diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/62033-h/62033-h.htm')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/62033-h/62033-h.htm | 10187 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 10187 deletions
diff --git a/old/62033-h/62033-h.htm b/old/62033-h/62033-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 5351be6..0000000 --- a/old/62033-h/62033-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10187 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Blood Will Tell, by Benj. Rush Davenport. - </title> - - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - -<style type="text/css"> - -a { - text-decoration: none; -} - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -h1,h2 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -hr { - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - clear: both; - width: 65%; - margin-left: 17.5%; - margin-right: 17.5%; -} - -p { - margin-top: 0.5em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; - text-indent: 1em; -} - -table { - margin: 1em auto 1em auto; - max-width: 45em; - border-collapse: collapse; -} - -td { - padding-left: 2.25em; - padding-right: 0.25em; - vertical-align: top; - text-indent: -2em; -} - -.tdpg { - vertical-align: bottom; - text-align: right; - white-space: nowrap; -} - -.blockquote { - margin: 1.5em 10%; -} - -.caption { - text-align: center; - margin-bottom: 1em; - font-size: 90%; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.caption-r { - text-align: right; - margin-bottom: 1em; - font-size: 90%; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.center { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -.larger { - font-size: 150%; -} - -.noindent { - text-indent: 0; -} - -.pagenum { - position: absolute; - right: 4%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; -} - -.poetry-container { - text-align: center; - margin: 1em; -} - -.poetry { - display: inline-block; - text-align: left; -} - -.poetry .verse { - text-indent: -3em; - padding-left: 3em; -} - -.right { - text-align: right; -} - -.smaller { - font-size: 80%; -} - -.tb { - margin-top: 2em; -} - -.titlepage { - text-align: center; - margin-top: 3em; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.transnote { - background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - text-align: center; - padding: 0.5em; - margin-bottom: 5em; -} - -.w20 { - margin: auto; - max-width: 20em; -} - -@media handheld { - -img { - max-width: 100%; - width: auto; - height: auto; -} - -.poetry { - display: block; - margin-left: 1.5em; -} - -.blockquote { - margin: 1.5em 5%; -} -} - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Blood Will Tell, by Benj. Rush Davenport - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Blood Will Tell - The Strange Story of a Son of Ham - -Author: Benj. Rush Davenport - -Illustrator: J. H. Donahey - -Release Date: May 5, 2020 [EBook #62033] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLOOD WILL TELL *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images -made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="transnote"> -<p><b>Transcriber’s Note:</b> The reader may wish to be warned that this book -contains racial stereotyping more than usually unpleasant even by the -standards of its time. Read as far as the <a href="#Dedication">Dedication</a> and use that to -decide whether or not you want to continue.</p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="Cover image" /> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;" id="illus1"> -<img src="images/illus1.jpg" width="450" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">“The brutalized features of Walter Burton were revealed.”</p> -<p class="caption-r"><a href="#Page_276">Frontispiece</a></p> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> - -<img src="images/title.jpg" width="400" height="600" alt="" /> - -<p class="titlepage larger">BLOOD WILL TELL</p> - -<p class="center">THE STRANGE STORY OF<br /> -A SON OF HAM</p> - -<p class="titlepage"><span class="smaller">BY</span><br /> -BENJ. RUSH DAVENPORT<br /> -<span class="smaller">AUTHOR OF</span><br /> -Blue and Gray, Uncle Sam’s Cabins,<br /> -Anglo-Saxons, Onward, Etc.</p> - -<p class="titlepage">Illustrations<br /> -by<br /> -J.H. Donahey</p> - -<p class="titlepage">CLEVELAND<br /> -Caxton Book Co.<br /> -1902</p> - -</div> - -<p class="titlepage">Copyright<br /> -by<br /> -Benj. Rush Davenport<br /> -1902</p> - -<p class="titlepage">All rights reserved</p> - -<hr /> - -<div class="w20"> - -<h2 id="Dedication">DEDICATION</h2> - -<p class="noindent">To all Americans who deem purity -of race an all-important element in -the progress of our beloved country.</p> - -<p class="right">THE AUTHOR</p> - -<p class="noindent">For obvious reasons the date -of this story is not given ...</p> - -</div> - -<hr /> - -<h2>List of Illustrations</h2> - -<table summary="List of illustrations"> - <tr> - <td>“The brutalized features of Walter Burton were revealed.</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus1">Frontispiece</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>“Lucy passed her soft, white arm around her grandfather’s neck.”</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus2">Page 108</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>“He recklessly rushed in front of Burton.”</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus3">Page 286</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>“Lucy, I have always loved you.”</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus4">Page 340</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> - -<h1>BLOOD WILL TELL</h1> - -<h2>I.</h2> - -<p>Boston was shrouded in a mantle of -mist that November day, the north-east -wind bringing at each blast re-enforcement -to the all-enveloping and obscuring mass -of gloom that embraced the city in its arms of -darkness.</p> - -<p>Glimmering like toy candles in the distance, -electric lights, making halos of the fog, marked -a pathway for the hurrying crowds that poured -along the narrow, crooked streets of New England’s -grand old city. In one of the oldest, -narrowest and most crooked thoroughfares -down near the wharfs a light burning within the -window of an old-fashioned building brought to -sight the name “J. Dunlap” and the words “Shipping -and Banking.”</p> - -<p>No living man in Boston nor the father of any -man in Boston had ever known a day when passing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span> -that old house the sign had not been there -for him to gaze upon and lead him to wonder if -the Dunlap line would last unbroken forever.</p> - -<p>In early days of the Republic some Dunlap -had in a small way traded with the West Indian -islands, especially Haiti, and later some descendant -of this old trade pathfinder had established -a regular line of sailing ships between Boston -and those islands. Then it was that the sign -“J. Dunlap, Shipping and Banking” made its -appearance on the front of the old house. A -maxim of the Dunlap family had been that there -must always be a J. Dunlap, hence sons were -ever christened John, James, Josiah and such -names only as furnished the everlasting J as the -initial.</p> - -<p>“J. Dunlap” had grown financially and commercially -in proportion to the growth of the Republic. -There was not room on a single line in -the Commercial Agency books to put A’s enough -to express the credit and financial resources of -“J. Dunlap” on this dark November day. Absolutely -beyond the shoals and shallows of the -dangerous shore of trade where small crafts<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span> -financially are forced to ply, “J. Dunlap” sailed -ever tranquil and serene, neither jars nor shocks -disturbing the calm serenity of the voyage.</p> - -<p>This dismal November day marked an unparalleled -experience in the career of the present “J. -Dunlap.” The customary calm was disturbed. J. -Dunlap disagreed and disagreed positively with -J. Dunlap concerning an important event, and -that event was a family affair.</p> - -<p>The exterior of “J. Dunlap” may be dark, -grimy, dingy and old, but within all is bright -with electric light. Behind glass and wire screens -long lines of clerks and accountants bend over -desks and busy pens move across the pages of -huge ledgers and account books—messengers -hurry in and out of two glass partitioned offices. -On the door of one is painted “Mr. Burton, Manager;” -on the other “Mr. Chapman, Superintendent.”</p> - -<p>Separated by a narrow passageway from the -main office is a large room, high ceiling, old-fashioned, -furnished with leather and mahogany -fittings of ancient make, on the door of which -are the words, “J. Dunlap, Private Office.” This<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -is the <i lang="la">sanctum sanctorum</i> in this temple of trade. -Within “J. Dunlap’s” private office before a large -grate heaped high with blazing cannel coal two -old men are seated in earnest conversation. They -are “J. Dunlap.”</p> - -<p>Seventy-two years before this November day -that enfolded Boston with London-like fog there -were born to one J. Dunlap and his wife twin -boys to whom were given in due season the -names of James and John. These boys had grown -to manhood preserving the same likeness to each -other that they had possessed as infants in the -cradle. James married early and when his son -was born and was promptly made a J. Dunlap, -his twin brother vowed that there being a J. -Dunlap to secure the perpetuation of the name, -he should never marry.</p> - -<p>When the J. Dunlap, father of the twin brothers, -died, the twins succeeded to the business as -well as the other property of their father, share -and share alike. To change the name on the -office window to Dunlap Bros. was never even -dreamed of; such sacrilege would surely have -caused the rising in wrath of the long line of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -ghostly “J. Dunlaps” that had preceded the twins. -Hence on this dark day “J. Dunlap” was two instead -of one.</p> - -<p>Handsome men were all the Dunlaps time out -of mind, but no ancestor was ever more handsome -than the two clean cut, stalwart, white -haired old men who with eager gestures and -earnest voices discussed the point of difference -between them today.</p> - -<p>“My dear brother,” said the one whose face -bore traces of a more burning sun than warms -the Berkshire hills, “You know that we have never -differed even in trivial matters, and James, it is -awful to think of anything that could even be -called a disagreement, but I loved your poor boy -John as much as I have ever loved you and when -he died his motherless little girl became more to -me than even you, James, and it hurts my heart -to think of my darling Lucy being within possible -reach of sorrow and shame.” The fairer -one of the brothers bent over and grasping with -both hands the raised hand of him who had -spoken said with an emotion that filled his eyes -with moisture:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span></p> - -<p>“God bless you, John! You dear old fellow! -I know that that loving heart of yours held my -poor boy as near to it as did my own, and that -Lucy has ever been the dearest jewel of your -great soul, but your love and tenderness are now -conjuring up imaginary dangers that are simply -beyond a possibility of existence. While I will -not go so far as to admit that had I known that -there was a trace of negro blood in Burton I -should have forbidden his paying court to my -granddaughter, still I will confess that I should -have considered that fact and consulted with you -before consenting to his seeking Lucy’s hand. -However, it is too late now, John. He has won -our girl’s heart and knowing her as you do you -must appreciate the consequences of the disclosure -of this discovery and the abrupt termination -of her blissful anticipations. It is not only -a question of the health and happiness of our -dear girl, but her very life would be placed in -jeopardy.”</p> - -<p>This seemed an unexpected or unrealized -phase of the situation to the first speaker, for he -made no reply at once but sat with troubled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> -brow gazing into the fire for several minutes, -then with a sigh so deep that it was almost a -groan, exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Oh! that I had known sooner! I am an old -fool! I might have suspected this and investigated -Burton’s family. John Dunlap, d——n -you for the old idiot that you are,” and rising he -began pacing the floor; his brother watched -him with eyes of tender, almost womanly affection -until a suspicious moisture dimmed the -sight of his worried second self. Going to him -and taking him by the arm he joined him in his -walk back and forth through the room, saying:</p> - -<p>“John, don’t worry yourself so much old chap, -there is nothing to fear; what if there be a slight -strain of negro blood in Burton? It will disappear -in his descendants and even did Lucy know -all that you have learned, she loves him and -would marry him anyhow. You know her heart -and her high sense of justice. She would not -blame him and really it is no fault of his.”</p> - -<p>“You say,” broke in his brother, “that the negro -blood will disappear in Burton’s descendants? -That is just what may not happen! Both in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> -United States and Haiti I have seen cases of -breeding back to the type of a remote ancestor -where negro blood, no matter how little, ran in -the veins of the immediate ancestor. In the animal -kingdom see the remoteness of the five toed -horse, yet even now sometimes a horse is born -with five toes. Man is but an animal of the highest -grade.”</p> - -<p>“Well, even granting what you say about the -remote possibility of breeding back, you know -that our ancestors years ago stood shoulder to -shoulder with Garrison, Beecher and those grand -heroes who maintained that the enslavement of -the negro was a crime, and that the color of the -skin made no difference—that all men were -brothers and equal.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I know and agree with our forefathers -in all of that,” exclaimed the sun burned J. Dunlap -with some show of impatience. “But while -slavery was all wrong and equality before the -law is absolutely right, still I have seen both in -this country and in the West Indies such strange -evidence of the inherent barbarism in the negro -race that I am almost ready to paraphrase a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> -saying of Napoleon and declare, ‘Scratch one -with negro blood in him and you find a barbarian.’”</p> - -<p>“Your long residence in disorderly Haiti, -where your health and our interest kept you has -evidently prejudiced you,” replied the fair J. -Dunlap. “Remember that for generations our -family has extended the hospitality of our homes -to those of negro blood provided they were educated, -cultured people.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, James, Yes! Provided they had the culture -and education created by the white man, and -to be frank between ourselves, James, there has -been much affectation about the obliteration of -race distinction even in the case of our own family, -and you know it! We Dunlaps have made -much of our apparent liberality and consistency, -but in our hearts we are as much race-proud -Aryans as those ancestors who drove the race-inferior -Turanians out of Europe.”</p> - -<p>James Dunlap was as honest as his more impetuous -brother. Suddenly stopping and confronting -him with agitated countenance, he said: -“You are right, John, in what you say about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -our affecting social equality with those of negro -blood. God knows had I been aware of the facts -that you have hastened from Port au Prince to -lay before me all might have been different; our -accursed affectation may have misled Burton, -who is an honorable gentleman, no matter if his -mother was a quadroon. Social equality may -be all right, but where it leads to the intermarriage -of the races all the Aryan in me protests -against it, but it is too late and we must trust to -Divine Providence to correct the consequences -of the Dunlap’s accursed affectation.”</p> - -<p>“I expected Lucy to marry Jack Dunlap, the -son of our cousin; then the old sign might have -answered for another hundred years. Lucy and -Jack were fond of each other always, and I -thought when two years ago I left Boston for -Haiti that the match was quite a settled affair. -Why did you not foster a marriage that would -have been so satisfactory from every standpoint?”</p> - -<p>“I did hope that Lucy would marry your -namesake, dear brother; don’t blame me; while -I believe that the boy was really fond of my -granddaughter, still, being poor, and having the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -Dunlap pride he positively declined the position -in our office that I offered him. I wished to keep -him near Lucy and to prepare him to succeed us -as ‘J. Dunlap.’ When I made the offer he said in -that frank, manly, sailor man fashion of his that -he was worthless in an office and he wished no -sinecure by reason of being our kinsman; that he -was a sailor by nature and loved the sea; that he -wished to make his own way in the world; that -if we could fairly advance him in his profession -he would thank us, but that was all that he could -accept at our hands.”</p> - -<p>“See that now!” exclaimed the listener. “Blood -will tell. The blood of some old Yankee sailor -man named Dunlap spoke when our young kinsman -made that reply. Breed back! Yes indeed -we do.”</p> - -<p>“No persuasion could move the boy from the -position he had taken and as he held a master’s -certificate and had proven a careful mate I gave -him command of our ship ‘Lucy’ in the China -trade. I imagine there was some exhibition of -feeling at the parting of Lucy and John, as my -girl seemed much depressed in spirits after he -left.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You recall how Walter Burton came to us fifteen -years ago with a letter from his father, our -correspondent in Port au Prince, saying that he -wished his son to enter Harvard and asking us to -befriend him. The lad was handsome and clever -and we never dreamed of his being other than of -pure blood. He was graduated at the head of his -class, brilliant, amiable, fascinating. Our house -was made bright by his frequent visits.</p> - -<p>“When his father died, leaving his great wealth -to Walter, he begged to invest it with us, and liking -the lad we were glad to have him with us. -Beginning at the bottom, by sheer force of ability -and industry, within ten years he has become our -manager. I am sure John Dunlap, your namesake, -never told Lucy that he loved her before he -sailed for China. The pride of the man would -hold back such a declaration to our heiress. So -with Jack away, his love, if it exist, for Lucy -untold, it is not strange that Burton, and he is a -most charming man, in constant attendance upon -my granddaughter should have won her heart. -He is handsome, educated, cultured and wealthy. -I could imagine no cause for an objection, so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -when he asked for Lucy’s hand I assented. The -arrangements are completed and they will be married -next month. Lucy wished you to witness the -ceremony and wrote you and you hasten from -Haiti home with this unpleasant discovery. Now, -John, think of Lucy and tell me, brother, what -your heart says is our duty.”</p> - -<p>James Dunlap, exhausted by the vehement -earnestness that he had put into this long speech, -recounting the events and circumstances that had -led up to the approaching marriage of his granddaughter, -dropped into one of the large armchairs -near the fire, waiting for a reply, while his brother -continued his nervous tramp across the room.</p> - -<p>Silence was finally disturbed by a light knock -on the door and a messenger entered, saying that -Captain Dunlap begged permission to speak with -the firm a few moments. When the name was announced -the two brothers exchanged glances that -seemed to say, “The man I was thinking of.”</p> - -<p>“Show him in, of course,” cried John Dunlap, -eagerly stopping in his monotonous pacing up -and down the room.</p> - -<p>The door opened again and there entered the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -room a man of about twenty-seven years of age, -rather below the medium height of Americans, -but of such breadth of shoulders and depth of -chest as to give evidence of unusual physical -strength. A sailor, every inch a sailor, anyone -could tell, from the top of his curly blonde hair -to the sole of his square toed boots. His sunburnt -face, while not handsome, according to the -ideals of artists, was frank, manly, bold—a brave, -square jawed Anglo-Saxon face, with eyes of that -steely gray that can become as tender as a -mother’s and as fierce as a tiger’s.</p> - -<p>“Come in, Jack,” cried both of the old gentlemen -together.</p> - -<p>“Glad to see you my boy,” added John Dunlap. -“How did you find your good mother and the -rest of our friends in Bedford? I only landed today; -came from Port au Prince to see the Commons -once more; heard that the ‘Lucy’ and her -brave master, my namesake, had arrived a week -ahead of me, safe and sound, from East Indian -waters.”</p> - -<p>So saying he grasped both of the sailor’s hands -and shook them with the genuine cordiality of a -lad of sixteen.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Have you seen my granddaughter since your -return, Captain Jack?” inquired James Dunlap, as -he shook the young man’s hand.</p> - -<p>“I was so unfortunate as to call when she was -out shopping, and as Mrs. Church, the housekeeper, -told me that she was so busy preparing -for the approaching wedding that she was engaged -all the time, I have hesitated to call again,” -replied the sailor, as with a somewhat deeper -shade of red in his sun burned face he seated himself -between the twins.</p> - -<p>“Lucy will not thank Mrs. Church for that -speech if it is to deprive her of the pleasure of -welcoming her old playmate and cousin back to -Boston and home. You must come and dine -with us tomorrow,” said Lucy’s grandfather.</p> - -<p>“I am much obliged for your kind invitation, -sir, but if you will only grant the request I am -about to make of the firm, my next visit to my -cousin will be to say goodby, as well as to receive -a welcome home from a voyage.”</p> - -<p>“Why, what do you mean, lad!” exclaimed both -of the brothers simultaneously.</p> - -<p>Concealment or deception was probably the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -most difficult of all things for this frank man -with the free spirit of the sea fresh in his soul, so -that while he answered the color surged up -stronger and stronger in his face until the white -brow, saved from the sun by his hat, was as red -as his close shaven cheeks.</p> - -<p>“Well, sir, this is what I mean. I learned yesterday -that the storm we encountered crossing -the Atlantic coming home had strained my ship -so badly that it will be two months before she is -out of the shipwright’s hands.”</p> - -<p>“What of that, Jack,” broke in the darker J. -Dunlap. “Take a rest at home. I know your -mother will be delighted, and speaking from a -financial standpoint, as you know, it makes not -the least difference.”</p> - -<p>“I was going to add, sir, that this morning I -learned that Captain Chadwick of your ship -‘Adams,’ now loaded and ready to sail for Australia, -was down with pneumonia and could not -take the ship out, and that there was some difficulty -in securing a master that filled the requirements -of your house. I therefore applied to Mr. -Burton for the command of the ‘Adams,’ but he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -absolutely refused to consider the application -saying that as I had been away for almost two -years, that it would be positively brutal to even -permit me to go to sea again so soon, and that -the ‘Adams’ might stay loaded and tied to the -dock ten years rather than I should leave home -so speedily.”</p> - -<p>“Burton is exactly right, I endorse every word -he has said. You can’t have the ‘Adams’!” said -James Dunlap with emphasis. “What would -Martha Dunlap, your mother, and our dear -cousin’s widow, think if we robbed her of her only -son so soon after his return from a long absence -from home?”</p> - -<p>“My mother knows, sir, that my stay at home -will be very brief. She expects me to ask to go -to sea again almost immediately. I told her all -about it when I first met her upon my return,” -and as he spoke the shipmaster’s gaze was never -raised from the nautical cap that he held in his -hand.