonathan Farwell still lay across his bed where had left him several hours before Exhausted by the storm that had swept his heart and brain sleep at last had claimed the minister Pink was in inthe inthe inthe the living room where he had stretched himself on the couch to w wait Dales Dale's coming The chiming of ot the clock brought him to his feet teet staring and rubbing rubbing rub rub- bing his eyes A distinct uneasiness possessed him when he realized that his watch had been kept in vain Dale had hadnot hadnot not returned Satisfied by the quiet overhead that Farwell must be resting resting rest rest- ing lug Pink stole softly to his kitchen to brew a pot of ot coffee As he swallowed a hasty breakfast breakfast breakfast break break- fast he was formula formulating ing a plan pIon of action He had promised Miss Lee Leeto Leeto Leeto to find tind the kid and he must make his effort at once He swore ore at the sound of the thedoor thedoor door bell Muttering to himself he hurried to answer it before his his his' hisem em employer employer should be roused It might be some word from the kidWell kidWell kid Well was his ungracious gr greetIng greeting greet greet- eting et- et ing t to th the stranger on the porch r I would like to s see e Dr Farwell If it ItI I may maya Before Pink could frame r a a. a re refusal refusal re a voice voice- spoke from with within n the hall halk Just a moment Pinckney Who Is It 1 Jonathan Far Farwell vell came slowly down the stairs and crossed to the front dear Good morning he beg began rf calmly calm calm- ly Did you w welsh sh 0 o see me Dr Farwell Yes Come OmO om in Pin J Pink tell fell back r reluctantly and allowed al al- al allowed allowed lowed the visitor to enter Eyed him uneasily as he walked Into the parlor followed by the minister The atmosphere of ot the Ule front room was charged with sudden tenseness as the two men faced each other The stranger stronger broke the silence He spoke blunt bluntly now I am i beyond hurt I l think ink Youre talking in riddles man mani Kelsey eyed yec the other sharply And And there there theres A Is s no answer left Farwells Farwell's black eyes fixed themselves themselves themselves them them- selves on the engineers engineer's puzzled face I Ij on once e supposed if ii ever I Imet Imet Imet met you face to face I would kill you God changes us There was wasa a faint touch of ot wonder in the words I think you had better explain that K Kelsey said it if quietly enough but a dull color crept into his cheeks I thought I might be of some help You have enough to answer answer an an- answer for when it comes to that Elaine might be here now if you Im I'm sorry I didn't mean to say tha that Yes She might have naye come here herewith herewith herewith with you To claim your son It is too late He is gone I drove him i away In Gods God's name Farwell what are you saying Kelsey elsey sprang to his feet The lean face under the gray hair had g gone nc as white as Far Farwell's own O His fists were thrust Into his coat pockets as it if fearful his anger might get the best of him That Dale is yours was the measured reply I always have known Wade Kelsey took a backward step and sank helplessly Into his chair He but stared at FarwelL I I sinned more deeply than 1 I knew I never told the boy Always Al M. ways ways' I was hoping hoping hoping Then you you came came I 1 I had to tell him All Wait Kelsey's voice was harsh He swallowed before he could ask his question Are you trying to tell me that you think think- that you dare believe Im I'm that boys boy's father Would you deny him a name now It is all that you can give him More than you YOl did for her If U L I. did not believe you utterly mad mad A A. dangerous ring crept Into Kelsey's Keisey's voice as he I leaned med for for- ward As long as you have said that that that- Let me rIle tell you something once and for for all I gave Elaine a alove alove alove love that Hiat could mean nothing to toyo yo you For you killed her No I loved her Too welL welt welLAnd welLAnd And I tell you that you did You broke her between your hands She loved you so well she let you drive her out of your life Ute And now He Hc was on his feet aC again agim You sit G. G C C. C Starting out I was en engaged h h g ged to Elaine Theres There's no good going into that She loved you morel more than she did me But there ther is one thing tiling you will have to believe It didn't keep me from loving her There never has been another woman worn wom an in my life ille From that day until this If you can get that Farwell sat motionless s. s Staring In mute pain at the other manI manI man I dont don't want to b be rough rough Kelsey seemed to o find th goi going difficult dif dU I know v now that Elaine never opened her lips to toa a a soul But I saw Though I never talked with her after after she s sent nt m me away She v was s trying to fit herself to a job that was beyond herI her I can guess what happened after you to took k her away She found herself herself her her- self seU failing tailing the th job job and and you Fright and her nerves got the better of ot her I could piece It all together She clung to you and you gave gave herno her herno herno no help Perhaps you That's not for for- forme me to judge All I know Is that something snapped It was was was' bound to toI he s said id Farwell moistened mois his his lips Ups with the tip of his tongue Sa Sat i W watching His face was expressionless Elaine was in a a. a p panic n c when sh left your home Her physical condition condition con con- had bad to do with it of course When she was driven to take th the st step p she couldn't g go back She couldn't go to her mother for toi- fear you would find her This will sound almost unbelievable able I I lean Ican can can see sec now It S. S t The same as my my- running across Dale last week I was in In Ch ag Or on ri business A A- friend A-friend tr I dropp dropped d I Into a n Loop re restaurant for lunch I saw Elaine waiting f on on tables This Is going to hurt sh She was working to support your baby Ill cut it short for both our sakes Elaine didn't have much resistance re re- resistance The lake air had been doing her no good I r took her to to her mother where she belonged Then I l' began a a search fo for you You seemed to have dropped from sight I stumbled stumbled across across y your mr trail once in 1915 Elaine had been dead several months She hoped for you to the last Wanted to put Dale In your arms arms arms' w where 1 re he belonged Now its it's your turn to help Where wen weri you Overseas We weren't |