</p> - -<p>“Well! You are not going to sea again immediately, -that is all about it. You have handled -the ‘Lucy’ for two years, away from home, using<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -your own judgment, in a manner that, even were -you not our kinsman, would entitle you to a long -rest at the expense of our house as grateful shipowners,” -said Lucy’s grandfather.</p> - -<p>The young man giving no heed to the compliment -contained in the remarks made by James -Dunlap, but looking up and straight into the eyes -of the brother just arrived from Haiti, said so -earnestly that there could be no question of his -purpose:</p> - -<p>“I wish to get to sea as soon as possible. If I -cannot sail in the ‘Adams,’ much as I dislike to -leave you, sirs, I must seek other employ.”</p> - -<p>“The devil you will!” exclaimed his godfather -angrily.</p> - -<p>“Why, if you sail now you will miss your -cousin’s wedding and disappoint her,” added -James Dunlap.</p> - -<p>“Again, gentlemen, I say that I shall get to -sea within a few days. I either go in the ‘Adams’ -or seek other employ,” and all the time he was -speaking not once did the sailor remove his -steady gaze from the eyes of him for whom he -was named.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span></p> - -<p>To say that the Dunlap brothers were astonished -is putting it too mildly; they were amazed. -The master of a Dunlap ship was an object of -envy to every shipmaster out of Boston—the pay -and employ was the best in America—that a kinsman -and master should even propose to leave -their employ was monstrous. In amazement both -of the old gentlemen looked at the young man in -silence.</p> - -<p>Suddenly as old John Dunlap looked into -young John Dunlap’s honest eyes he read something -there, for first leaning forward in his chair -and gazing more intently into the gray eyes of the -sailor, he sprang to his feet and grasping the arm -of his young kinsman he fairly hauled him to the -window at the other end of the room, then facing -him around so that he could get a good look at his -face, he almost whispered:</p> - -<p>“Jack, when did you learn first that Lucy was -to be married?”</p> - -<p>“When I came ashore at Boston one week -ago.”</p> - -<p>The answer came so quickly that the question -must have been read in the eyes of the older man -before uttered.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I thought so,” said the old man softly and -sadly, as he walked, still holding the sailor by -the arm, back to the fire, and added as he neared -his brother:</p> - -<p>“James, Jack wants the ‘Adams’ and is in earnest. -I can’t have him leave our employ; therefore -he must go as master of that ship.”</p> - -<p>“But, brother, think of it,” exclaimed James -Dunlap.</p> - -<p>“There is no but about it, James, I wish him -to sail in our ship, the ‘Adams,’ as master. I understand -his desire and endorse his wish to get -to sea.”</p> - -<p>“Oh! Of course if you really are in earnest -just instruct Burton in the premises, but Jack -must dine with us tomorrow and see Lucy or -she will never forgive him or me.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you see that the lad has always loved -Lucy, is heartbroken over her marriage and wants -to get away before the wedding?” cried John -Dunlap, as he turned after closing the door upon -Captain Jack’s departing figure.</p> - -<p>“What a blind old fool I am not to have seen -or thought of that!” exclaimed his brother.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p> - -<p>“How I wish in my soul it was our cousin -that my girl was going to marry instead of Burton, -but it is too late, too late.”</p> - -<p>Sadly the darker Dunlap brother echoed the -words of Lucy’s grandfather, as he sank into a -chair and covered his face with his hands:</p> - -<p>Too late! Too late! Too late!</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span></p> - -<h2>II.</h2> - -<p>“You don’t mean that Mr. Dunlap has consented -to your going out to Australia in -charge of the ‘Adams,’ do you, Captain -Jack?”</p> - -<p>The man who asked the question, as he rose -from the desk at which he was sitting, was quite -half a head taller than the sea captain whom he -addressed. His figure was elegant and graceful, -though slim; his face possessed that rare beauty -seen only on the canvas of old Italian masters, -clearly cut features, warm olive complexion in -which the color of the cheeks shows in subdued -mellow shadings, soft, velvet-like brown eyes, a -mouth of almost feminine character and proportion -filled with teeth as regular and white as -grains of rice.</p> - -<p>Save only that the white surrounding the -brown of his beautiful eyes might have been -clearer, that his shapely hands might have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -more perfect, had a bluish tinge not marred the -color of his finger nails, and his small feet might -have been improved by more height of instep, -Walter Burton was an ideal picture of a graceful, -handsome, cultivated gentleman.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Mr. Burton, I am to sail as master of -the ‘Adams.’ How soon can I get a clearance -and put to sea?”</p> - -<p>“It is an absolute outrage to permit you to go -to sea again so soon. Why, Captain, you have -had hardly time to get your shore legs. You have -not seen many of your old friends; Miss Dunlap -told me last evening that she had not even seen -you.”</p> - -<p>Burton’s voice was as soft, sweet and melodious -as the tones of a silver flute, and the -thought of the young sailor’s brief stay at home -seemed to strike a chord of sadness that gave -added charm to the words he uttered.</p> - -<p>“I expect to dine with my cousin tomorrow evening -and will then give her greeting upon my -home coming and at the same time bid her goodby -upon my departure.”</p> - -<p>“I declare, Jack, this is awfully sad to me, old<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -chap, and I know Lucy will be sorely disappointed. -You know that we are to be married next -month and Lucy has said a dozen times that she -wished you to be present; that you had always -been a tower of strength to her and that nothing -could alarm or make her nervous if, as she put it, -‘brave and trustworthy Jack be near.’”</p> - -<p>The sailor’s face lost some of its color in spite -of the tan that sun and sea had given it, as he -listened to words that he had heard Lucy say -when, as a boy and girl, they had climbed New -Hampshire’s hills, or sailed along Massachusetts’ -coast together.</p> - -<p>“I shall be sorry if Lucy be disappointed, but -I am so much of a sea-swab now that I am restless -and unhappy while ashore.”</p> - -<p>What a poor liar young John Dunlap was. His -manner, or something, not his words, in that instant -revealed his secret to Burton, as a flash of -lightning in the darkness discloses a scene, so was -Jack’s story and reason for hurried departure -from Boston made plain.</p> - -<p>By some yet unexplained process of mental -telegraphy the two young men understood each<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -other. Spontaneously they extended their hands -and in their warm clasp a bond of silent sympathy -was established. Thus they stood for a moment, -then Burton said in that sad, sweet voice of his:</p> - -<p>“Jack, dear old chap, I will get your clearance -papers tomorrow and you may put to sea when -you please, but see Lucy before you sail.”</p> - -<p>Ere Dunlap could reply the door of the manager’s -office opened and there entered the room -a man of such peculiar appearance as to attract -the attention of the most casual observer. He -was thin, even to emaciation. The skin over his -almost hairless head seemed drawn as tightly as -the covering of a drum. The ghastliness of his -dead-white face was made more apparent by the -small gleaming black eyes set deep and close to -a huge aquiline nose, and the scarlet, almost -bloody stripe that marked the narrow line of his -lips.</p> - -<p>“Beg pardon,” said the man, seeing someone -with Burton, and then, recognizing who the visitor -was, added:</p> - -<p>“Oh, how are you, Jack? I did not know that -you were with the manager,” and he seemed to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -put the faintest bit of emphasis upon the word -“manager.”</p> - -<p>“Well, what is it, Chapman?” said Burton -somewhat impatiently.</p> - -<p>“I only wished to inform you that I have secured -a master for the ‘Adams.’ Captain Mason, -who was formerly in our employ, has applied for -the position and as he was satisfactory when with -us before I considered it very fortunate for us to -secure his services just now.”</p> - -<p>“The ‘Adams’ has a master already assigned -to her,” interrupted the manager.</p> - -<p>“Why! When? Who?” inquired the superintendent -eagerly.</p> - -<p>“The ‘Adams’ sails in command of Captain -Dunlap here.”</p> - -<p>The gleaming black eyes of Chapman seemed -to bury their glances into the very heart of the -manager as he stretched his thin neck forward -and asked:</p> - -<p>“Did you give him the ship?”</p> - -<p>“J. Dunlap made the assignment of Captain -Jack to the ship today at his own request and -contrary to my wishes,” said Burton abruptly, -somewhat annoyed at Chapman’s manner.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was now the turn of Jack to stand the battery -of those hawk eyes of the superintendent, -who sought to read the honest sailor’s soul as he -shot his glances into Jack’s clear gray eyes.</p> - -<p>“Ah! Cousin Jack going away so soon and our -Miss Lucy’s wedding next month. How -strange!” Chapman seemed speaking to himself.</p> - -<p>“If that is all, Chapman, just say to Mason -that the firm appointed a master to the ‘Adams’ -without your knowledge; therefore he can’t have -the ship,” said Burton with annoyance in his tone -and manner, dismissing the superintendent with a -wave of his hand toward the door.</p> - -<p>When Chapman glided out of the room, the -man moved always in such a stealthy manner -that he appeared to glide instead of walk, Burton -exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Do you know, Jack, that that man Chapman -can irritate me more by his detective demeanor -than any man I ever saw could do by open insult. -I am ashamed of myself for allowing such to be -the case, but I can’t help it. To have a chap about -who seems to be always playing the Sherlock -Holmes act is wearing on one’s patience. Why,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -confound it! If he came in this minute to say -that we needed a new supply of postage stamps -he would make such a detective job of it that I -should feel the uncomfortable sensation that the -mailing clerk had stolen the last lot purchased.”</p> - -<p>Jack, who disliked the sneaky and secretive as -much as any man alive and had just been irritated -himself by Chapman’s untimely scrutiny, said:</p> - -<p>“I am not astonished and don’t blame you. -While I have known Chapman all my life, I -somehow, as a boy and man, have always felt -when talking to him that I was undergoing an -examination before a police magistrate.”</p> - -<p>“Of course I ought to consider that he has -been with the house for more than forty years -and is fidelity and faithfulness personified to ‘J. -Dunlap,’ but he is so absurdly jealous and suspicious -that he would wear out the patience of a -saint, and I don’t pretend to be one,” supplemented -Burton.</p> - -<p>“Half the time,” said Jack, glad apparently to -discuss Chapman and thus avoid the subject -which beneath the surface of their conversation -was uppermost in the minds of both Burton and -himself.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I have not the slightest idea what ‘Old -Chap,’ as I call him, is driving at. He -goes hunting a hundred miles away for the end of -a coil of rope that is lying at his very feet, and he -is the very devil, too, for finding out anything he -wishes to know. Why, when I was a boy and -used to get into scrapes, if ‘Old Chap’ cornered -me I knew it was no use trying to get out of the -mess and soon learned to plead guilty at once,” -and Jack smiled in a dreary kind of way at the -recollection of some of his boyish pranks.</p> - -<p>“Well, let old Chapman, the modern Sherlock -Holmes, and his searching disposition go for the -present. Promise to be sure to dine with Lucy -tomorrow evening. She expects me to be there -also, as she is going to have one or two young -women and needs some of the male sex to talk -to them. I know that she will want you all to -herself,” said Burton.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I’ll be on hand all right tomorrow night -and you get my papers in shape during the day, -as I will sail as early day after tomorrow as the -tide serves,” replied the captain.</p> - -<p>“By the way, Jack! Send your steward to me<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -when you go aboard to take charge of the -‘Adams’ in the morning. Tell him to see me -personally. You sailors are such queer chaps -and care so little about your larder that I am -going to see to it myself that you don’t eat salt -pork and hard tack on your voyage out, nor drink -bilge water, either.”</p> - -<p>“You are awfully kind, Burton, but you need -not trouble yourself. I am sure common sea grub -is good enough for any sailor-man.”</p> - -<p>As they walked together toward the front door, -when Captain Jack was leaving the building, in -the narrow aisle between the long rows of desks -they came face to face with the superintendent. -He stepped aside and gazing after them, whispered:</p> - -<p>“Strange, very strange, for Jack Dunlap to -sail so soon.”</p> - -<p>“Be sure to send that steward of yours to me -tomorrow, Jack,” called the manager of “J. Dunlap” -as the sturdy figure of the sailor disappeared -in the fog that filled the crooked street in which -Boston’s oldest shipping and banking house had -its office.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> - -<p>“And no ship ever sailed from Boston provided -as yours shall be, poor old chap,” muttered the -manager as he hurried back to his own room in -the office. “There shall be champagne enough -on board the ‘Adams,’ Jack, to drink our health, -if you so will, on our wedding day, even though -you be off Cape Good Hope.”</p> - -<p class="tb">In the gloaming that dark November day the -Dunlap brothers were seated close together, side -by side, in silence gazing into the heap of coals -that burned in the large grate before them. -John Dunlap’s hand rested upon the arm of his -brother, as if in the mere touching of him who -had first seen the light in his company there was -comfort.</p> - -<p>Burton thought, as he entered the private office -that no finer picture was ever painted than -that made by these two fine old American gentlemen -as the flame from the crackling cannel -coal shot up, revealing their kind, gentle, generous -faces in the surrounding gloom of the -room.</p> - -<p>“Pardon me, gentlemen,” said the manager,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -pausing on the threshold, hesitating to break in -upon a scene that seemed almost sacred, “but I -was told that you had sent for me while I was -out of the office.”</p> - -<p>“Come in, Burton, you were correctly informed,” -said James Dunlap, still neither changing -his position nor removing his gaze from the -fire.</p> - -<p>“My brother John and I have determined as a -mark of love for our young kinsman, Captain -John Dunlap, and as an evidence of our appreciation -for faithful services rendered to us as mate -and master, to make him a present of our ship -‘Adams,’ now loaded for Australia,” continued -James Dunlap, speaking very low and very softly.</p> - -<p>“You will please have the necessary papers for -the transfer made out tonight. We will execute -them in the morning and you will see that the -proper entry is made upon the register at the -custom house. Have the full value of the ship -charged to the private accounts of my brother -John and myself, as the gift is a personal affair -of ours and others interested in our house must<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -be fully indemnified,” continued the old man as -he turned his eyes and met his brother’s assenting -look.</p> - -<p>The flame blazing up in the grate at that moment -cast its light on Burton’s flushed face as he -listened to the closing sentence of Mr. James -Dunlap’s instructions.</p> - -<p>“Forgive me, sir, but I do not comprehend -what you mean by ‘others interested in our house.’ -I believe other than yourselves I alone have the -honor to hold an interest in your house,” and -moving forward in the firelight where he would -stand before the brothers he continued, almost indignantly, -his voice vibrating with emotion:</p> - -<p>“You do me bitter, cruel injustice if you think -that I do not wish, nay more, earnestly beg, to -join in this gift. I have learned that today that -would urge me to plead for permission to share -in this deed were it of ten times the value of the -‘Adams.’”</p> - -<p>Quickly old John Dunlap, rising from his chair, -placing his hand on Burton’s shoulder and regarding -him kindly, said:</p> - -<p>“I am glad to hear you say that, Burton, very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -glad. It proves your heart to be right, but it -cannot be as you wish. Jack is so sensitive even -about receiving aid from us, his kinsmen, that -you must conceal the matter from him, put the -transfer and new registration with his clearance -papers and tell him it is our wish that they be -not opened until he is one week at sea.”</p> - -<p>“Could the transfer not be made just in the -name of the house without explanation? He -might never think of my being interested,” urged -the manager eagerly.</p> - -<p>“You are mistaken, Walter,” said James Dunlap. -“Within a month you might see the ‘Adams’ -sailing back into Boston harbor. I am sorry to -deny you the exercise of your generous impulse; -we appreciate the intent, but think it best not to -hamper a gift to this proud fellow with anything -that might cause its rejection.”</p> - -<p>Burton, realizing the truth of the position -taken by the brothers and the hopelessness of -gaining Jack Dunlap’s consent to be placed -under obligations to one not of his own blood, -could offer no further argument upon the subject. -Dejected and disappointed he turned to leave the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -room to accomplish the wishes expressed by the -twins. As he reached the door John Dunlap -called to him.</p> - -<p>“Hold on a minute, Burton. Have we any interest -in the cargo of the ‘Adams?’”</p> - -<p>“About one-quarter of her cargo is agricultural -implements consigned to our Australian agent for -the account of the house,” quickly answered the -manager.</p> - -<p>“Charge that invoice to me and assign it to -Jack.”</p> - -<p>“Charge it jointly to us both,” added James -Dunlap.</p> - -<p>“No you don’t, James! We only agreed on the -ship. John is my godson and namesake. I have -a right to do more than anyone else,” exultantly -cried the kind hearted old fellow, and for the first -time that day he laughed as he slapped his brother -on the shoulder and thought of how he had gotten -ahead of him.</p> - -<p>Burton was obliged to smile at the sudden -anxiety of Mr. John to get rid of him when Mr. -James began to protest against his brother’s selfishness -in wishing to have no partner in the gift -of the cargo.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Now, you just hurry up those papers, Burton. -Yes, hurry! Run along! Yes, Yes,” and so -saying old Mr. John fairly rushed him out of the -room.</p> - -<p>“How I wish I were Captain Jack’s uncle, too,” -thought Burton sadly, with a heart full of generous -sympathy for the man who he knew loved -the woman that ere a month would be Mrs. -Burton.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span></p> - -<h2>III.</h2> - -<p>Some men have one hobby, some have -many and some poor wretches have -none. David Chapman had three hobbies -and they occupied his whole mind and heart.</p> - -<p>First in place and honor was the house of J. -Dunlap. “The pillared firmament” might fall but -his fidelity to the firm which he had served for -forty years could never fail. His was the fierce -and jealous love of the tigress for her cub where -the house of Dunlap was concerned. He actually -suffered, as from mortal hurt, when any one or -any thing seemed to separate him from this great -object of his adoration.</p> - -<p>He had ever regarded the ownership of even -a small interest by Walter Burton as an indignity, -an outrage and a sacrilege. He hated him -for defiling the chiefest idol of his religion and -life. He was jealous of him because he separated -in a manner the worshiper from the worshiped.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span></p> - -<p>Because solely of jealous love for this High -Joss of his, Chapman would have gladly, cheerfully -suffered unheard of agonies to rid -the house of J. Dunlap of this irreverent interloper -who did not bear the sacred name of -Dunlap.</p> - -<p>The discovery of anything concealed, unravelling -a mystery, ferreting out a secret was the -next highest hobby in Chapman’s trinity of hobbies. -He was passionately fond of practicing -the theory of deduction, and was marvelously -successful at arriving at correct conclusions. -No crime, no mystery furnished a sensation for -the Boston newspapers that did not call into play -the exercise of this the second and most peculiar -hobby of Chapman.</p> - -<p>By some strange freak of nature in compounding -the elements to form the character of David -Chapman, an inordinate love for music was -added to the incongruous mixture, and became -the man’s third and most harmless hobby. Chapman -had devoted years to the study of music, -from pure love of sweet and melodious sounds. -In the great and musical city of Boston no one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -excelled him as master of his favorite instrument, -the violoncello. Like Balzac’s Herr -Smucker, in his hours of relaxation, he bathed -himself in the flood of his own melody.</p> - -<p>Chapman owned, he was not poor, and occupied -with his spinster sister, who was almost as -withered as himself, a house well down in the -business section of the city. He could not be -induced to live in the more desirable suburbs. -They were too far from the temple of his chiefest -idol, the house of J. Dunlap.</p> - -<p>“Jack Dunlap sails as master of our ship -‘Adams’ day after tomorrow,” suggested Chapman -meditatively, as he sipped his tea and -glanced across the table at the dry, almost fossilized, -prim, starchy, old lady seated opposite -him in his comfortable dining room that evening.</p> - -<p>“Impossible, David, the boy has only just arrived.”</p> - -<p>And the little old lady seemed to pick at the -words as she uttered them much as a sparrow -does at crumbs of bread.</p> - -<p>“It is not impossible for it is a fact,” replied -her brother dryly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What is the reason for his sudden departure? -Did the house order him to sea again?” pecked -out the sister.</p> - -<p>“No, that is the strange part of the affair. -Jack himself especially urged his appointment to -the ship sailing day after tomorrow.”</p> - -<p>“Then it is to get away from Boston before -Lucy is married. I believe he is in love with -her and can’t bear to see her marry Burton.”</p> - -<p>Oh! boastful man, with all your assumed superiority -in the realm of reason and your deductive -theories and synthetical systems for forming correct -conclusions. You are but a tyro, a mere -infant in that great field of feeling where love -is crowned king. The most withered, stale, neglected -being in whose breast beats a woman’s -heart, by that mysterious and sympathetic something -called intuition can lead you like the child -that you are in this, woman’s own province.</p> - -<p>“You are entirely wrong, Arabella, as usual. -Jack never thought of Miss Lucy in that way; -besides he and Burton are exceedingly friendly; -can’t you make it convenient to visit your friends -in Bedford and see Martha Dunlap? If anything<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -be wrong with Jack, and I can help him, I -shall be glad to do so. The mother may be more -communicative than the son.”</p> - -<p>“I will surely make the attempt to learn if anything -be wrong, and gladly, too; I have always -loved that boy Jack, and if he be in trouble I -want you to help him all in your power, David.” -The little old maid’s face flushed in the earnestness -of the expression.</p> - -<p>“Burton is still an unsolved problem to me,” -and in saying the words Chapman’s jaws moved -with a kind of snap, like a steel trap, while his -eyes had the glitter of a serpent’s in them as he -continued, “for years I have observed him closely -and I cannot make him out at all. I am baffled -by sudden changes of mood in the man; at times -he is reckless, gay, thoughtless, frivolous, and -I sometimes think lacking in moral stamina; -again he is dignified, kind, courteous, reserved -and seems to possess the highest standard of -morals.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t suppose that he is unlike other men; -they all have moods. You do yourself, David, -and very unpleasant moods, too,” said Arabella<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -with the proverbial sourness of the typical New -England spinster.</p> - -<p>“Well, I may have moods, as you say, Arabella, -but I don’t break out suddenly in a kind of -frenzy of gaiety, sing and shout like a street Arab -and then as quickly relapse into a superlatively -dead calm of dignity and the irreproachable demeanor -of a cultured gentleman.</p> - -<p>“Now, David, you are allowing your dislike -for Burton and your prejudice to overdraw the -picture,” said prim Miss Arabella, as she daintily -raised the teacup to her lips.</p> - -<p>“I am not overdrawing the picture! I have -seen and heard Burton when he thought that he -was alone in the office, and I say that there is -something queer about him; Dr. Jekyl and Mr. -Hyde of that old story are common characters -in comparison. I knew his father well; he was -an every-day sort of successful business man; -whom his father married and what she was like -I do not know, but I shall find out some day, as -therein may lie the reading of the riddle,” retorted -the brother vehemently.</p> - -<p>“As Lucy Dunlap will be married to the man<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -shortly and it will then be too late to do anything, -no matter what is the result of your inquiry, it -seems to me that you should cease to interest -yourself in the matter,” chirped the bird-like -voice of Miss Arabella.</p> - -<p>“I can’t! I am absolutely fascinated by the -study of this man’s strange, incongruous character; -you remember what I told you when I returned -from the only visit I ever made at -Burton’s house. It was business that forced me -to go there, and I have never forgotten what I -saw and heard. I am haunted by something that -I cannot define,” said Chapman, intensity of feeling -causing his pale face and hairless head to -assume the appearance of the bald-eagle or some -other bird of prey.</p> - -<p>“Think of it, Arabella! That summer day as -I reached the door of his lonely dwelling, surrounded -by that great garden, through the open -windows there came crashing upon my ears such -a wild, weird burst of song that it held me motionless -where I stood. The sound of those musical -screams of melodious frenzy, dying away in -rythmic cadence until it seemed the soft summer<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -breeze echoed the sweet harmony in its sighing. -Words, music and expression now wild and unbridled -as the shriek of a panther, and then low, -gentle and soothing as the murmuring of a peaceful -brook,” cried Chapman, becoming more intense -as his musical memory reproduced the -sounds he sought to describe.</p> - -<p>“David, you know that music is a passion with -you, and doubtless your sensitive ear gave added -accent and meaning to the improvised music of -a careless, idle young man,” interrupted Miss -Arabella.</p> - -<p>“Not so! Not so! I swear that no careless, -idle man ever improvised such wild melody; it -is something unusual in the man; when at last -the outburst ceased, and I summoned strength -to ring the bell, there was something almost supernatural -that enabled that frenzied musician -to meet me with the suavity of an ordinary cultured -gentleman of Boston as Burton did when -I entered his sitting room.”</p> - -<p>“Brother, I fear that imagination and hatred -in this instance are sadly warping your usually -sound judgment,” quietly replied the sedate sister,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -seeing the increasing excitement of her -brother.</p> - -<p>“Imagination created also, I suppose, the uncanny, -barbaric splendor with which his apartments -were decorated which I described to you,” -sneered the man.</p> - -<p>“All young men affect something of that kind, -I am told, in the adornment of their rooms,” rejoined -the spinster, mincing her words, and, old -as she was, assuming embarrassment in mentioning -young men’s rooms.</p> - -<p>“Nonsense! Arabella, I have seen many of the -Harvard men’s rooms. A few swords, daggers, -and other weapons; a skin or two of wild animals; -something of that kind, but Burton’s apartments -were differently decorated; masses of -striking colors, gaudy, glaring, yet so blended by -an artistic eye that they were not offensive to the -sight. Articles of furniture of such strange, savage -and grotesque shape as to suggest a barbarian -as the designer. The carving on the woodwork, -the paneling, the tone and impression created -by sight of it all were such as must have filled -the souls of the Spanish conquerors when they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -first gazed upon the barbaric grandeur of the -Moors, as exposed to their wondering eyes by -the conquest of Granada.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t get excited, David!” said staid Miss -Arabella. “Suppose that you should discover -something to the discredit of Burton, what use -could and would you make of it?”</p> - -<p>The veins in Chapman’s thin neck and bony -brow became swollen and distended as if straining -to burst the skin that covered them; his eyes -flashed baleful fire, as extending his arm and -grasping the empty air as if it were his enemy, -he fairly hissed:</p> - -<p>“I! I! I would tear him out of the house of -J. Dunlap, intruder that he is, and cast him into -the gutter! Yea! though I tore the heartstrings -of a million women such as Lucy Dunlap! What -is she or her heart in comparison with the glory -of Boston’s oldest business name?”</p> - -<p>Panting, as a weary hound, who exhausted -but exultant, fastens his fangs in the hunted stag, -overcome by the violence of his hatred, David -Chapman dropped down into his chair.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span></p> - -<p class="tb">Nestling among grand old oaks and profusion -of shrubbery, now leafless in the November air -of New England, on the top of the highest hill -in that portion of the suburbs, sat the “Eyrie,” -the bachelor home of Walter Burton.</p> - -<p>Though the house was small, the conservatory -adjoining it was one of the largest in the city. -Burton was an ardent lover of flowers, and an -active collector of rare plants. The house stood -in the center of an extensive and well kept garden -through which winding paths ran in every -direction.</p> - -<p>The place would have seemed lonely to one -not possessing within himself resources sufficient -to furnish him entertainment independent of the -society of others.</p> - -<p>Burton never knew loneliness. He was an accomplished -musician, an artist of more than ordinary -ability, a zealous horticulturist, and an -omnivorous devourer of books.</p> - -<p>A housekeeper who was cook at the same time, -one man and a boy for the garden and conservatory -and a valet constituted the household servants -of the “Eyrie.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span></p> - -<p>At the moment that Chapman’s wrathful mind -was expressing its concentrated hate for him, the -owner of the white house on the hill sat before -the open grand piano in his music-room, his -shapely hands wandering listlessly over the keys, -touching them once in a while in an aimless manner. -The young man’s mind was filled with -other thoughts than music.</p> - -<p>Chapman had drawn an accurate picture of -Burton’s apartments in many respects, yet he had -forgotten to mention the many musical instruments -scattered about the rooms. Harp, guitar, -mandolin, violin, banjo and numberless sheets -of music, some printed and some written, marked -this as the abode of a natural musician. Burton -was equally proficient in the use of each of the -instruments lying about the room, as well as -being the author of original compositions of great -beauty and merit.</p> - -<p>The odor of violets perfumed the whole house. -Great bunches of these, Burton’s favorite flower, -filled antique and queerly shaped vases in each -room.</p> - -<p>Burton ceased to even sound the keys on which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -his hands rested, and as some scene was disclosed -to his sympathetic soul, his soft brown eyes were -dimmed by a suspicious moisture. Sighing -sadly he murmured:</p> - -<p>“Poor Jack! While I am in a heaven of bliss -with the woman I love, surrounded by all that -makes life enjoyable, he, poor old chap, alone, -heartsick and hopeless, will be battling with the -stormy waves of the ocean. Alas! Fate how -inscrutable!”</p> - -<p>As his mind drifted onward in this channel of -thought, he added more audibly, “What a heart -Jack has! There is a man! He will carry his -secret uncomplaining and in silence to his grave, -that, too, without permitting envy or jealousy -to fill his soul with hatred; I would that I could -do something to assuage the pain of that brave -heart.” And at the word “brave” the stream of -his wandering fancy seemed to take a new direction.</p> - -<p>“Brave! Men who have sailed with him say -he knows no fear; the last voyage they tell how -he sprang into the icy sea, all booted as he was, -waves mountain high, the night of inky blackness,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -to save a worthless, brutal Lascar sailor. -Tender as a woman, when a mere child as careful -of baby Cousin Lucy as a granddame could be, -and ever her sturdy little knight and champion -from babyhood. Poor Jack!”</p> - -<p>Again the current of his thought changed its -course. He paused and whispered to himself, -“Lucy, am I worthy of her? Shall I prove as -kind, as true and brave a husband as Jack would -be to her? Oh! God, I hope so, I will try so -hard. Sometimes there seems to come a strange -inexplicable spell over my spirit—a something -that is beyond my control. A madness seems to -possess my very soul. Involuntarily I say and -do that, during the time that this mysterious -influence holds me powerless in its grasp, that is -so foreign to my natural self that I shudder and -grow sick at heart at the thought of the end to -which it may lead me.”</p> - -<p>At the recollection of some horror of the past -the young man’s face paled and he shivered as -if struck by a cold blast of winter wind.</p> - -<p>“Ought I to tell Lucy of these singular manifestations? -Ought I to alarm my darling concerning<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -something that may partly be imaginary? -I am uncertain what, loving her as I do, is right; -I can always absent myself from her presence -when I feel that hateful influence upon me, and -perhaps after I am married I may be freed from -the horrible thraldom of that irresistible power -that clutches me in its terrible grasp. I cannot -bear the idea of giving my dear love useless pain -or trouble. Had I not better wait?”</p> - -<p>At that moment some unpleasant fact must -have suggested itself or rather forced itself upon -Burton’s mind for he pushed back the piano-stool -and rising walked with impatient steps about the -room, saying:</p> - -<p>“It would be ridiculous! Absurd! Really -unworthy of both Lucy and myself even to mention -the subject! Long ago that old, nonsensical -prejudice had disappeared, at least among cultivated -people in America. There is not a shade -of doubt but that both the Messrs. Dunlap and -Lucy are aware of the fact that my mother was -a quadroon. Doubtless that circumstance is -deemed so trivial that it never has occurred to -them to mention it to me. People of education<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -and refinement, regardless of the color of skin, -are welcome in the home of the Dunlaps as everywhere -else where enlightenment has dispelled -prejudice.”</p> - -<p>He paused and bursting into a musical and -merry laugh at something that his memory recalled, -exclaimed,</p> - -<p>“Why, I have seen men and women as black -as the proverbial ‘ace of spades,’ the guests of -honor in Mr. James Dunlap’s house, as elsewhere -in Boston. I shall neither bore nor insult the -intelligence of my sweetheart or her family by -introducing the absurd subject of blood in connection -with our marriage. The idea of blood -making any difference! Men are neither hounds -nor horses!”</p> - -<p>Laughing at the odd conceit that men, hounds -and horses should be considered akin by any one -not absolutely benighted, he resumed his seat at -the piano and began playing a gay waltz tune -then popular with the dancing set of Boston’s -exclusive circle.</p> - -<p>As Burton ended the piece of music with a -fantastic flourish of his own composition, he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -turned and saw his valet standing silently waiting -for his master to cease playing.</p> - -<p>“Ah! Victor, are the hampers packed carefully?” -exclaimed Burton.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir,” replied the valet, pronouncing his -words with marked French accent. “The steward -at your club furnished all the articles on the -list that the housekeeper lacked, sir.”</p> - -<p>“You are sure that you put in the hampers the -‘44’ vintage of champagne, the Burgundy imported -by myself, and you examined the cigars -to be certain to get only those of the last lot from -Havana?”</p> - -<p>“Quite sure, sir; I packed everything myself, -as you told me you were especially anxious to -have only the very best selected,” said the little -Frenchman.</p> - -<p>“Now, listen, Victor; tomorrow I dine away -from home, but before I leave the house I shall -arrange a box of flowers, which, with the hampers, -you are to carry in my dog-cart to Dunlap’s -wharf and there you are to have them placed in -the cabin of the ship ‘Adams.’ You will open the -box of flowers and arrange them tastefully, as I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -know you can, about the master’s stateroom—take -a half-dozen vases to put them in.”</p> - -<p>“Very good, sir; it shall be done as you say, -sir,” answered the valet bowing and moving toward -the door.</p> - -<p>“Hold on, Victor!” called Burton, “I wish to -add just this: if by any accident, no matter what, -you fail to get these things on board the ‘Adams’ -before she sails, my gentle youth, I will break -your neck.”</p> - -<p>So admonished the servant bowed low and left -the room, as his master turned again to the piano -and began to make the room ring with a furious -and warlike march.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span></p> - -<h2>IV.</h2> - -<p>The United States is famous for its beautiful -women, but even in that country -where beauty is the common heritage of -her daughters, Lucy Dunlap’s loveliness of face -and figure shone as some transcendent planet in -the bright heavens of femininity where all are -stars.</p> - -<p>“How can you be so cruel, Jack, as to run away -to sea again so soon and when I need you so -much?”</p> - -<p>The great hazel eyes looked so pleadingly into -poor Jack’s that he could not even stammer out -an excuse for his departure.</p> - -<p>Sailors possibly appreciate women more than -all other classes of men. They are so much -without their society that they never seem to regard -them as landsmen do, and Lucy Dunlap was -an exceptional example of womankind to even -the most <i lang="fr">blase</i> landsman. Small wonder then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -that sailor Jack, confused, could only gaze at the -lovely being before him.</p> - -<p>Lucy Dunlap, though of the average height of -women, seemed taller, so round, supple and elastic -were the proportions of her perfect figure. -The charm of intellectual power gave added -beauty to a face whose features would have -caused an artist to realize that the ideal model did -not exist alone in the land of dreams.</p> - -<p>In the spacious drawing-room of Dunlap’s -mansion were gathered those who had enjoyed -the sumptuous dinner served that evening in -honor of their seafaring kinsman. Mr. John -Dunlap was relating his experiences in Port au -Prince to his old friend, Mrs. Church, while his -brother, with that old-fashioned courtliness that -became him so well, was playing the cavalier to -Miss Winthrop, one of his granddaughter’s -pretty friends. Walter Burton was bending over -Miss Stanhope, a talented young musician, who, -seated before the piano, was scanning a new -piece of music.</p> - -<p>There seemed a mutual understanding between -all of those present that Lucy should monopolize<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -her cousin’s attention on this the first occasion -that she had seen him for two years, and probably -the last for a like period of time. In a far -corner of the great room Jack and Lucy were -seated when she asked the question mentioned, -to which Jack finally made awkward answer by -saying:</p> - -<p>“Oh! well, Lucy, I am not of much account at -social functions. I should only be in some one’s -way. I fancy my proper place is the quarter-deck -of a ship at sea.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t be absurd, Jack! You know much better -than that,” said his cousin, glancing at the -manly, frank face beside her, the handsome, curly -blonde head carried high and firm, and the grand -chest and shoulders of the man, made more noticeable -by the close fitting dress coat that he -wore.</p> - -<p>“Why, half the women of our set in Boston -will be in love with you if you remain for my -wedding. Please do, Jack. I will find you the -prettiest sweetheart that your sailor-heart ever -pictured.”</p> - -<p>“I am awfully sorry, little cousin, to disappoint<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -you, as you seem to have expected me to be present -at your wedding,” said Jack manfully, attempting -to appear cheerful.</p> - -<p>“And as for the sweetheart part of your suggestion, -it may be ungallant to say so, but I don’t -believe there is any place in my log for that kind -of an entry.”</p> - -<p>“How odd it is, Jack, that you have never been -in love; why, any woman could love you, you big-hearted -handsome sailor.”</p> - -<p>Lucy’s admiring glances rested upon the face -of her cousin as innocently as when a little maid -she had kissed him and said that she loved him.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it is rather odd for a man never to love -some woman, but I can’t say that I agree that -any woman could or would love me,” answered -Jack dryly, as he smiled at the earnest face -turned toward him.</p> - -<p>Miss Stanhope played a magnificent symphony -as only that clever artist could; Walter Burton’s -clear tenor voice rang out in an incomparable -solo from the latest opera, but Lucy and Jack, -oblivious to all else, in low and confidential tones -conversed in the far corner of the room.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span></p> - -<p>As of old when she was a child, Lucy had nestled -down close to her cousin and resting one -small hand upon his arm was artlessly pouring -out the whole story of her love for Walter Burton, -her bright hopes and expectations, the joy -that filled her soul, the happiness that she saw -along the vista of the future; all with that freedom -from reserve that marks the exchange of -confidences between loving sisters.</p> - -<p>The day of the rack and stake has passed, but -as long as human hearts shall beat, the day of -torture can never come to a close; Jack listened -to the heart story of the innocent, confiding -woman beside him, who, all unaware of the torture -she was inflicting, painted the future in -words that wrung more agony from his soul than -rack or stake could have caused his body.</p> - -<p>How bravely he battled against the pain that -every word brought to his breast! Pierced by -a hundred darts he still could meet the artless -gaze of those bright, trusting, hazel eyes and -smile in assurance of his interest and sympathy.</p> - -<p>“But of course my being married must make -no difference with you, Cousin Jack. You must<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -love me as you always have,” she said, as if the -thought of losing something she was accustomed -to have just occurred to her mind.</p> - -<p>“I shall always love you, Lucy, as I ever have.” -The sailor’s voice came hoarse and deep from the -broad breast that rose and fell like heaving billows.</p> - -<p>“You know, Jack, that you were always my -refuge and strength in time of trouble or danger -when I was a child, and even with dear Walter -for my husband I still should feel lost had I not -you to call upon.” Lucy’s voice trembled a little -and she grasped Jack’s strong arm with the hand -that rested there while they had been talking.</p> - -<p>“You may call me from the end of the earth, -my dear, and feel sure that I shall come to you,” -said Jack simply, but the earnest manner was -more convincing to the woman at his side than -fine phrases would have been.</p> - -<p>“Oh! Jack! what a comfort you are, and how -much I rely upon you. It makes me quite strong -and brave to know that my marriage will make -no change in your love for me.”</p> - -<p>“As long as life shall last, my cousin, I shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> -love you,” replied the man almost sadly, as he -placed his hand over hers that held his arm.</p> - -<p>“Or until some day you marry and your wife -becomes jealous,” added Lucy laughing.</p> - -<p>“Or until I marry and my wife is jealous,” -repeated Dunlap with the faintest kind of emphasis -upon “until.”</p> - -<p>Miss Stanhope began to play a waltz of the -inspiring nature that almost makes old and gouty -feet to tingle, and is perfectly irresistible to the -young and joyous. Burton and Miss Winthrop -in a minute were whirling around the drawing-room. -How perfectly Burton could dance; his -easy rythmic steps were the very poetry of motion. -Lucy and Jack paused to watch the handsome -couple as they glided gracefully through -the room.</p> - -<p>“Does not Walter dance beautifully?” exclaimed -Lucy as she followed the dancers with -admiring glances.</p> - -<p>“Bertie Winthrop, who was at Harvard with -Walter, says that when they were students and -had their stag parties if they could catch Walter -in what Bertie calls ‘a gay mood,’ he would astonish<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -them with his wonderful dancing. Bertie -vows that Walter can dance any kind of thing -from a vulgar gig to an exquisite ballet, but he -is so awfully modest about it that he denies Bertie’s -story and will not dance anything but the -conventional,” continued Lucy.</p> - -<p>“Take a turn, Jack!” called Burton as he and -his partner swept by the corner where the sailor -and his cousin were seated, and added as he -passed, “It is your last chance for some time.”</p> - -<p>“Come on, Jack,” cried Lucy springing up and -extending her hands. A moment more and Jack -was holding near his bosom the woman for -whom his heart would beat until death should still -it forever.</p> - -<p>Oft midst the howling winds and angry waves, -when storm tossed on the sea, will Jack dream -o’er again the heavenly bliss of those few moments -when close to his heart rested she who -was the beacon light of his sailor’s soul.</p> - -<p>When the music of the waltz ended, Jack and -his fair partner found themselves just in front -of the settee where John Dunlap and Mrs. -Church were seated.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Uncle John, I have been trying to induce Jack -to stay ashore until after my wedding,” said -Lucy addressing Mr. John Dunlap who had been -following her and her partner with his eyes, in -which was a pained expression, as they had circled -about the room.</p> - -<p>“Won’t you help me, Uncle John?” added the -young woman in that pleading seductive tone -that always brought immediate surrender on the -part of both her grandfather and granduncle.</p> - -<p>“I am afraid, Lucy, that I can’t aid you this -time,” replied the old gentleman and there was -so much seriousness in his sunburnt face that -Lucy exclaimed anxiously:</p> - -<p>“Why? What is the matter that the house -must send Cousin Jack away almost as soon as he -gets home?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing is the matter, dear, but it is an opportunity -for your cousin to make an advancement -in his profession, and you must not be -selfish in thinking only of your own happiness, -my child. You know men must work and -women must wait,” replied her uncle.</p> - -<p>“Oh! Is that it? Then I must resign myself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -with good grace to the disappointment. I would -not for the world have any whim of mine mar -dear old Jack’s prospects,” and Lucy clasped -both of her dimpled white hands affectionately -on her cousin’s arm, which she still retained after -the waltz ended, as she uttered these sentiments.</p> - -<p>“I know Jack would make any sacrifice for me -if I really insisted.”</p> - -<p>“I am sure that he would, Lucy, so don’t insist,” -said John Dunlap very seriously and positively.</p> - -<p>Just then Burton began singing a mournfully -sweet song, full of sadness and pathos, accompanying -himself on a guitar that had been lying -on the music stand. All conversation ceased. -Every one turned to look at the singer. What a -mellow, rich voice had Walter Burton. What -expression he put into the music and words!</p> - -<p>What a handsome man he was! As he leaned -forward holding the instrument, and lightly -touching the strings as he sang, Lucy thought -him a perfect Apollo. Her eyes beamed with -pride and love as she regarded her future husband.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p> - -<p>None noticed the flush and troubled frown on -old John Dunlap’s face. Burton’s crossed legs -had drawn his trousers tightly around the limb -below the knee, revealing an almost total absence -of calf and that the little existing was placed -higher up than usually is the case. That peculiarity -or something never to be explained had -brought some Haitian scene back to the memory -of the flushed and frowning old man and sent a -pang of regret and fear through his kind heart.</p> - -<p>“God bless and keep you, lad! Jack, you are -the last of the Dunlaps,” said Mr. John Dunlap -solemnly as they all stood in the hall when the -sailor was leaving.</p> - -<p>“Amen! most earnestly, Amen!” added Mr. -James Dunlap, placing his hand on Jack’s -shoulder.</p> - -<p>“Good-by! dear Jack,” said Lucy sorrowfully -while tears filled her eyes, when she stood at the -outer door of the hall holding her cousin’s hand.</p> - -<p>“Think of me on the twentieth of next month, -my wedding day,” she added, and then drawing -the hand that she held close to her breast as if -still clinging to some old remembrance and anxious<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -to keep fast hold of the past, fearful that it -would escape her, she exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Remember, you are still my trusty knight and -champion, Jack!”</p> - -<p>“Until death, Lucy,” replied the man, as he -raised the little white hand to his lips and reverently -kissed it.</p> - -<p>She stood watching the retreating figure until -it was hidden by the gloom of the ghostly elms -that lined the avenue. As she turned Burton -was at her side.</p> - -<p>“How horribly lonely Jack must be, Walter,” -she said in pitying tones.</p> - -<p>“More so than even you realize, Lucy,” rejoined -Burton sadly.</p> - -<p>Alone through the darkness strode a man with -a dull, hard, crushing pain in his brave, faithful -heart.</p> - -<p class="tb">“The child will be ruined,” said all the old -ladies of the Dunlaps’ acquaintance when they -learned that it had been determined by the child’s -grandfather to keep the motherless and fatherless -little creature at home with him, rather than<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -send her to reside with some remote female members -of her mother’s family.</p> - -<p>“Those two old gentlemen will surely spoil -her to that degree that she will be unendurable -when she becomes a young woman,” asserted the -women with feminine positiveness.</p> - -<p>“They will make her Princess of the house of -Dunlap, I suppose,” added the most acrimonious.</p> - -<p>To a degree these predictions were verified by -the result, but only to a degree. The twin -brothers almost worshiped the beautiful little -maiden, and did in very fact make her their Princess, -and so, too, was she often called; but possibly -through no merit in the management of the -brothers, probably simply because Lucy was not -spoilable was the desirable end arrived at that -she grew to be a most amiable and agreeable -woman.</p> - -<p>The son of Mr. John Dunlap, the father of -Lucy, survived but one year the death of his wife, -which occurred when Lucy was born. Thus her -grandfather and uncle became sole protectors and -guardians of the child; that is until the lad, Jack -Dunlap, came to live at the house of his godfather.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p> - -<p>Young Jack was the only child of a second -cousin of the twin brothers; his father had been -lost at sea when Jack was yet a baby. His -mother, Martha Dunlap, had gladly availed herself -of the kind offer of the boy’s kinsman and -godfather, when he proposed that the boy should -come and live with him in Boston, where he could -obtain better opportunities for securing an education -than he could in the old town of Bedford.</p> - -<p>Jack was twelve years of age when he became -an inmate of the Dunlap mansion, and a robust, -sturdy little curly haired chap he was; Princess -Lucy’s conquest was instantaneous. Jack immediately -enrolled himself as the chief henchman, -servitor and guard of the pretty fairy-like maid -of six years. No slave was ever more obedient -and humble.</p> - -<p>Great games awoke the echoes through Dunlap’s -stately old dwelling; in winter the lawn was -converted into a slide, the fish-pond into a skating-rink; -in summer New Hampshire’s hills -reverberated with the merry shouts of Jack and -“Princess” Lucy or flying over the blue waters -of the bay in the yacht that his godfather had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -given him. Jack, aided by Lucy’s fresh young -voice, sang rollicking songs of the sea.</p> - -<p>The old gentlemen dubbed Jack, “Lucy’s -Knight,” and were always perfectly satisfied -when the little girl was with her cousin.</p> - -<p>“He is more careful of her than we are ourselves,” -they would reply when speaking of Jack -and his guardianship.</p> - -<p>All the fuming of Miss Lucy’s maids and the -complaints of Miss Lucy’s governess availed -nothing, for even good old Mrs. Church joined -in the conspiracy of the grandfather and uncle, -saying:</p> - -<p>“She is perfectly safe in Jack’s care, and I -wish to see rosy cheeks rather than hear Emersonian -philosophy from our pet.”</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the “lots of fun,” as Jack -used to call their frolics, Lucy and Jack did good -hard work with their books, music and “all the -rest of it,” as the young people called drawing -and dancing.</p> - -<p>When Jack became twenty years of age, and -was prepared to enter Harvard college, where -Mr. John Dunlap proposed to send him, he made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -his appearance one day in the city and asked to -see his kind kinsman.</p> - -<p>“I thank you, sir, for your great kindness in -offering to place me in Harvard College, as I -do for all the countless things you have done for -me, but I can’t accept your generous proposition. -You will not be angry, I am sure, for you know, -I hope, how grateful I am for all you have done. -But, sir, I have a widowed mother and I wish to -go to work that I may earn money for her and -obtain a start in life for myself,” said Jack with -boyish enthusiasm when admitted to the presence -of Mr. John Dunlap.</p> - -<p>Though the old gentleman urged every argument -to alter Jack’s determination, the boy stood -firmly by what he had said.</p> - -<p>“You are my namesake, the only male representative -of our family; neither you nor your -mother shall ever want. I have more money -than I need.” Many other inducements were -offered still the young man insisted upon the -course that he laid out for himself.</p> - -<p>“I am a sailor’s son and have a sailor’s soul; -I wish to go to sea,” Jack finally exclaimed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span></p> - -<p>Both of the twins loved Jack. He had been -so long in their house and so closely associated -with Lucy that he seemed more to them than a -remote young kinsman.</p> - -<p>Finding Jack’s decision unalterable, a compromise -was effected on the subject. Jack should -sail in one of their coasting ships, and when on -shore at Boston continue to make their house his -home.</p> - -<p>Great was the grief of Lucy at parting with -her Jack, as she called him. But consoling herself -with the thought that she should see him -often and that the next autumn she should be -obliged to leave Boston for some dreadful seminary -and thus they would be separated under any -circumstances, she dried her eyes and entered -with enthusiasm into his preparations for sea, -saying, “I have a good mind to dress up as a boy -and go with Jack! I declare I would do it, were -it not for grandfather and Uncle John.”</p> - -<p>Jack’s kit on his first voyage was a marvel in -the way of a sailor’s outfit; Lucy had made a -bankrupt of herself in the purchase of the most -extraordinary handkerchiefs, caps, shirts and -things of that kind that could be found in Boston,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -saying proudly to Mrs. Church when displaying -the assortment:</p> - -<p>“Nothing is too good for my sailor boy.”</p> - -<p>After several years of sea service Mr. James -Dunlap, during the residence of his brother in -Haiti, had tendered to Jack a position in the office, -hoping that having seen enough of the ocean he -would be willing to remain ashore and possibly -with a half-formed hope that Jack would win -Lucy’s hand and thus the house of Dunlap continue -to survive for other generations.</p> - -<p>Much to the chagrin of Lucy’s grandfather, -Jack absolutely refused to entertain the proposition, -saying:</p> - -<p>“I should be of no earthly use in the office. I am -not competent to fill any position there, and I -positively will not accept a sinecure. If you -wish to advance me, do so in the line of my profession! -Make me master of your ship Lucy -and let me take her for a two years’ cruise in -Eastern waters.”</p> - -<p>Thus it happened that Jack was absent from -Boston for two years and returned to find that -he had lost that, that all the gold of El Dorado -could not replace—the woman whom he loved.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span></p> - -<h2>V.</h2> - -<p>“Mother Sybella, Mother Sybella! -May I approach?” yelled every few minutes -the man seated on a rock half way -up the hill that rose steep from the Port au -Prince highway.</p> - -<p>The neglected and broken pavement of the -road that remained as a monument to the long-departed -French governors of Haiti was almost -hidden by the rank, luxurious growth of tropical -plants on either side of it. As seen from the -hillside, where the man was sitting, it seemed -an impracticable path for even the slowly moving -donkeys which here and there crawled between -the overhanging vegetation.</p> - -<p>The man looked neither to the right nor to the -left, but throwing back his head, at intervals of -possibly fifteen minutes, as if addressing the -blazing sun above, bawled out at the top of his -voice:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Mother Sybella! Mother Sybella! May I -approach?”</p> - -<p>The man was a mulatto, though with features -markedly of the negro type; around his head he -wore a much soiled white handkerchief. His -body was fairly bursting out of a tight-fitting -blue coat of military fashion, adorned with immense -brass buttons. His bare feet and long -thin shanks appeared below dirty duck trousers -that once had been white.</p> - -<p>There evidently was something awe-inspiring -about the name that he shouted even though the -rest of the words were unintelligible to the natives. -The man shouted his request in the -English language; the natives of Haiti used a -jargon of French, English and native dialect -difficult to understand and impossible to describe -or reproduce in writing.</p> - -<p>If, when the man called, a native were passing -along the highway, as sometimes happened, he -would spring forward so violently as to endanger -the safety of the huge basket of fruit or vegetables -that he carried upon his head, and glancing -over his shoulder with dread in his distended,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -white and rolling eyes, would break into a run -and speed forward as if in mortal terror.</p> - -<p>The man had just given utterance to a louder -howl than usual when he felt the grip of bony -claw-like fingers on his shoulder; with one unearthly -yell he sprang to his feet, turned and fell -upon his knees before the figure that so silently -had stolen to his side.</p> - -<p>“Has the yellow dog brought a bone to his -mother?” The words were spoken in the patois -of the native Haitians with which the man was -familiar.</p> - -<p>The speaker was a living, animated but mummified -black crone of a woman. She leaned -upon a staff made of three human thigh bones, -joined firmly together by wire. Her fleshless -fingers looked like the talons of a vulture as she -gripped the top of her horrid prop and bent forward -toward the man.</p> - -<p>Her age seemed incalculable in decades; centuries -appeared to have passed since she was -born. The wrinkles in her face were as gashes -in black and aged parchment, so deep were they. -The skin over her toothless jaws was so drawn<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -and stretched by untold time that the very hinges -of the jaw were plainly traced; in cavernous, -inky holes dug deep beneath the retreating -forehead sparkled, like points of flame, eyes so -bright and glittering that sparks of electric fire -shot forth in the gaze by which she transfixed -the groveling wretch at her feet.</p> - -<p>“Answer, Manuel; what have you brought for -Mother Sybella?”</p> - -<p>Finally the startled and fearful Manuel found -courage to reply:</p> - -<p>“The coffee, sugar, ham and calico are in that -bundle lying over there, Mother Sybella,” and the -man pointed to a roll of matting near him.</p> - -<p>“And I told you to gather all the gossip and -news of Port au Prince. Have you done so?” -queried the hag with a menacing gesture.</p> - -<p>“Yes! yes! Mother; every command has been -obeyed. I have learned what people are talking -of, and, too, I have brought some printed talk -from among the Yankees,” cried the mulatto -quickly, anxious to propitiate the crone.</p> - -<p>“Fool, you know I can’t make out the Yankee -printed talk,” snarled the sunken lips.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I can though, Mother Sybella; I lived among -the Yankees many years. I will tell you what -they talk of concerning our country,” said the -man rising from his knees.</p> - -<p>“I will listen here in the sun’s rays; I am cold. -Sit there at my feet,” mumbled the hag, crouching -down on the rock that had been occupied by -Manuel.</p> - -<p>“Begin,” she commanded fiercely, fixing her -keen gaze upon the yellow face below her.</p> - -<p>“Dictator Dupree is unable to obtain money to -pay the army; the Yankees and English will not -make a loan unless concessions be made to the -whites.”</p> - -<p>“What says Dupree?” muttered the old -woman.</p> - -<p>“Dupree fears an insurrection of the people -if he make concessions to the whites, and an outbreak -by the army if he fail to pay the arrears -due to it. He is distracted and knows not which -move to make,” answered the yellow man at the -hag’s feet.</p> - -<p>“Dupree is a coward! Let him come to me -and see how quickly his difficulties disappear!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -The army is worthless, the people powerful,” -cried Sybella.</p> - -<p>“Go on! Squash-head,” she ordered.</p> - -<p>“Twenty priests, with a Bishop at their head, -have come from France, and go among the people -urging them to attend the churches, and -threatening them with awful punishment hereafter -if they fail to heed the commands of the -priests,” continued Manuel.</p> - -<p>“Much good may it do the black-gowns,” -chuckled the old creature, making a horrible -grimace in so doing.</p> - -<p>“My children fear Sybella more than the black-gowns’ -hell,” she cackled exultantly.</p> - -<p>“The priests are trying to persuade the Dictator -to give them permission to re-open those -schools that have been closed so long, but Dupree -has not consented yet. He seems to fear the -anger of the black party in Haiti,” said the -witch’s newsman.</p> - -<p>“He does well to hesitate!” exclaimed Sybella.</p> - -<p>“If he consent, I shall set up my altar, call my -children around me and then! and then! No -matter, he is a coward; he will never dare consent,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -she added. The mulatto here drew from -his bosom a newspaper. Shading his eyes from -the sun’s glare, he began searching for any item -of news in the Boston paper that he had secured -in Port au Prince, which might interest his terrifying -auditor.</p> - -<p>“Do you wish to know about the Yankee President -and Congress?” he asked humbly, pausing -as he turned the sheet of the newspaper.</p> - -<p>“No! you ape, unless they mention our island,” -replied the woman, her watchful eyes looking -curiously at the printed paper that the man held.</p> - -<p>“About the ships coming and going between -the United States and Haiti?” he asked anxiously, -as if fearing that he might miss something -of importance to the black seeress.</p> - -<p>“No! That is an old story; the accursed Yankees -are ever coming and going, restless fools,” -said the woman.</p> - -<p>“Here is a long account of a grand wedding -of a wealthy Haitien that has just taken place in -Boston. He married the granddaughter and -heiress of J. Dunlap, who is largely interested -in our island,” remarked Manuel interrogatively.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span></p> - -<p>“His name! fool, his name!” almost screamed -the hag, springing to her feet with an agility -fearful to contemplate in one so decrepit, suggesting -supernatural power to the beholder. -Manuel, with trembling lip, cried, as she fastened -him in the shoulder with her claws:</p> - -<p>“Burton! Walter Burton!”</p> - -<p>Without changing, by even a line her fingers -from the place where she had first fixed them in -the flesh of the frightened man, she dragged -him, bulky as he was, to his feet, and up the -steep, pathless hillside with a celerity that was -awful to the frightened mulatto.</p> - -<p>A deep ravine cutting into the back of the hill -formed a precipice. Along the face of the rocky -wall thus formed a narrow, ill-defined footway -ran, almost unsafe for a mountain goat. Nearly -a thousand feet below, dark and forbidding in -the gloom of jungle and spectral moss-festooned -trees, roared the sullen mutterings of a mountain -torrent.</p> - -<p>When near the top of the hill, with a quick -whirl the black crone darted aside and around -the elbow of the hill, dragging Manuel along at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -a furious pace, she dashed down the precipitous -path with the swiftness and confidence of an Alpine -chamois.</p> - -<p>Half way down the cliff, a ledge of rock made -scanty foundation for a hut of roughly hewn -saplings, thatched with the palm plants of the -ravine below. So scarce was room for the hovel -that but one step was necessary to reach the brink -of the declivity.</p> - -<p>As the excited hag reached the aperture that -served as the doorway of her den, a hideous, -blear-eyed owl, who like an evil spirit kept watch -and ward at the witch’s castle, gave forth a -ghostly “Hoot! Hoot!” of welcome to his mistress. -At the unexpected sound the mulatto’s -quivering knees collapsed and he sank down, -nearly rolling over the edge of the precipice.</p> - -<p>Sybella seemed not to feel the weight of the -prostrate man whom she still clutched and hauled -into the dark interior of her lair.</p> - -<p>Dropping the almost senseless man, she threw -some resinous dry brush upon a fire that was -smouldering in the center of the hut. As the -flame shot up Manuel opened his eyes. With a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -shriek he sprang to his feet, terror shaking his -every limb as he stared about him.</p> - -<p>Two giant rats were tugging at some bone, -most human in shape; each trying to tear it from -the teeth of the other, as squealing they circled -around the fire. In corners toads blinked their -bead-like eyes, while darting lizards flashed -across the floor. Slowly crawling along between -the unplastered logs of the walls snakes of many -colors moved about or coiled in the thatch of the -roof hung head downward and hissed as they -waved their heads from side to side.</p> - -<p>Along the wall a bark shelf stood. On it were -two small skulls with handles made of cane. -These ghastly vessels were filled with milk. -Conch shells and utensils made of dried gourds -were scattered on the shelf, among which a huge -and ugly buzzard stalked about.</p> - -<p>An immense red drum hung from a pole fixed -in a crevice of the rock and by its side dangled -a long and shining knife. A curtain of woven -grass hanging at the rear of the hovel seemed -to conceal the entrance to some cavern within -the hill’s rock-ribbed breast.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span></p> - -<p>When the blaze of the burning fagots cast a -glow over the grewsome interior of this temple -of Voo Doo, Sybella, the High Priestess, turned -upon the cowering man, upon whose ashy-hued -face stood great drops of ice-cold sweat, tearing -from her head the scarlet turban that had hidden -her bare, deathly skull, and beckoning him with -her skeleton hand to approach, in guttural, hissing -voice commanded:</p> - -<p>“Say over what you told me on the hill! Say, -if you dare, you dog, here in my lair where Tu -Konk dwells, that my daughter’s grandson, the -last of my blood, has mated with a white cow.”</p> - -<p>Benumbed by the dazzling light that poured -from the black pits in her naked, fleshless skull, -the mulatto could not walk, but falling on his -hands and knees he moved toward her; prostrate -at her feet, overcome by fear, he whined faintly:</p> - -<p>“Burton, Walter Burton, married a white -woman in Boston the twentieth of last month.”</p> - -<p>The hag grasping his ears drew his head up -toward her face, and thrusting her terrible head -forward she plunged her gaze like sword points -down into the man’s very soul.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span></p> - -<p>With a cry like that of a wounded wild-cat, -she jumped back and throwing her skinny arms -up in the air began waving them above her head, -screaming:</p> - -<p>“He does not lie! It is true! It is true!”</p> - -<p>In impotent rage she dug the sharp nails of her -fingers into the skin of her bald head and tore -long ridges across its smooth bare surface.</p> - -<p>Suddenly she seized the mulatto, now half-dead -from terror, crying:</p> - -<p>“Come! Goat without horns, let us tell Tu -Konk.”</p> - -<p>Manuel, limp, scarcely breathing, staggered to -his feet. The hag held him by the bleeding ears -that she had half torn from his head. Pushing -him before her they passed behind the curtain -suspended against the rock wall at the rear of the -room.</p> - -<p>The cave they entered was of small dimensions. -It was illuminated by four large candles, -which stood at each of the four corners of a -baby’s cradle. This misplaced article occupied -the center of the space walled in by the rocky -sides of the apartment. The place otherwise was -bare.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span></p> - -<p>Sybella as soon as the curtain fell behind her -began a monotonous chant. Moving slowly with -shuffling side-long steps around the cradle, sang:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Awake, my Tu Konk, awake and listen;</div> -<div class="verse">Hear my story;</div> -<div class="verse">My blood long gone to white dogs;</div> -<div class="verse">Daughter, granddaughter, all gone to white dogs;</div> -<div class="verse">One drop left to me now gone to white cow;</div> -<div class="verse">Tu Konk, Tu Konk, awake and avenge me.”</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Manuel saw something move beneath the covering -in the cradle.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Awake, Oh! my Tu Konk;</div> -<div class="verse">Awake and avenge me!”</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Manuel saw a black head thrust itself from -below the cover, and rest upon the dainty pillow -in the cradle. The head was covered by an infant’s -lacy cap.</p> - -<p>Sybella saw the head appear. Dashing under -the curtain and seizing one of the skull-cups she -returned and filled a nursing bottle that lay in -the cradle.</p> - -<p>The head covered with its cap of lace rose -from the pillow. Sybella, on her knees, with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -bowed head and adoring gestures, crept to the -side of the cradle and extended the bottle. King -of terrors! By all that is Horrible!</p> - -<p>The nipple disappeared in the scarlet flaming -mouth of an immense, fiery eyed, hissing black-snake. -It was Tu Konk!</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Drink, my Tu Konk.”</div> -<div class="verse">“Bring back my black blood.”</div> -<div class="verse">“Leave me not childless.”</div> -<div class="verse">“Curse then the white cow.”</div> -<div class="verse">“Send her the black goat.”</div> -<div class="verse">“Give her black kids.”</div> -<div class="verse">“Black kids and white teats.”</div> -<div class="verse">“Serve thus the white cow.”</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Chanting these words, the Voo Doo priestess -struck her head repeatedly upon the hard surface -of the floor of the cave. Blood ran down her -face to mingle with the froth that dropped from -her shriveled and distorted lips.</p> - -<p>The mulatto with bursting, straining eye-balls -and chattering teeth gasped for breath. The -hideous grotesqueness of the scene had frozen the -very life-blood in his veins. The vestments of -an angel adorning a fiend! Paralyzed by fear,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -with bulging eyes nearly popping from their -sockets, the man stared at the horrible head surrounded -by those trappings most closely associated -with innocence.</p> - -<p>Human nature could stand no more! With -one frenzied shriek Manuel broke the spell that -held him helpless. Tearing aside the curtain he -leaped out of this Temple of Terrors; heedless -of the danger of plunging over the precipice he -raced along the treacherous path nor paused for -breath until miles intervened between Tu Konk, -Sybella and himself.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span></p> - -<h2>VI.</h2> - -<p>No social event of the season equalled -the Burton-Dunlap wedding. For -weeks prior to the date of the ceremony -it had been the one all-engrossing theme of conversation -with everybody; that is, everybody who -was anybody, in the metropolis of the Old Bay -State.</p> - -<p>The immense settlement, the magnificent gifts, -the exquisite trousseau from Paris, the surpassing -beauty of the bride, the culture and accomplishments -of the handsome groom, the exalted -position of the Dunlap family, these formed the -almost exclusive topics of Boston’s most exclusive -set for many weeks before the wedding.</p> - -<p>What a grand church wedding it was! The -church was a perfect mass of flowers and plants -of the rarest and most expensive kind. The -music grandissimo beyond expression. A bishop -assisted by two clergymen performed the ceremony.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -The bride, a dream of loveliness in lace, -satin and orange blossoms; the groom a model -of grace and chivalry; the tiny maids, earth-born -angels; the ushers Boston’s bluest blooded scions -of the Pilgrim Fathers, and finally everybody -who was anybody was there.</p> - -<p>And the reception! The Dunlap mansion and -grounds were resplendent in a blaze of light; the -beauty, talent, wealth and great names of New -England were gathered there to congratulate the -happy bride, Dunlap’s heiress, and the fortunate -groom.</p> - -<p>“A most appropriate match! How fortunate -for all concerned! How delightful for the two -old gentlemen!” declared everybody who was -anybody.</p> - -<p>Four special policemen guarded the glittering -array of almost priceless wedding presents; in -the splendid refreshment room, brilliant in glittering -glass and silver, Boston’s best and gentlest -pledged the happy bride and groom in many a -glass of rarest wine and wished long life and -happiness to that charming, well-mated pair.</p> - -<p>The bride, radiant in her glorious beauty, rejecting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -as adornment for this occasion, diamond -necklace and tiara, gifts of the groom, selected -a simple coil of snowy pearls.</p> - -<p>“The gift of my Cousin Jack,” she proudly -said. “My earliest lover and most steadfast -friend.”</p> - -<p>The savings of years of sailor life had been -expended ungrudgingly to lay this tribute of love -on that fair bosom.</p> - -<p>How well assured was the future of this fortunate -couple! The prospect stretched before -them like one long, joyous journey of uninterrupted -bliss. Life’s pathway all lined with thornless -roses beneath summer’s smiling sky.</p> - -<p>Naught seemed lacking to make assurance of -the future doubly sure. Youth, health, wealth, -social position, culture, refinement, intelligence, -amiability.</p> - -<p>Soft strains of music floated on the perfumed -air, bright eyes “spake love to eyes that spake -again,” midst palms and in flower-garlanded recesses -gentle voices whispered words of love to -willing ears; in the center of this unalloyed blissfulness -were Burton and his bride.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Old bachelors are as excitable concerning -marriage as old spinsters can possibly be. See -Mr. John Dunlap, how flushed and nervous he -seems! He hovers about the bride like an anxious -mother!” So said two elderly grand-dames -behind their fans while watching the group about -Burton’s fair young wife.</p> - -<p>Among that gay and gallant company moved -one restless figure and peering face. David -Chapman, leaving his sister, Miss Arabella, -under the protecting care of Mrs. Church, lest -during the confusion of so large a gathering, -some daring cavalier, enamored of her maiden-charms, -should elope with the guileless creature, -mingled with the throng of guests, unobtrusive, -but ever vigilant and watchful.</p> - -<p>Chapman’s countenance bore an odd expression, -a mixture of satisfied curiosity, vindictiveness -and regret.</p> - -<p>That very day a superannuated sailor who for -years had served the house of Dunlap, and now -acted as ship-keeper for vessels in its employ, -called to report to the superintendent some -trifling loss. Before leaving he asked respectfully, -knuckling his forehead.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Is the manager goin’ to marry ter’day?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; why?” said Chapman sharply.</p> - -<p>“Nothin’ ’cept I’ve often seen his mother and -took notice of him here,” replied the man.</p> - -<p>“Where did you see Mr. Burton’s mother? -Who was she?” Chapman asked eagerly in his -keen way.</p> - -<p>“In Port au Prince, mor’n twenty-five year -er’go. She was Ducros’, the sugar planter’s -darter, and the puttiest quadroon I ever seen. -Yea, the puttiest woman of any kind I ever seen,” -answered the old ship-keeper in a reminiscent -tone.</p> - -<p>Chapman’s eyes fairly sparkled with pleasure -as he thus secured a clew for future investigation, -but without asking other questions he dismissed -the retired seaman. It was this information -that gave to his face that singular expression -during the reception.</p> - -<p>A private palace car stood on the track in the -station waiting for the coming of the bridal -party. Naught less than a special train could -be considered when it was decided that Florida -should be the favored spot where the wealthy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -Haitien and his bride, the Dunlap heiress, would -spend their honeymoon.</p> - -<p>Soft and balmy are the breezes, that pouring -through the open windows of the car, flood the -interior with odors of pine cones and orange -blooms, as Burton’s special train speeds through -the Flower State of the Union.</p> - -<p>The car is decked with the fresh and gorgeous -blossoms of this snowless land; yet of all the fairest -is that sweet bud that rests on Burton’s -breast.</p> - -<p>“Walter, how sweet is life when one loves and -is beloved,” said Burton’s young wife dreamily, -raising her head from his breast and gazing -fondly into her husband’s eyes.</p> - -<p>“Yes, love, life then is heaven on earth, sweet -wife,” whispered the husband clasping closely -the yielding figure in his arms.</p> - -<p>“I am so happy, dearest Walter, I love you so -dearly,” murmured Lucy clinging still closer to -her lover.</p> - -<p>“You will always love me thus, I hope, my -darling,” said Walter, as he kissed the white -forehead of his bride.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Of course I shall, my own dear husband,” -answered unhesitatingly the happy, trusting -woman.</p> - -<p>“Could nothing, no matter what, however unexpected -and unforeseen, shake your faith in me, -or take from me that love I hold so sacred and -so dear?” asked Burton earnestly, pressing his -wife to his heart.</p> - -<p>“Nothing could alter my love for you, my husband,” -answered Lucy quickly, as she raised her -head and kissed him.</p> - -<p>The special train slows up at a small station. -Put on breaks! The whistle calls, and the train -stops until the dispatcher can get a “clear track” -message from the next station.</p> - -<p>The crowd of negroes, male and female, large -and small, stare with wondering admiration at -the beautiful being who appears on the rear platform -of the car accompanied by such a perfect -Adonis of a man.</p> - -<p>Lucy Burton was an object not likely to escape -attention. Her full round form, slender, yet -molded into most delicious curves, was shown to -perfection by the tight-fitting traveling gown of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -some kind of soft stuff that she wore; her happy, -beautiful face, bright with the love-light in her -hazel eyes, presented a picture calculated to cause -even the most fastidious to stare. To the ignorant -black people she was a revelation of loveliness.</p> - -<p>As the negroes, in opened-mouthed wonder, -came closer and clustered about the steps of the -car, their great eyes wide and white, Lucy drew -back a little and somewhat timidly slipped her -hand into her husband’s, whispering:</p> - -<p>“I am afraid of them, they are so black and -shocking with their rolling eyes and thick lips.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense! sweetheart,” said Walter with a -laugh not all together spontaneous.</p> - -<p>“They are a merry, gentle folk, gay and good-natured; -the Southern people would have no -other nurses for their babies. I thought New -England people had long since ceased to notice -the color of mankind’s skin.”</p> - -<p>“But, Walter, how horrid they are! We see -so few of them in New England that they don’t -seem like these. How dreadfully black and brutal -they are. Let us go inside, I really am<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -afraid!” cried Lucy in a low voice and started -to retreat.</p> - -<p>At that moment a tall and very black woman -who held a baby at her breast, negro-like, carried -away by thoughtless good nature and admiration -for the lovely stranger, raised her ink-colored -picaninny, and in motherly pride thrust -it forward until its little wooly black head almost -touched Lucy’s bosom.</p> - -<p>With one glance of loathing, terror and unconcealed -horror at the object resting nearly on -her breast, Lucy gave a scream of fear and fled. -Throwing herself on one of the settees in the car -she buried her face among the cushions and wept -solely from fright and nervousness.</p> - -<p>“Why! sweetheart, what is the matter? There -is nothing to fear. Those poor people were only -admiring you, my darling,” cried Burton hurrying -to his young wife’s side and seeking to quiet -her fears.</p> - -<p>“I can’t help it, Walter, all those black faces -crowded together near to me was awful, and that -dreadful little black thing almost touched me,” -sobbed Lucy nervously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Darling, the dreadful little black thing was -only a harmless baby,” replied the husband soothingly.</p> - -<p>“Baby!” cried the astonished young woman, -lifting her head from the cushions and regarding -her companion through her undried tears -with doubt, as if suspecting him of joking. -“I thought it was an ape or some hideous little -imp! Baby!” and seeing that there was no joke -about what her husband said, she added:</p> - -<p>“I didn’t know negroes looked like that when -babies. I would not touch that loathsome, horrid -thing for worlds. It made my flesh fairly -quiver to see it even near me.”</p> - -<p>Walter Burton succeeded in allaying the alarm -of his wife only after the train had resumed its -rapid journey southward. When Lucy, lulled to -sleep by the low music of the guitar which he -played to distract her attention from the unpleasant -recollection, no longer demanded his presence, -Burton sought the smoking-room of the car and -passed an hour in solemn, profound meditation, -as he puffed continuously fragrant Havanas.</p> - -<p>“I was wrong! She did not know. Now she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -never shall if I can prevent it.” Such were the -words of Lucy’s husband when throwing away -his cigar he arose to rejoin his young wife.</p> - -<p class="tb">Many hundred miles from flowery Florida -across a watery way, a ship was wildly tossing -upon an angry, sullen sea. For three days and -nights with ceaseless toil, in constant danger, the -weary crew had battled with howling winds and -tempestuous waves.</p> - -<p>A storm of awe-inspiring fury had burst upon -the good ship “Adams,” of Boston, bound for -Melbourne, on the night of December the nineteenth -in that good year of our Lord.</p> - -<p>The superb seamanship of the skipper, combined -with the prompt alacrity of the willing -crew, alone saved the ship from adding her -broken frame to that countless multitude which -rest beneath the waves.</p> - -<p>The wind was still blowing a gale, but there -was perceptibly less force in it, as shrieking it -tore through the rigging and against the almost -bare masts, than there had been in three days.</p> - -<p>Two men stood in the cabin, enveloped in oil-skins,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -with rubber boots reaching above their -knees. Their eyes were red from wind -and watching, while they answered the -heave of the ship wearily as if worn out with the -excessive labor of the last seventy-two hours. -The men were the two mates of the “Adams.” -The captain had sent them below for a glass of -grog and a biscuit. There had been no fire in -the galley for the three days that the storm had -beaten upon the ship.</p> - -<p>“The skipper must be made of iron,” said the -shorter man, Morgan, the second officer.</p> - -<p>“He has hardly left the deck a minute since the -squall struck us, and he is as quick and strong -as a shark,” he continued, munching on the biscuit -and balancing himself carefully as he raised -his glass of grog.</p> - -<p>“Every inch a sailor is the skipper,” growled -the larger man hoarsely.</p> - -<p>“Sailed with Captain Dunlap in the ‘Lucy,’ -and no better master ever trod a quarter-deck,” -added Mr. Brice, the first officer of the “Adams.”</p> - -<p>“He surely knows his business and handles the -ship with the ease a Chinaman does his chopsticks,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -but he’s the surliest, most silent skipper -I ever sailed with. You told us, Mr. Brice, when -you came aboard that he was the jolliest; was -he like this when you were with him on the -‘Lucy’?” said the second mate inquiringly.</p> - -<p>“No, he wasn’t!” mumbled old Brice in answer.</p> - -<p>“Somethin’ went wrong with him ashore,” adding -angrily as he turned and glared at his young -companion:</p> - -<p>“But ’tis none of your blamed business or mine -neither what’s up with the skipper; you didn’t -ship for society, did you?”</p> - -<p>“That’s right enough, Mr. Brice, but I tell you -what ’tis, the men think the captain a little out -of trim in the sky-sail. They say he walks about -ship at night like a ghost and does queer things. -Second day of the storm, the twentieth, in the -evening, while it was blowing great guns and -ship pitching like she’d stick her nose under forever, -I was standin’ by to help Collins at the -wheel; we see the skipper come staggering along -aft balancing himself careful as a rope walker -an a holdin’ a glass of wine in his hand. When<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -he gets to the rail at the stern he holds up high -the glass and talks to wind, Davy Jones or somethin’, -drinks the wine and hurls the glass to hell -and gone into the sea. How’s that, mate? Collins -looks at me and shakes his head, and I feels -creepy myself.”</p> - -<p>For a minute Brice, with red and angry eyes, -stared at the second mate, then he burst out in a -roar:</p> - -<p>“I’ll knock the head off ’er Collins, and marlin -spike the rest ’er the bloomin’ sea lawyers in the -for’castle if I catch them talkin’ erbout the skipper, -and I tell you, Mr. Second Mate, you keep -your mouth well shut or you’ll get such ’er keel -haulin’ you won’t fergit. Captain Dunlap is no -man to projec’k with and he’s mighty rough in -er shindy.”</p> - -<p>With that closing admonition the first officer -turned and climbed the reeling stairs that led to -the deck. As he emerged from the companion-way -a great wave struck the side of ship heeling -her over and hurling the mate against the man -who had formed the topic of discussion in the -cabin below.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> - -<p>The skipper was wet to the skin; he had -thrown aside his oil-skins to enable him to move -more nimbly, his face was worn, drawn and almost -of leaden hue. Deep lines and the dark -circles around his eyes told a story of loss of -sleep, fatigue and anxiety. How much of this -was due to an aching pain in the heart only Him -to whom all things are revealed could know.</p> - -<p>Morgan’s story was true. He had described -when, how and under what conditions Jack had -pledged Lucy in a glass of wine on her wedding -day, praying God to send blessings and happiness -to his lost love.</p> - -<p>Sing sweet mocking birds! Shine genial sun! -Bloom fairest flowers of Sunny Florida! Bliss -be thine, loved Lucy! Dream not of the ocean’s -angry roar! The tempest’s cruel blast!</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span></p> - -<h2>VII.</h2> - -<p>“I really can hardly realize, grandfather, -that I have been married one -year and that today is the anniversary -of my wedding,” exclaimed Mrs. Walter Burton -to her grandfather, as lingering over a late breakfast, -they chatted in a desultory manner on many -subjects.</p> - -<p>The breakfast-room of the Dunlap mansion -was one of the prettiest apartments in the house; -bright and airy, with great windows reaching -from ceiling to floor, which flooded the place with -sunshine and cheerfulness this brilliant snowy -New England morning.</p> - -<p>Surely it had been difficult to find anything -prettier than the young matron who presided -over the sparkling service with the grace of the -school-girl still visible notwithstanding the recently -assumed dignity of wife.</p> - -<p>Lucy Burton’s face and form possessed that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -rare quality of seeming always displayed to best -advantage in the last costume she wore. Nothing -could be more becoming than the lace-trimmed -breakfast gown of a clinging silky, pink fabric -worn by her this morning.</p> - -<p>The tete-a-tete between grandfather and -granddaughter each morning over the breakfast-table -was an established and, to both, a cherished -custom that had grown up since Lucy’s marriage.</p> - -<p>Mr. James Dunlap carried his seventy-three -years as lightly as many men of less rugged constitutions -carry fifty. His was a fresh, healthy, -kindly old face, the white hair resting like the -snow on some Alpine peak served but to heighten -the charm of those goodly features below.</p> - -<p>“A year to young people means very little, I -judge, daughter, but we old folk regard it differently. -You have been away from me during the -last year so much that old man as I am, the time -has dragged,” the grandfather replied laying -aside his morning paper and adjusting his glasses -that he might see better the pretty face across -the table.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Now, that I look at you, my dear, apparently -you have not aged to any alarming extent since -you have become a matron,” jocosely added the -old gentleman, his eyes beaming lovingly on his -granddaughter.</p> - -<p>“I may not show it, still I have my troubles.” -Lucy’s attempt to wrinkle her smooth brow and -draw down the corners of her sweet mouth while -she tried to muster up a sigh was so ridiculous -that her companion began to laugh.</p> - -<p>“Don’t laugh at me, grandfather; it’s unkind,” -cried Lucy, with the childish manner that still -crept out when alone with him who had been both -father and mother to her.</p> - -<p>“Very well, deary, I shall not laugh. Tell me -of those dire troubles that afflict you,” rejoined -her still smiling grandfather.</p> - -<p>“Well! now there is Walter, obliged to run -away so early to that horrid old office that I never -see him at the breakfast-table,” began the young -creature with pretty pettishness.</p> - -<p>“Sad! indeed sad!” said Mr. Dunlap in affected -sorrow. “A gay young couple attend -some social function or the theatre nightly and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -are up late; the unfortunate young husband is -obliged to be at his office at ten o’clock in the -morning to save an old man of seventy odd from -routine labor; the young wife who is fond of a -morning nap must breakfast alone, save the companionship -of an old fogy of a grandfather; ’tis -the saddest situation I ever heard of.”</p> - -<p>The laughter in the old gentleman’s throat -gurgled like good wine poured for welcome guest -as Lucy puckered up her lips at him.</p> - -<p>“Then that hateful old ‘Eyrie.’ When we were -married and you insisted that we should live here -with you, which, of course, I expected to do, I -thought Walter would sell or lease that lonely -bachelor den of his, but he has done no such -thing; says he keeps up the establishment for the -sake of the conservatory, which is the finest in -the State,” proceeded the wife ruefully recounting -her alleged woes.</p> - -<p>“Walter speaks truly concerning the conservatory -at the ‘Eyrie.’ Mr. Foster Agnew, who is -authority on the subject, says that he has never -seen a finer collection of rare and beautiful plants -and flowers in any private conservatory in this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> -country,” replied Mr. Dunlap in defense of Burton’s -action in maintaining his former home.</p> - -<p>“Yes, but there is no reason for Walter’s running -up there at all hours of the night, and sometimes -even staying there all night, telling me that -he is anxious about the temperature; that Leopold -may fall asleep or neglect something. I -hate that miserable conservatory,” rejoined Lucy -with flushed face and flashing eyes.</p> - -<p>“Oh! Pshaw! you exacting little witch! You -are fearfully neglected by reason of the ‘Eyrie’s’ -conservatory, are you? Now, let me see. You -were in Florida and California two months of -the last year, and in Europe four more, leaving -just six months that you have spent in Boston -since your marriage. I suppose Walter has spent -a half dozen nights at the ‘Eyrie.’ Great tribulation -and trial,” rejoined the amused grandfather.</p> - -<p>“Well, but Walter knows I don’t like his going -there at night. Something might happen to -him,” persisted Lucy, woman-like seizing any -argument to gain her point.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;" id="illus2"> -<img src="images/illus2.jpg" width="450" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">“Lucy passed her soft, white arm around her grandfather’s neck.”</p> -<p class="caption-r"><a href="#Page_108">Page 108</a></p> -</div> - -<p>“As Princess Lucy does not like it, she thinks -that should be a sufficient reason for the visits<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -to the ‘Eyrie’ at night to cease. Being accustomed -to that humble and abject obedience rendered -to her slightest wish by the old slaves John -and James, and the young slave, Jack Dunlap. -Is that it, Princess?” said the old gentleman making -a mocking salaam to ‘Her Highness’ as he -sometimes called his pretty <i lang="fr">vis-a-vis</i>.</p> - -<p>“Stop making fun of me, grandfather; I think -you are really unkind. I never made slaves of -you and Uncle John and good old Jack. Did I -now?”</p> - -<p>Lucy Burton surely was a beauty. Small wonder -that the Dunlap men, old and young, loved -her long before Walter Burton came to win her. -She looked so pretty as she asked the last question -that her grandfather held out his hands and -said:</p> - -<p>“Come here, my dear, and kiss me. I forgive -you if you have been an exacting ruler.” When -Lucy settled herself on the arm of his chair as -some graceful bird of gay plumage perches itself -on a twig, the fine old face was filled with tenderness -and love as he kissed her.</p> - -<p>Lucy passed her soft white arm around her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> -grandfather’s neck, and resting her dimpled -cheek on his snowy head, she said seriously:</p> - -<p>“That is not all of my reason for disliking the -‘Eyrie.’ You know, grandfather, I should not -discuss my husband with any one other than -yourself, so this is a secret; I have noticed that -whenever Walter makes an all-night visit to the -‘Eyrie’ that the trip is preceded by an outburst -of unusual hilarity on his part; in fact, on such -occasions I am almost annoyed by something -nearly undignified in Walter’s demeanor; he -seems as thoughtless as a child, says and does -things that are ridiculous and silly.”</p> - -<p>“Tut, tut, child, you have a very vivid imagination, -and are so anxious for everyone to regard -your husband with the exaggerated admiration -that you have for him, that you are allowing -yourself to become hypercritic, my pet,” rejoined -Mr. Dunlap reassuringly.</p> - -<p>“No, grandfather, you are mistaken. I not -alone notice something peculiar about Walter’s -periodical outbursts of unseemly mirth; I see -others regard with surprise this departure from -his customary reposeful dignity,” insisted the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -young wife earnestly with a note of indignation -in her voice when speaking of others observing -any thing strange in the conduct of her husband.</p> - -<p>“Oh! nonsense, Lucy, all young men occasionally -cast aside dignity. In the fullness of youth -and vigor they become now and again fairly exuberant -with happiness and forget all about the -conventionalities of society. I have seen nothing -about Walter in that particular different from -other young men. Don’t make yourself wretched -over nothing, little girl.”</p> - -<p>“Possibly I observe my husband with more -attention than anyone else, even than you, grandfather, -for I certainly perceive a great differentiation -between Walter’s spasmodic mirth and similar -exhibitions by other men. Walter seems -different in many ways that mystify me. On -every occasion that he remains all night at the -‘Eyrie,’ after a display of this extraordinary and -boyish merriment, he returns home the next day -with broad dark circles around his eyes, and is -in a most depressed state of spirits,” said the -young wife, with real anxiety revealed in the -tone of her voice.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Well, really, daughter, if you are anxious -concerning what you say, I shall observe Walter -more closely. He may be over exerting himself -by the late hours that he keeps in your company, -and the detail work that he has taken off my -hands. However, just as a venture, I will wager -a box of gloves against a kiss, deary, that Walter -does not appear in the condition you have described -this evening, notwithstanding that he -passed last night at the ‘Eyrie’ and was markedly -mirthful during last evening,” said Lucy’s grandfather, -passing his arm around her slim waist and -drawing his anxious girl to his heart.</p> - -<p>“I am glad you mentioned last evening, for I -wish to speak of something I noticed during the -serving of dinner and afterward. Who was that -old gentleman whom you introduced as Professor -Charlton?” said the young woman interrogatively.</p> - -<p>“Oh, that is my old friend and fellow classmate -when we were at Harvard. He is a Georgian -and is Dean of the Georgia University and one -of the most learned ethnologists in the world. He -is here to consult with Professor Wright of Harvard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> -concerning a forthcoming book on which -Charlton has been engaged for years. Now, that -I have answered fully, why were you curious -about that old book-worm and chum of mine, my -pretty inquisitor?”</p> - -<p>“Simply because he seemed perfectly fascinated -by my husband. He appeared unable to -remove his gaze from him even when addressed -by you or any one else. He would peer at him -over his glasses, then raise his head and inspect -Walter through them just as botanists do when -they come upon some rare plant.”</p> - -<p>“By Jove! What next will that brown head -of yours conjure up to worry over? Are you -jealous of old Charlton’s admiring glances? If -he were a pretty woman I might understand, but -old Cobb Charlton. Well! I am prepared for -anything, my pet, so go ahead. What about -those glances seen by your watchful eyes?” said -her grandfather, chuckling over some farcical -suggestion in connection with old Professor -Thos. Cobb Charlton.</p> - -<p>“Yes, but they were not admiring glances, and -I didn’t say so. They were studious, scrutinizing,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -investigating, and I thought, insulting,” indignantly -replied Lucy.</p> - -<p>“Ah! Now we are called upon to criticise the -quality and kind of glance with which an old -student may regard a gay young fellow who is -rattling gleefully through a somewhat tedious -dinner,” said Mr. Dunlap in an amused manner.</p> - -<p>“You may laugh at me, grandfather, as much -as you please, but Walter was made so nervous -and uncomfortable by that old fellow’s disconcerting -scrutiny that he acted almost silly. I -have never seen him quite so ridiculously merry. -That old Professor squinted even at Walter’s -hands, as if he wished for a microscope to examine -them, and after dinner while Walter was -singing he edged up near the piano and peered -down Walter’s throat, listening intently as if to -catch some peculiar note for which he was waiting, -all the time with his old head on one side -like an ugly owl,” said the exasperated young -woman.</p> - -<p>Lucy’s description of his old college friend -and her manner of setting forth his idiosyncracies -was too much for James Dunlap’s risibility.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -He threw back his head and incontinently -laughed in his granddaughter’s pretty flushed -face.</p> - -<p>“Oh! my, Oh! my! How old Cobb would enjoy -this! My dearest, old Cobb Charlton is the -jolliest, most amiable fellow on earth. He would -not wound the sensibilities of a street-dog, and -is one of the best bred gentlemen alive. Oh! my, -Lucy! You’ll be the death of me yet with your -whimsical notions,” cried the fine old fellow leaning -back in his chair, shaking with laughter.</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t care; it is just as I said, for -finally, he seemed to discover something about -Walter for which he had been seeking. I saw a -self-satisfied smile steal over his face as he -nodded his bushy white head. Then he stared -at you as if amazed, and then, if I be not blind -and I don’t think that I am, he had the impertinence -to look at me with, actually, pity in his -big, staring black eyes,” retorted Lucy angrily -as she recalled the events of the previous evening.</p> - -<p>“Imagination, pure and simple!” exclaimed -Mr. Dunlap, continuing to laugh, enjoying hugely -Lucy’s anger.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Charlton was possibly thinking about something -connected with his favorite science and -probably did not even see us while apparently -he was casting about those peculiar glances that -you depict so vividly.”</p> - -<p>“Even so, I think it ill-bred and unkind in him -to make my husband the subject of a study in -ethnology.”</p> - -<p>“Ah!” gasped her grandfather, as though a -sudden pain had struck his heart. Some new -idea had flashed upon his brain, the laughter vanished -from lips and the color from his face. He -straightened up in his chair while a look of anxiety -replaced the merriment that had sparkled in -his eyes.</p> - -<p>“Why, what is the matter, grandfather?” cried -Lucy in undisguised alarm at the change in his -countenance.</p> - -<p>“Nothing, my darling, it will pass away. -Please hand me a glass of water,” the old man -answered.</p> - -<p>Lucy hastened to fill a glass with water and -while she was so engaged Mr. Dunlap struggled -to master some emotion that had caused the sudden<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> -departure of all his jocoseness of the moment -before she said that her husband had been made -a subject of a study in ethnology.</p> - -<p>“I am better now, thank you, dear; it was just -a little twinge of pain that caught me unaware of -its approach,” said the old gentleman forcing a -smile to his pale lips.</p> - -<p>“And now let us talk about your Cousin Jack, -and leave alone the vagaries of a moth-eaten old -scholar whom you will probably never see again,” -he continued, as if eager to banish some disagreeable -thought from his mind.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes! Do tell me some news of dear old -Jack. His very name seems to bring the purity, -freshness and freedom of the sea into this hot-house -life one leads in society. Where is he and -how is he?” cried Lucy enthusiastically at mention -of the name of her sailor cousin.</p> - -<p>“You recall, do you not, the brief mention that -he made in the first letter that we received after -he sailed of a fearful storm encountered by his -ship when not less than a month out from Boston, -and that his ship (so he wrote) had been -fortunate enough to rescue some people from a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> -foundered and sinking vessel during the gale?” -asked Mr. Dunlap regaining gradually his composure -as his mind dwelt upon a subject pleasant -to contemplate.</p> - -<p>“Yes, surely, I remember, grandfather, because -the storm, I recall, was at its height on my wedding -day and I wondered at the time if in all that -fearful danger Jack even thought of me.”</p> - -<p>“Well, then! to begin with I must let you into -a state secret. Your good Uncle John the day -before Jack sailed insisted that he should carry -old Brice, who had been long in our service, as -one of his mates. John’s object was this: knowing -Jack’s pride and obstinacy, he feared that he -might need help and not apply to us for it, so he -sent for Brice and bribed him to stick by our -young kinsman and keep us informed concerning -his welfare. We have had only glowing accounts -of Jack’s success as a ship-owner from Brice. -Yesterday there came a letter and a copy of a -London paper from him that filled my heart with -pride and pleasure, and I know will overjoy your -uncle.</p> - -<p>“Do hurry, grandfather. I can’t wait long to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -hear fine things about my good, faithful old -Jack,” exclaimed Lucy impatiently, as she resumed -her place on the arm of the old man’s -chair.</p> - -<p>“This is what the report in the London newspaper -states, and is what neither Jack nor Brice -wrote home. The ship that foundered was filled -with emigrants from Ireland bound for Australia. -The fourth day of the storm she was -sighted by the ‘Adams.’ While the wind had -subsided somewhat the waves were still rolling -mountain high. When Jack called for volunteers -to man the boats the crew hung in the wind, -until Jack, noticing the women and children on -the deck of the sinking ship, called to Brice to -come with him, and pushing aside the reluctant -crew made ready to spring into a boat which had -been lowered. Then the shamed crew rushed -over the side and insisted that the captain allow -them to make the attempt to rescue the people -from the wrecked vessel. With the last boat-load -of the emigrants that came safely on board -of the ‘Adams’ was a little girl who, weeping -bitterly, cried that her sick mother had been left -behind. The sailors and Mr. Morgan, the second<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> -mate of the ‘Adams,’ said that the child’s -mother was nearly dead, lying in a bunk in the -sick-bay, and that she had smallpox and no one -dared lift and carry her to the boat.”</p> - -<p>“What an awful position! What did Jack -say?” cried Lucy, breaking the thread of her -grandfather’s narrative.</p> - -<p>“Jack did not say much, but he did that that -makes me proud to call him my kinsman, a Dunlap -and a Yankee sailor. He whispered to the -child not to cry any more, that she should have -her mother brought to her. Then he leaped into -the boat and was shoving off to make the trip -alone to the wreck when old Brice tumbled over -the ship’s side and took his place at an oar. Jack -brought the woman in his arms from the sick-bay -and laid her in the boat, regaining his own -ship, he made the smallpox patient comfortable in -his own cabin, nursed her himself and saved her -life,” said Mr. Dunlap exultantly, relating the -report of the rescue as published in the English -journal.</p> - -<p>“Hurrah! for our noble Jack!” cried Lucy, -springing up and waving about her head a napkin -that lay upon the table.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span></p> - -<p>“But hear the end, daughter, in recognition of -the humanity of the generous deed, the Royal -Humane Society of England has presented both -Jack and Brice with medals, and as an extraordinary -mark of distinction, the King of England -has, with his own hand, written a letter to our -Jack, congratulating him upon the performance -of a noble, unselfish and courageous act,” added -the grandfather.</p> - -<p>“Three times three! for brave Jack Dunlap! -Hurrah, for the blood of a good old Yankee race -that tells its story in noble deeds,” and waving -the improvised banner above her fair head she -bent down and kissed the glowing cheek of the -proud old man.</p> - -<p>“Run along now, dear, and dress. You may -take me for a sleigh-ride behind your fast ponies -before I go down to the office.”</p> - -<p>As Lucy went upstairs, there came floating -back to her grandfather’s ears her fresh, musical -voice singing:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">It’s a Yankee ship,</div> -<div class="verse">It’s a Yankee crew,</div> -<div class="verse">That’s first on waters blue.</div> -</div> -</div> -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span></p> - -<h2>VIII.</h2> - -<p>Early in the morning after Mr. Dunlap’s -dinner-party in honor of Professor -Charlton, when the newly risen sun had -made a dazzling field of glittering diamonds of -the snow that lay white and spotless about the -‘Eyrie,’ Walter Burton threw up the sash of one -of the long, low windows in his sitting-room and -stepped out on the balcony.</p> - -<p>With a sigh of relief he drank in deep draughts -of the fresh, crisp air, and exclaimed as he -shaded his eyes:</p> - -<p>“What a blessing is fresh air and sunlight after -the closeness of the house and gas-light.”</p> - -<p>The man’s face was haggard and drawn like -one who has passed a night of vigil and suffering. -His eyes were surrounded by bands of -black that gave to them a hollow appearance.</p> - -<p>“How utterly idiotic and inexplicable seems -my mood and conduct of last night out here in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> -the sunshine, now that I am my natural self once -more.”</p> - -<p>Burton walked down from the balcony on the -crackling snow that lay dry and sparkling on the -lawn in front of the house. After a few moments -spent in the exercise of pacing about and -swinging his arms, he returned to his sitting-room -refreshed and apparently restored to his -usual condition of mind.</p> - -<p>All around the room that he entered were scattered -promiscuously, musical instruments, books, -cushions, flowers and fragments of a late supper, -all in that confusion that could not fail to impress -the beholder with the idea that the room had -been recently the scene of reckless orgies. Pillows -heaped upon a sofa still bore the imprint of -some one’s head, and was evidently the couch -from which the young man had risen when he -went forth into God’s bright sunlight.</p> - -<p>With supreme disgust depicted on his aesthetic -countenance, Walter Burton gazed at the evidence -of his nocturnal revel while in that state -of mind he had named idiotic.</p> - -<p>“These sporadic spells of silliness which come<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -over my spirit are as revolting to me, when relieved -from their influences, as is incomprehensible -the cause of their coming,” muttered Burton, -kicking aside the various articles that littered the -floor.</p> - -<p>“What earthly reason could there be for the -peculiar effect produced upon me by the scrutiny -of that old professor from the South? There exists -nothing natural to account for the strange -sensation caused by the penetrating gaze of that -old Southerner.</p> - -<p>“The cause must be sought in the sphere of the -supernatural, a province wherein reason, education -and culture protest against my wandering.” -Pausing the young man strove to recall the -scenes and sensations of the previous night, but -in vain.</p> - -<p>“It is useless for me to struggle to bring back -the vanished state of feeling that possessed me -last evening. It refuses to pass before the spectrum -of my mind.</p> - -<p>“It is ever thus while the normal condition of -my mental faculties exists. I always fail to catch -the fleeting shadow of that distorting spectre that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> -haunts my spirit with its degrading, masterful -influence.</p> - -<p>“Could I but hold that sensation that steals -upon me, while my mental powers are yet unimpaired -by its presence, I might make a diagnosis -of the disease, analyze the cause and produce the -remedy, but my attempts are always futile. I -fail to reproduce the feeling that was all-pervading -a few short hours before the current of my -mind returned to its accustomed channel.”</p> - -<p>The helplessness and baffled look upon the -man’s face as he ended this self-communion was -piteous. Throwing himself into a chair and covering -his face with his hands, he cried almost -with a moan:</p> - -<p>“To what depth of degradation, brutality and -crime may I not be carried while actuated by a -power foreign and antagonistic to all that Christianity, -morality and education have imparted to -me?”</p> - -<p>“My God! How I had hoped that time and -marriage would cause a diminution in the power -of these strange spells and the frequency of their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> -visits, until, at last, I might be freed from a -thralldom repugnant to all my better self.”</p> - -<p>“Vain that hoped for release! Rather do the -mysterious visitations increase in frequency, and -alas! also in power.”</p> - -<p>“Like insidious waves that sap and undermine -the foundation of some massive granite cliff, the -delusive tide recedes but to return, each succeeding -visit adding to the inroad already made. -Though small may be the gain, they never once -relax their firm grip upon the headway won before, -until the toppling mass comes crashing from -its majestic height, vanquished by and victim of -unremitting insidiousness.”</p> - -<p>“So I find with each recurrence of the tide of -the strange spell that submerges me. That -granite cliff of Christianity whereon I builded -my castle of morality, that bastion of education, -those redoubts of refinement, culture, aesthetics, -deemed by me as creating an impregnable fortress -wherein by the aid of civilization I should -find secure shelter, are trembling and toppling, -undermined by the waves of that inexplicable, -relentless influence.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Each attack finds me weaker to resist, each -advance carries me further from my fortress; I -feel my defense falling; I am drawing nearer to -the brink; shall I fall? Shall I go crashing -down, dragged from my high estate by some -fiendish tendency as inexorable as it is degrading?”</p> - -<p>“As yet I am enabled to resist beyond the -point of insensate silliness and folly, but each -returning shock is accompanied by ever stronger -suggestion of immorality, brutality and crime. -Shall I be strong enough always to repulse this -tireless current of assault? Shall I finally succumb -and fall to the level of the barbarian and -the beast? Soul harrowing thought!”</p> - -<p>“The insane or drink frenzied man is unconscious -of his acts, but such is not my miserable -fate, while held in bondage by that unknown -power I appreciate the absurdity of my every act. -I still am I, but powerless to control myself, I -catch the look of wonder that fills the eyes of -others. I feel the shame, but am powerless to -remove the cause.”</p> - -<p>“And, oh! the horror of seeing and recognizing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> -a look of rebuke and repulsion in the eyes of -those I love and those who love me. To see the -smile of pride vanish and the blush of mortification -succeed it on the face of that being of all the -world to me the dearest and fairest.”</p> - -<p>“Last night in my dear Lucy’s eyes I read reproof, -rebuke, and on her cheeks I saw the red -flag of shame. Cognizant of the cause, I, like a -leaf upon the current of some mighty cataract, -helpless, rushed along in humiliation and self-disgust. -I beat against the stream with all my -remaining strength of mind; I struggled to regain -the shore of my accustomed dignity, but all -in vain.”</p> - -<p>“I was carried on and on, until plunging over -the brink of the fall I struck the bottom where -lie those self-respect destroying rocks of disgrace. -In ignominy I fled and sought refuge -here; ceasing my unavailing efforts to break the -chain that held me I gave free rein to the influences -that governed my mood.”</p> - -<p>“Wild and ribald songs burst from my lips, -hilarious and lascivious music poured from the -instruments that I touched, movements, rythmic<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> -but novel, fantastic, barbarous, jerked my limbs -about in the measure of some savage dance. I -ate and drank more as an untutored tribesman of -the jungle than a civilized citizen of our cultured -country.”</p> - -<p>“All unrestrained and unopposed that mystifying -mood bore me on recklessly, abandoned, until -it swept me to the very verge of wickedness and -sin. On the extremist edge of that precipice, -below which lies the gulf of infamy, I found -strength to grasp and hold the feeble tendrils of -that higher estate that still clung around me; in -every fiber of my being there surged Satanic -suggestions to relinquish my hold upon the fragile -stay to which I desperately clung, and take the -plunge into that dark gulf below.”</p> - -<p>“Go where base associates await you! Where -lewdness, lasciviousness, brutality, beastliness -and licensed libidinousness lead to savage satiety -that ends in blood. These were the suggestive -words whispered to me by that fiendish spirit -of these strange spells. They vibrated through -every nerve and vein of my racked and straining -being.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Thank God! I still had power of soul sufficient -to resist, but Lord! how long shall I be -enabled to avert that which is seemingly my -doom?”</p> - -<p>Burton arose and for several minutes walked -about the apartment with agitated, nervous tread. -Passing before a long mirror that stood between -the windows, he stopped suddenly before it, -gazed intently at his image reflected there, and -cried out:</p> - -<p>“The reflection there tells me that I appear to -be as other men around me. In stature and -features I seem not essentially at variance with -the average man I meet, perhaps I am even more -comely. What then is it that caused me to fall -shamefaced, embarrassed and simpering like a -silly school boy, before the scrutiny of that old -scholar last night?”</p> - -<p>“I hold the Christian faith; I possess more -than the ordinary degree of education common -in this country; I have acquired proficiency in -many accomplishments; I bear the impress of the -culture and refinement of this most enlightened -century, and yet! and yet!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span></p> - -<p>“The searching, piercing glance of that old scientist -seemed to penetrate some concealing veil -and tearing it aside revealed me in my very -nakedness; I seemed to stand forth an exposed -impostor; I felt myself a self-confessed charlatan, -caught in the very act of masquerading in the -stolen trappings of my superiors; I became the -buffoon in borrowed gown and cap of the philosopher, -an object of ridicule and wrath.”</p> - -<p>“Before those deep seeing eyes I was no longer -self-assured; convicted of mimicking manners -foreign to myself, I seemed to cast aside the unavailing, -purloined mask and mummery and thus -reveal myself a fraud. Seeking safety from the -scorn and just resentment of the defrauded I took -refuge in pitiful imbecility and silliness.”</p> - -<p>“Once before the same experience was mine. -In Paris, at the American Ambassador’s reception -I met the Liberian minister. As soon as the -gigantic black man fastened his gaze upon me, I -became disconcerted. When we clasped hands -all the feeling of superiority that education gives -departed from me, all the refined sentiments -created by culture vanished, I could only simper<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> -and chuckle like a child over senseless jokes as -did the negro giant beside me.”</p> - -<p>“On that occasion, fearing to shock and disgust -my bride, I stole like a thief from her side and -feigning sudden illness begged a friend to take -my place as escort of my wife, while as one bereft -of reason I raced along the boulevards and buried -myself beneath the dark shade of the trees in the -Bois de Boulogne, where, capering and shouting -madly I danced until, exhausted, I fell to the -ground.”</p> - -<p>As Burton stood regarding his image reflected -in the mirror, he became suddenly aware of how -wan and worn was the face before him and turning -wearily away he exclaimed,</p> - -<p>“I must throw aside these wretched recollections -and forebodings. I look absolutely ill. I -shall be in no condition to appear either at the -office or at my home unless I succeed in obliterating -some of the evidences of my suffering last -night.”</p> - -<p>When, by a mighty effort, he had acquired sufficient -control of his nerves and voice as not to -attract the attention of his valet, he rang the bell.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Victor, prepare my bath, lay out some linen -and a proper suit of clothing. Order my breakfast -served as soon as I ring, open the windows -and let fresh air into the room when I leave it,” -said Burton to his attendant, when the valet appeared -in answer to his master’s summons.</p> - -<p>A refreshing bath, a liberal indulgence in -strong, black coffee, assisted by the will power of -the man enabled Burton to enter the office of “J. -Dunlap” almost entirely restored to his customary -appearance.</p> - -<p>The Manager had just finished examining the -reports submitted by the heads of the various departments -of the great Shipping and Banking -house when the door of his office opened and the -Superintendent entered.</p> - -<p>David Chapman looked even more hawk-like, -hungry and eager than when he had stood one -year before in the same place.</p> - -<p>“Beg pardon, Mr. Burton, but I thought you -might wish to be informed of the fact that under -instructions from Mr. Dunlap, I am forwarding -by the steamer that leaves today for Hong Kong, -a package and some letters that Mr. Dunlap gave<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> -me to send to Captain Jack Dunlap. The package -contains, I believe, a testimonial of Mr. Dunlap’s -admiration for the noble conduct of his kinsman -in connection with the rescue from the wreck -of that emigrant ship. As I am availing myself -of the opportunity to communicate my own opinion -concerning Captain Jack’s action, I thought it -not improbable that you would wish to send some -message,” said the Superintendent, peering -stealthily at Burton as he spoke.</p> - -<p>“I thank you, Chapman, most heartily for letting -me know this,” cried Burton warmly.</p> - -<p>“How much time may I have to prepare a letter -and package to accompany yours and Mr. -Dunlap’s?”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Dunlap told me to hold the package until -he arrived at the office as it was likely that his -granddaughter would wish to place some communication -for her cousin with his.”</p> - -<p>“And I am sure she will! My wife’s admiration -for her cousin Jack is unbounded. I will -hasten to prepare my contribution to the congratulations -sent to Captain Jack. He is a magnificent -man and I am proud to be connected in any way -with such a noble character.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You are right, sir. Jack Dunlap is a brave, -true man and comes of a brave, true race. His -actions prove that blood will tell,” rejoined Chapman -with more enthusiasm than it seemed possible -for one of his disposition to exhibit.</p> - -<p>“Oh! Pshaw! Nonsense! I give Jack -greater credit for his courage and faithfulness -than you do when you announce the absurd doctrine -that men inherit such qualities. I give him -alone credit for what he is, not his race or blood. -Blood may be well enough in hounds and horses, -but education and culture make the man not the -blood in his veins,” exclaimed Burton impatiently.</p> - -<p>“The same reason that exists for the superiority -of the well-bred horse or dog, causes the man -of a good race to be the superior of the man of -an inferior race,” said Chapman meaningly, with -an almost imperceptible sneer in the tone of his -voice.</p> - -<p>“That argument might hold good provided that -men like horses carried jockeys to furnish the intelligence -or like hounds had huntsmen to guide -them,” replied the Manager with more heat than -seemed justified.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Give a mule the most astute jockey on earth -and he is no match for the thorough-bred horse. -Give the mongrel cur the craftiest huntsman, he -can neither find nor hold as the hound of pure -blood. Give the man of inferior race every advantage -that education and culture can furnish, -he still remains inferior to the man of the purer, -better race and blood. The superiority of the latter -lies in the inherent qualities of his race,” replied -Chapman, while a sinister smile distorted -his thin scarlet lips, and a baleful light flashed -from his black eyes. For a moment he waited to -see the effect of his last speech, then turned and -glided from the Manager’s office.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span></p> - -<h2>IX.</h2> - -<p>Arabella Chapman was the neatest -of housekeepers. The sitting room -of the home of David Chapman was a -pattern of tidiness and cleanliness, the furniture -was rubbed and polished until it shone like glass, -every picture, rug and curtain was as speckless as -newly fallen snow.</p> - -<p>Miss Arabella seemed especially created to -form the central figure of her surroundings, as -seated on a low rocking chair, she plied a neat little -needle on some nice little article of lace-work.</p> - -<p>No tiny, tidy wren was ever brighter and more -chipper in its shining little brass cage than was -Miss Arabella, as, bird-like, she peeped at her -brother, when he drew the cover from the violoncello -which stood in one corner of the room.</p> - -<p>“I am glad to see that you intend passing the -evening at home, David,” piped up the ancient -maiden.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span></p> - -<p>“It has really been so long since we had any -music that I am delighted to see you uncover -your violoncello,” continued the twin sister of -David Chapman.</p> - -<p>“Well, Arabella, the fact is that in my many -excursions during the last year I have collected -such a quantity of food for thought, that, like a -well filled camel I feel it necessary to pause and -chew the cud awhile,” replied David arranging -some sheets of music on a stand and passing his -hand lovingly over the chords of the instrument -that he held.</p> - -<p>“I must admit that I should prefer to remain -hungry mentally forever if to procure food for -thought it were necessary to don the apparel of a -tramp, and prowl around at all hours of the night, -seeking, doubtless, in the vilest dens, among the -lowest vagabonds for mental sustenance,” chirped -Arabella sharply, prodding her needlework spitefully.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps, my good sister, you will never quite -understand that some men are born investigators. -By nature they are led to investigate any phenomenon -that presents itself.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Then I insist that it is a most unfortunate -thing for one so born,” pecked Miss Arabella -with the sharpness of a quarrelsome English -sparrow.</p> - -<p>“It causes one to make a Paul Pry of himself -and wander about in a very questionable manner -at unseemly hours, to the injury of both health -and reputation. When one of your age, David, -is so endowed by nature it is a positive misfortune.”</p> - -<p>Chapman appeared greatly amused by the irritated -manner of his sister, for he smiled in that -ghastly way of his as he leaned back in his chair, -still with his violoncello resting between his legs, -and said,</p> - -<p>“You see, Arabella, there may be a great difference -in the way we regard the affairs of life. -Doubtless scientific researches may not afford -much pleasure to a spinster of your age, but such -researches are very attractive to me.”</p> - -<p>“All I can add to the opinion already expressed -is that when your so-called scientific researches -not alone lead you to assume the character of an -outcast, and cause you to wander about at night<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> -like a homeless cat, but also induce you to make -our home a receptacle for all the stray, vulgar, -dirty negroes that happen to come to Boston, I -must certainly protest against indulgence in such -researches by you,” retorted the elderly maiden -severely, as she cast her glances about her immaculately -clean apartment, and remembered some -disagreeable event of the last few months.</p> - -<p>David was highly amused by this speech, for -he gave utterance to a cackling kind of laugh and -exclaimed,</p> - -<p>“Arabella, you’ll never get to heaven if the -road be muddy. You will be fearful of getting -your skirts soiled. I shall be right sorry for your -soul if the path to the other place be clean. I -fear in that event that nothing could hold you -back from going straight to Hades.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t be ridiculous, David. You know full -well that I am no more particular about tidiness -than every other decent woman.”</p> - -<p>What monomaniac on the subject of cleanliness -ever thought otherwise?</p> - -<p>“I insist,” continued Miss Arabella indignantly, -“that when one indulges a fad to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> -extent of disarranging an entire household, under -the pretense that it is part of a scientific research, -it is time to protest against such proceedings.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I don’t imagine that the entire household -has seriously suffered by my investigations in the -field of ethnology,” replied the brother still enjoying -his sister’s perturbation of mind as she recalled -some recent experiences.</p> - -<p>“It may be highly amusing to you, David. I -hope that you enjoy the joke, but it has been anything -but amusing to me and to Bridget, having -to clean, rub and air every article of furniture in -the house two or three times each week, and it is -no laughing matter to freeze while the cold wind -blows the disgusting odors left by your guest out -of the rooms. Bridget has notified me that she -will leave if you continue to make a hostelry for -dirty darkies out of the house,” said the sister -fairly shivering at the remembrance of the condition -in which she had found her spotless premises -after a visit of some of her brother’s newly found -associates.</p> - -<p>“I don’t think that I am the only member of -this family that has a hobby, Arabella,” replied<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> -Chapman grinning at the flushed little lady.</p> - -<p>“I am unaware of what you refer to, David. I -certainly have no such uncomfortable idiosyncrasy -as a hard ridden hobby.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you think even cleanliness may become -a most pestiferous hobby?” queried Chapman -with assumed guilelessness.</p> - -<p>“Cleanliness and tidiness are but other words -for common decency, and can never be classed -with the vagaries of a ‘born investigator,’” said -the spinster sarcastically, sticking her dictum into -her needlework, savagely.</p> - -<p>“You doubtless have heard, Arabella, of the -woman who possessed so much of what you call -‘common decency’ that she forced her family to -live in the barn in order that the dwelling might -remain clean and tidy,” answered Chapman, to -whom the wrath of Arabella was the greatest -pleasure imaginable.</p> - -<p>“I only wish that we had a barn. I would soon -enough force you to entertain your negro visitors -there instead of bringing their odoriferous persons -and filthy accompaniments into this house,” -cried the sister vindictively.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You must be reasonable, my most precise sister,” -said David.</p> - -<p>“When I became interested in the science of -ethnology, I deemed it expedient to begin by -studying the negro race, their habits, characteristics, -manners and tendencies. Being a man born -and bred in a northern state I have never had the -opportunities possessed by southerners, who are -surrounded by negroes from infancy, to know the -traits of that most interesting race. Hence I have -been forced, on behalf of science, to go forth and -gather such material as was obtainable for subjects -of study and observation.”</p> - -<p>“David, don’t be hypocritical with me; you -know that neither ethnology nor the negro race -possessed the slightest interest for you, until you -learned that Walter Burton had a strain of negro -blood in his veins.”</p> - -<p>“I do not deny that my zeal was not diminished -by that fact,” answered Chapman shortly and -dryly.</p> - -<p>“And I maintain that your zeal is caused entirely -by that fact, and I wish to say further, -David Chapman,” exclaimed the withered wisp of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> -a woman, drawing herself up very straight in her -chair and looking angrily at her brother, “if all -this investigation and research lead to anything -that may cause trouble, annoyance or pain to -Lucy Dunlap, whom I have held in these arms as -a baby, then I say that you are a wicked, ungrateful -man, and I wish to know nothing of your diabolic -designs, nor of the disgusting science that -you call ethnology.”</p> - -<p>God bless the dried-up spinster! God bless -thy bony, skinny arms that held that baby! -Thrice blessed be the good and kindly heart that -beats warmly in thy weak and withered little -body.</p> - -<p>Seriously and steadily did Chapman gaze for -a minute at the vehement, fragile figure before -him, then said meditatively,</p> - -<p>“I believe she loves the Dunlap name as much -as I do myself.”</p> - -<p>“More, indeed a great deal more, for I could -not cause pain to one of that name even though -I benefited all the other Dunlaps who have ever -been born by so doing,” quickly cried the old -maid.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Don’t alarm yourself needlessly, sister,” said -Chapman earnestly.</p> - -<p>“My investigations are neither undertaken to -injure Lucy nor could they do so even had I that -intention. It is too late. I am perfectly frank -and truthful when I state that the subject is exceedingly -interesting to me, and the developments -fascinating. Since I have familiarized myself -somewhat with the leading peculiarities of the -negro race I recognize much more of the negro in -Burton than I imagined could possibly exist in -one possessing so great a preponderance of the -blood of the white race.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad to learn that no harm can come to -Lucy by your persistent pursuit after knowledge -of ethnology, but I must say it does not seem to -me a very genteel course of conduct for a man of -you age and education to be spying about and -watching an associate in business,” said the candid -Arabella.</p> - -<p>“I assure you that I am not obliged either to -play the spy or watch particularly, for it seems -to me that the negro in Burton positively obtrudes -itself daily. In fact I am certain that it is neither<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> -because I am watching for such evidences, nor -because I can now recognize negro traits better -than formerly, but simply because the negro in -the man becomes daily more obtrusively apparent,” -answered Dunlap’s superintendent as he -began tuning and testing his favorite musical instrument.</p> - -<p>Even the most prejudiced critic would be -forced to admit that whatever David Chapman -undertook to do he accomplished well. He never -relaxed in persistent effort until an assigned task -was performed. He became for the time being -absolutely fanatic upon any subject he had before -him. His performance on the violoncello was of -the same character as his efforts in other directions -where his attention was demanded. It was -artistic, magnificent, sympathetic and impressive.</p> - -<p>To the violoncello Chapman seemed to tell his -soul-story; through it he breathed those hidden -sentiments that were so deeply buried in the -secret recesses of his heart that their existence -could never be suspected. Music seemed the -angel guarding with flaming sword the gateway -of this peculiar man’s soul. When music raised<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -the barrier glimpses of unexpected beauties surprised -all those who knew the jealous, prying, -cynical nature of the man.</p> - -<p>As David Chapman began playing his sister -with closed eyes rested her head on the back of -the rocking chair and bathed her lonely old heart -in the flood of melody that poured from the instrument -in her brother’s hands.</p> - -<p>How that music spoke to the poor, craving, -hungry heart within her flat and weazen bosom. -Youth and hope seemed singing joyous songs of -life’s springtime; love then burst forth blushing -while whispering the sweet serenade of that glorious -summer season of womankind. Then in -cadence soft and tender, gently as fall the autumn -leaves, the music sadly told of blighting frosts. -Youth and hope like summer roses withered and -vanished. Now the gloom, despair and disappointment -of life’s winter wailing forth filled the -heart of the forlorn old maiden; tears rolled -down her wrinkled cheeks unheeded and almost -a sob escaped from her quivering lips.</p> - -<p>Weep no more sad heart. The music in pealing -tones of triumph is shouting the Glad Tidings<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> -of that eternity of endless spring, where all is -Love and all is Joy; where the flowers of everlasting -summer never fade and die; where no -blighting frost can come to wither the blossoms -of Youth and Hope; where the cold blasts of -winter’s gloom and disappointment never blow to -chill and sadden the soul.</p> - -<p>Grandly resound those notes triumphant; open -seem the gates of that promised future, together -brother and sister their souls seem ascending; -above all is bright, refulgent with the great light -of gladness, now, coming sweetly, faintly, they -catch the sound of welcome, sung above by that -heavenly chorus.</p> - -<p>The music died away in silence. Brother and -sister sat for a long time, each busy with their -own thoughts. Who but the All-wise can ever tell -what thoughts come on such occasions to those -who in silence hold self-communion in the sanctuary -of their own souls.</p> - -<p>“David, it seems strange to me that one having -the tenderness of heart that you have, should -never have found some good woman to love,” -said the sister softly when the silence was finally -broken.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Indeed, sister, I sometimes think I might have -done so and been happier far than I am, had I -not early in life given, in the intense way that is -part of my nature, all the love of my heart and -consecrated all my devotion to the business in -which I then engaged and submerged my every -emotion in the glory and honor of the house of -‘J. Dunlap.’”</p> - -<p>“Ah, brother, I often think of that and wonder -what would happen if aught should go wrong -with the object of your life-long devotion.”</p> - -<p>“It would kill me, Arabella,” said Chapman -quietly.</p> - -<p>The certainty of the result to the man, should -misfortune shatter the idol of his adoration, was -more convincingly conveyed to the listener by that -simple sentence and quiet tone than excited exclamation -could have carried; Arabella uttered a -sigh as she thought of the unshared place that ‘J. -Dunlap’ held in the strenuous soul of her brother.</p> - -<p>“Brother, you should not allow your mind and -heart to become so wrapped up in the house of -Dunlap; remember the two old gentlemen, in the -course of nature, must soon pass away and that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span> -then there is no Dunlap to continue the business, -and the career of the firm must come to an end.”</p> - -<p>“No, Arabella, that may not happen,” replied -Chapman. His voice, however, gave no evidence -of the pleasure that such a statement from him -seemed to warrant.</p> - -<p>“There was an ante-nuptial contract entered -into by Burton, in which it is agreed that any -child born to James Dunlap’s granddaughter shall -bear the name of Dunlap; hence the career of our -great house will not necessarily terminate upon -the death of the twin brothers.”</p> - -<p>“I am so glad to know that, David. I have -been much concerned for your sake, brother, fearing -the dire consequences of the death of both of -the old gentlemen whom you have served so devotedly -for forty odd years.” The reassured little -creature paused and then a thought, all womanly, -occurred to her mind reddening her -peaked visage as she exclaimed,</p> - -<p>“What beautiful children the Burton-Dunlaps -should be!”</p> - -<p>A worried, anxious, doubtful look came over -Chapman’s countenance. He gazed at the floor<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> -thoughtfully for several minutes and then apparently -speaking to himself said,</p> - -<p>“That is the point; there is where I am at sea; -it is that question that gives me most anxiety.”</p> - -<p>“Why, what can you mean, most inscrutable -man, Mr. Burton is one of the handsomest men -that I ever saw and surely no prettier woman -ever lived than sweet Lucy Dunlap,” cried the -loyal-hearted old maid.</p> - -<p>“It is not a question of beauty, it is a question -of blood. If it be only a matter of appearances -Lucy Burton’s children would probably be marvels -of infantine loveliness, but it is a scientific -problem,” replied David seriously and earnestly.</p> - -<p>“What in the name of all that is nonsensical -has science to do with Lucy’s babies if any be -sent to her?” cried out Miss Arabella, forgetting -in her excitement that maidenly reserve that was -usually hers.</p> - -<p>“I regret to say that science has a great deal to -do with the subject,” answered the brother quietly. -“It is a matter of grave doubt in the minds of -many scientific men whether, under any circumstances, -an octoroon married to one of the white<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> -race ever can produce descendants; it is claimed -by many respectable authorities that negro blood -is not susceptible of reduction beyond the point -attained in the octoroon; that it must terminate -there or breed back through its original channel,” -continued Chapman.</p> - -<p>“It is not true! I don’t believe a word of such -stuff,” ejaculated Miss Arabella, dogmatically.</p> - -<p>“Authorities admit, it is true, that there may be -exceptions to the invariability of this law, but -claim that such instances are faults in nature and -likely, as all faults in nature, to produce the most -astounding results. These authorities assert that -the progeny of an octoroon and one of the white -race being the outcome of a fault in nature, are -certain to be deficient in strength and vigor, are -apt to be deformed, and even may possibly breed -back to a remote coal-black ancestor,” said Chapman, -speaking slowly, punctuating each sentence -with a gasping sound, almost a groan.</p> - -<p>“Stuff and nonsense!” exclaimed his sister rising -in indignation from her chair and moving -toward the door, saying,</p> - -<p>“I positively will hear no more of your absurd<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> -science. It’s all foolishness. If that be the idiocy -that you learn from ethnology I think that you -had better occupy your time otherwise. Thanks -to your ‘authorities’ and their crazy notions, I -suppose that I shall dream all night of monkeys -and monsters, but even that is better than sitting -her and listening to my brother, whom I supposed -had some brains, talk like a fit subject for the -lunatic asylum.” With the closing sentence, as a -parting shot at her brother the incensed spinster -sailed out of the door and with a whisk went up -stairs to her virgin chamber.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span></p> - -<h2>X.</h2> - -<p>“Lucy Burton is a perfect dream tonight, -is she not?” exclaimed enthusiastically -Alice Stanhope, gazing admiringly -at the fair companion of her school days -who had just entered the room leaning on the -arm of her husband.</p> - -<p>“Almost as pretty as you are,” gallantly replied -‘Bertie’ Winthrop, to whom the remark of the -young woman was addressed.</p> - -<p>“Well, don’t expect me to vie with you in flattery -and reply by saying that Mr. Burton is almost -as handsome as you are, for I am like the -father of our country, ‘I can’t tell a lie.’”</p> - -<p>“Oh! Now, that’s good. I am justified in supposing -from that speech that Burton is not nearly -as handsome as I am, much obliged,” replied -young Winthrop, laughing and making a profound -obeisance to the pretty creature beside him.</p> - -<p>“You know what I mean you rascal, so don’t<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -try to look innocent. See with what adoring -glances Lucy looks up into her husband’s face,” -said Miss Stanhope again calling her attendant’s -attention to the group of guests near the entrance.</p> - -<p>“Are you going to look at me like that a year -from now?” asked ‘Bertie’ in a quizzical fashion -as he slyly squeezed the dimpled elbow near his -side. On dit, Alice Stanhope and Albert Winthrop -will soon be married.</p> - -<p>“Bertie, you horrid tease, I don’t believe you -will ever deserve to be looked at except angrily,” -retorted the blushing girl and added as she -moved a little further from him,</p> - -<p>“And you behave, sir, or I won’t let you remain -by me another minute.”</p> - -<p>“It’s a deuce of a crush you have gotten up,” -said ‘Bertie’ promptly disregarding the warning -that he had received by stepping up close to the -side of his fiancee.</p> - -<p>“Where did you get all these people anyway, -Alice?”</p> - -<p>“There’s no ‘all these people’ about it, they are -the musical set among my friends in Boston and -New York; as Signor Capello and Mme. Cantara<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> -are to sing of course everyone invited was eager -to be present.”</p> - -<p>“Never invite all your musical friends to dine -with us when we are—”</p> - -<p>“Hush, you embarrassing wretch,” cried Miss -Stanhope turning to welcome some recently arrived -guests.</p> - -<p>After considerable diplomatic finessing and -resort to that most efficacious auxiliary, “Papa’s -cheque book,” Miss Stanhope had secured the -services of the two great operatic luminaries to -sing at a grand musicale given by her.</p> - -<p>All the “swell set” of Boston and New York -thronged the palacious home of the Stanhope’s on -the occasion. The gray-haired, courtly governor -of Massachusetts was chatting as gaily with -petite Bessie Winthrop as he had done with her -grandmother a half century before. Foreign -diplomatists and Federal potentates discussed in -corners the comparative merits of Italian and -German composers of music; literary lights from -all over New England joined the musical element -of New York and Boston in filling the Stanhope’s -halls.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I insisted upon coming here tonight, Alice, -even though this over-worked husband of mine -did complain of a headache at dinner and I was -loathe to have him accompany me. You remember -this is the anniversary of my wedding and I -wished to celebrate the day,” said Lucy Burton -to the hostess when at last Burton had managed -to make a way for himself and wife through the -crowded rooms and reached the place where Miss -Stanhope was receiving her guests.</p> - -<p>“I am awfully glad you came, dear. We are -sure to have a treat. Signor Capello has promised -to sing something from the new opera by -Herman that has just been produced in Berlin,” -and addressing Burton Miss Stanhope added,</p> - -<p>“I trust that your headache has disappeared.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Miss Alice, it has entirely vanished -under the influence of my charming wife’s -ministrations, and the brilliant gathering about -me here,” replied Burton.</p> - -<p>“A slight pallor and circles around sad eyes, -you know, Mr. Burton, give an exceedingly interesting -and romantic appearance to dark men,” -rejoined Alice Stanhope smiling in spite of her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> -effort not to do so when she noticed the anxious, -worshiping look with which Lucy regarded her -husband.</p> - -<p>“Really, I believe Lucy is more in love than she -was a year ago,” said the laughing hostess as she -turned to receive the German Ambassador, who -had traveled all the way from Washington in the -hope of hearing selections from Herman’s new -opera.</p> - -<p>In all that gathering of fair women and gallant -men, there was no couple so noticeable as the -splendid pair who this day one year before were -wedded.</p> - -<p>As Burton and his wife passed through the -crowded halls all eyes were turned toward them, -paying mute tribute to the exceeding beauty of -both man and woman.</p> - -<p>Burton, by one of those sudden rebounds of -spirit to which he was subject, inspired by the -gaiety about him was in a perfect glow of intellectual -fire. The brilliancy of his well trained -mind never shone more brightly, his wit scintillated -in apt epigrams, and incomparably clever -metaphors. He won the heart of the German<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -Ambassador by discussing with the taste and discrimination -of a savant that distinguished Teuton’s -favorite composer, Herman, using the deep -gutturals of the German language with the ease -of a native of Prussia.</p> - -<p>He exchanged bon-mots with wicked old Countess -DeMille, who declared him a <i lang="fr">preux chevalier</i> -and the only American whom she had ever met -who spoke her language, so she called French, -like a Parisian.</p> - -<p>Lucy’s beaming face and sparkling eyes told -of the rapture of pride and love that filled her -heart. She looked indeed the “Princess” as with -her well-turned head, with its gold-brown -crown, held high, she proudly looked upon her -lover and her lord and caught the approval and -applause that appeared in every eye about her.</p> - -<p>Never had her husband seemed so much superior -to all other men, in Lucy’s mind, as he did this -night. Wherever they paused in their passage -around the rooms, that spot immediately became -the center of a group of people eager to render -homage to the regal beauty of the young matron, -and to enjoy the wit and vivacity of the most -<i lang="fr">distingue</i> man present.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Ah, Mr. Burton, I see that the splendor of the -Rose of Dunlap remains undiminished, notwithstanding -its transference from the garden of its -early growth,” said the gallant Governor of the -old Bay State when greeting the young couple as -they stopped near him.</p> - -<p>“The splendor of the roses of Massachusetts -is so transcendent that it would remain unimpaired -in any keeping how e’er unworthy,” replied -Lucy’s husband, bowing gracefully to the -Executive of the State.</p> - -<p>“When I saw you enter the room, Mrs. Burton, -I hoped to see my old friend, your grandfather, -follow. How is James? You see I take the liberty -of still speaking of him as I did many years -before your bright eyes brought light into the -Dunlap mansion.”</p> - -<p>“Grandfather is very well, thank you, Governor, -but I failed to coax him away from his easy -chair and slippers this evening; beside I think he -was a little ‘grump,’ as I call it, about having lost -a wager to a certain young woman of about my -height; he declared it was not the box of gloves -but loss of prestige that he disliked,” answered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -Lucy merrily as she looked up at the amused -countenance of the Governor.</p> - -<p>“I fear that I shall be obliged to exercise my -official prerogative and give that gay youth, -James Dunlap, a lecture if I hear anything more -of his reckless wagers,” said the jocose old gentleman, -and then added:</p> - -<p>“By the way, Mrs. Burton, the newspapers this -evening contain long accounts of the magnificent -conduct of a New England sea captain, to whom -the King of England has sent a letter of congratulation -and praise. As the name given is Captain -John Dunlap, I have been wondering if it can be -that stubborn fellow whom your Uncle John and -I endeavored to convince that he ought to enter -Harvard.”</p> - -<p>“It is the same stubborn, dear old cousin Jack -who preferred the sea to being sent to Harvard, -and he is the best and bravest sailor on the waters -blue,” answered Lucy quickly, her face flushed by -pleasure at hearing Jack’s praises sung and pride -in knowing that he was her kinsman.</p> - -<p>“It seems the lad was wiser than we were when -he refused to be convinced by John and me. A<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> -grand sailor might have been spoiled in the making -of a poor scholar. As long as the sailor sons -of Uncle Sam can number men of your cousin -Jack’s kind among them we need never fear for -honor of the Gem of the Ocean,” said the Governor -quite seriously.</p> - -<p>“I heartily endorse that sentiment, your Excellency, -but fear that on land or sea it would be -difficult to discover many men like Jack Dunlap,” -exclaimed Walter Burton warmly.</p> - -<p>“When is he coming home, Lucy? You know -that I lost my heart the first time that I met your -bronzed sailor cousin, and am waiting anxiously -for my mariner’s return,” said Bessie Winthrop, -her violet-colored eyes twinkling with the gladness -of youth and happiness. <i lang="fr">En passant</i> she was -a fearful little flirt.</p> - -<p>“He does not say in his letters when we may -expect him, but when I write I’ll tell him what -you say, and if he does not hurry home after that -nothing can induce him to do so,” said Lucy as -she moved away with her husband to make room -for several admirers of Miss Winthrop who were -eagerly awaiting an opportunity to pay court to -that popular young lady.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span></p> - -<p>Just as Burton and his wife left the Governor -and his pretty companion, the tuning of instruments -announced the prelude to the programme -for the evening. Silence fell upon the assembly, -the gentlemen sought seats for the ladies and secured -the most available standing room for themselves.</p> - -<p>Surely Signor Capello never sang so grandly -before. The superb harmony of Herman’s great -composition filled the souls of that cultivated -audience. The German Ambassador was in a -perfect ecstasy of delight, and even the least appreciative -were impressed, while the hypercritic, -casting aside all assumption of <i lang="fr">ennui</i>, became enthusiastic.</p> - -<p>Madame Cantara trilled and warbled in tones -so clear, flute-like and sweet that to close one’s -eyes was to imagine the apartment some vast forest, -filled with a myriad of feathered songsters, -vying with each other for woodland supremacy in -Apollo’s blessed sphere.</p> - -<p>Miss Stanhope’s musicale was a pronounced -and splendid success. Nothing approaching it -had entertained Boston’s fastidious “four hundred” -that season.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span></p> - -<p>Burton declared that it was the most delightful -function he had attended in years, when Lucy, -enwrapped in furs, was closely nestled at his -side in the carriage after the entertainment was -over. Burton was <i lang="fr">par excellence</i> a judge of such -affairs. In fact, he had been accorded the position -of <i lang="la">arbiter elegantiarum</i> by a tacit understanding -among people of taste and culture in Boston’s -elite society.</p> - -<p>It was among such scenes, surroundings, environments -and society as above described that -Burton’s life had been passed since coming to -America. It was in this joyous atmosphere that -the first year of Lucy’s married life glided by so -rapidly that the length of time seemed difficult -for her to realize. It was like the dream of a summer’s -day, so bright, cloudless and calm, so fragrant -with the perfume of love’s early blossoms, -that its passage was as that of a fleeting shadow.</p> - -<p class="tb">The sinking sun cast lengthening shadows -across Manila Bay, where swinging peacefully -at their anchors lay the great war ships of several -nations, and where the tall masts of a fleet of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> -merchantmen caused bars of shade to stripe the -burnished waters of the Bay.</p> - -<p>The starry flag of the great Republic had received -that salute, ever loyally given by the sons -of Columbia, as the sun sank beneath the horizon, -and the bugle blew its farewell to the departing -orb of day.</p> - -<p>Four majestic, floating fortresses, on whose -decks stood uncovered crews as the proud flag of -the union descended, gave notice to the world of -the might of that young giant of the west that -held dominion in the Philippines.</p> - -<p>Striding along in the rapidly darkening twilight, -up the main street of Manila, walked one -who would have been known as a sailor by his -swinging, rolling gait, even without the nautical -cut and material of the clothing that he wore.</p> - -<p>As he approached the newly erected, palacious -American hotel, around which ran a broad -veranda filled with tables and chairs, the chief resort -of the army and naval officers stationed at -Manila, a voice cried from the balcony above -him:</p> - -<p>“Jack Dunlap, by all that is marvelous!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span></p> - -<p>The sailor-man looked up and with an exclamation -of pleased recognition, shouted:</p> - -<p>“Tom Maxon, by all that is fortunate!”</p> - -<p>“Come up here this instant, you sea-dog, wet -your whistle and swap yarns with me,” called the -first speaker, rising from the table at which he -was seated and hurrying to the top of the half -dozen steps that rose from the sidewalk to the -entrance on the veranda.</p> - -<p>The two men shook hands with the warmth -and cordiality of old cronies, when the sailor -reached the balcony. The meeting was evidently -as agreeable as it was unexpected.</p> - -<p>The man who had been seated on the veranda, -when the sailor approached, was apparently of -the same age as the friend whose coming he had -hailed with delight. He, too, was evidently a -son of Neptune, for he wore the cap and undress -uniform of a lieutenant in the United States -Navy.</p> - -<p>He was a big, fine man on whose good-looking, -tanned face a smile seemed more natural, and, -in fact, was more often seen than a frown.</p> - -<p>“Jack, old man, you can’t imagine how glad I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -am to run afoul of you. Had the choice been left -to me as to whom I would choose to walk up the -street just now, I’d have bawled out ‘Good old -Jack Dunlap!’ Well, how are you anyway? -Where’ve you been? and how are all in Boston? -But first let’s have a drink; what shall it be, -bully?”</p> - -<p>All of these questions and ejaculations were -made while the naval man still held Jack’s hand -and was towing him along like a huge, puffing -tug toward the table from which the officer -sprang up to welcome his companion.</p> - -<p>“By Jove, Tom, give me time to breathe; you’ve -hurled a regular broadside of questions into my -hull. Haul off and hold a minute; cease firing! -as you fighters say,” expostulated our old acquaintance, -Captain Jack, as he was fairly shoved -into a chair at the table and opposite the laughing -and red-faced lieutenant.</p> - -<p>“Come here, waiter,” called Maxon to a passing -attendant, in high glee over Jack’s cry for -quarter and his own good luck in meeting an old -chum when he was especially lonely and eager to -have a talk about home and friends.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Bring us a bottle of champagne and let it be -as cold as the Admiral’s heart when a poor devil -of a lieutenant asks for a few day’s shore leave.”</p> - -<p>“Now, my water-logged consort, we will first -and foremost drink in a brimming bumper of -‘Fizz’ the golden dome in Boston and the -bonny-bright eyes of the beauties that beam on -it,” exclaimed jolly Tom Maxon, bubbling over -with happiness at having just the man he wished -to talk about Boston with.</p> - -<p>“I say! Tom, have you been studying up on alliteration? -You rang in all the B’s of the hive in -that toast,” said the merchant skipper, emptying -his glass in honor of Boston and her fair daughters.</p> - -<p>“I don’t require thought or study to become -eloquent when the ‘Hub’ and her beauties be the -theme, but you just up anchor and sail ahead giving -an account of yourself, my hearty,” Tom replied -with great gusto.</p> - -<p>“To begin, then, as the typical story writer -does, one November day some thirteen months -ago, I sailed away (I’ve caught the complaint. -I came near making a rhyme) from Boston in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span> -good ship ‘Adams.’ When a week out of harbor -as per instructions from the house of Dunlap, I -unsealed my papers to find that the ship had been -presented to me by my kinsmen, the Dunlap -brothers.”</p> - -<p>“Stop! Hold, my hearty, until we drink the -health of the jolly old twins. May their shadows -never grow less and may the good Lord send -along such kinsmen to poor Tom Maxon,” interrupted -the irreverent Tom, filling the glasses and -proceeding to honor the toast by promptly draining -his.</p> - -<p>Jack and Tom had been pupils in the same -school in Boston when they were boys. Their -tastes and dispositions being much alike they became -chums and warm friends. Like young -ducks, both of the lads naturally took to the -water. When they had gotten through with the -grammar-school an appointment to the Annapolis -Naval Academy was offered to young Maxon by -the representative of his Congressional district, -which he joyfully accepted, and hence was now a -United States officer. Jack had entered the High -School and later the merchant marine service.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span></p> - -<p>Though seeing but little of each other after -their first separation, the same feeling of friendship -and comradeship was maintained between -Jack and Tom that had existed when as Boston -schoolboys they chummed together, and whenever, -at rare intervals, they were fortunate enough -to meet they mutually threw off all the reserve -that had come to them with age and became Boston -boys once again.</p> - -<p>“Now, heave ahead, my bully-boy!” cried Tom, -putting down his empty wine glass.</p> - -<p>“In addition to the gift of the ship from the -firm, I found that my old cousin John had personally -presented me with a large part of the -ship’s cargo.”</p> - -<p>“Again hold! you lucky sea-dog! Here’s to -dear old Cousin John, and God bless him!” called -Tom gleefully, his generous sailor-soul as happy -over the good fortune of his friend as if he himself -had been the beneficiary of Mr. John Dunlap’s -munificence, again pledging Jack’s kind -kinsman in a glass of iced wine.</p> - -<p>“With all my heart I say, amen! Tom, God -never made better men and more liberal kinsmen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -than the ‘J. Dunlaps,’” said Jack earnestly as he -began again his recital.</p> - -<p>“When I arrived in Melbourne I disposed of -my cargo through our agents, loaded and sailed -for Liverpool, returned to Melbourne, took on a -cargo for Manila, and here I am drinking to long -life and good health to my two old kinsmen with -my school fellow Tom Maxon.”</p> - -<p>“And the future programme is what?” said the -lieutenant.</p> - -<p>“You have left out lots about yourself, that I -know of, concerning your past movements, so -try to be truthful about your future plans,” continued -Maxon, assuming an inquisitorial air.</p> - -<p>“All right, my knowing father confessor,” -answered Dunlap, laughing.</p> - -<p>“I have done well as far as making money is -concerned, which statement I wish added to my -former deposition. Oh! most wise judge; I propose -sailing within the week for Hong-kong, -thence to San Francisco, from the latter port I -desire to clear for Boston, in God’s country, stopping, -however, at Port au Prince, Haiti, both as -a matter of business and also with the design of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> -personally thanking my kind godfather for his -gifts. Finally I hope to reach New England and -be with my dear mother while yet the Yankee -hills are blooming with summer flowers. One -word further and my story is finished. My object -in returning to Boston is to induce my -mother to return with me to Australia, where I -have purchased some property and where I desire -to make my home in future—finis—”</p> - -<p>“Fairly well told, my bold buccaneer; however, -I disapprove of your making Australia your -home. Now, sir, what about saving a few smallpox -patients, emigrants, and such like, and receiving -a letter from H.M. King of England, and -such trifles as we read of in the newspaper?” demanded -Tom, sententiously.</p> - -<p>“Oh! That just happened, and there has been -too much said about it to find a place on my logbook,” -replied Jack, shortly, coloring just a shade.</p> - -<p>“I’m!—well, no matter—I don’t agree with -you, but I will shake your hand once again and -say that I find my old chum as modest as I always -knew him to be brave,” rejoined Tom -Maxon, rising, reaching over and grasping Jack’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> -hand, and bowing gravely and respectfully as he -held it.</p> - -<p>Jack’s face was now all fire-red, as he said in -great embarrassment:</p> - -<p>“Oh, Pshaw, slack up, Tom, haul off.”</p> - -<p>“You know what the Admiral said when he -read the account of what you had done?” cried -out Tom when he settled back in his chair.</p> - -<p>“Of course, you don’t, but it’s a fine ram at the -merchant marine. The Admiral thinks that an -officer for sea service can’t be made except at -Annapolis. When he read of what you had done, -he exclaimed: ‘That fellow is almost good -enough to be an officer in the United States -Navy.’ The Executive officer who heard the Admiral -repeated it, and ever since the fellows of -our mess, who hate some of the ‘snobs’ that Annapolis -sends to us, have been quietly poking fun -at the old man about it.”</p> - -<p>“Now, will Lieutenant Thomas Maxon, U.S.N., -in all the glory of his Annapolis seamanship, -give an account of himself?” broke in Jack, anxious -to escape further mention of his own affairs.</p> - -<p>“The last time I saw you, Tom, you were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> -dancing at the end of Bessie Winthrop’s hawser. -Though I had never, at the time, met your charmer, -I thought her a pretty craft.”</p> - -<p>“That’s it! Now you touch the raw spot!” -cried Tom.</p> - -<p>“I was stationed at Boston, and went about -some little. I met Bert Winthrop’s sister and, -like an ass of a sailor that I am, fell in love with -her at the first turn of the wheel. Well, I rolled -around after the beauty like a porpoise in the -wake of a dolphin for the whole season. Finally -I mustered up courage to bring the chase to a -climax and got a most graceful conge for my -temerity, whereupon I retired in bad order, and -was rejoiced when assigned to the battleship -Delaware and sent to sea.”</p> - -<p>As the rollicking sailor ended his story, he -threw back his head and began softly singing in -a sentimental tone, “Oh! Bessie, you have broken -my heart.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I’ll go bail that the fracture won’t kill -you, you incorrigible joker,” said Jack, interrupting -the flow of Maxon’s sentimentality.</p> - -<p>“See, now, our best friends never take us<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> -seriously, and sympathize with us when we suffer,” -said the lieutenant dolefully.</p> - -<p>“But to continue my sad story. I was ordered -to the U.S.S. Delaware, flag-ship of the Asiatic -fleet. Admiral Snave can out-swear Beelzebub, -has the sympathy of a pirate, and would work up -all the old iron of a fleet if there was as much in -it as in the mountains of Pennsylvania. So your -poor, delicate friend is tempted to ask to be retired -on account of physical disability.” So saying, -Tom began roaring with laughter so healthful -that it shook his stalwart frame.</p> - -<p>“Hold though!” exclaimed the U.S. officer, -stopping in the midst of his outburst of merriment, -suddenly thinking of something omitted.</p> - -<p>“You must understand that we all admire the -Admiral hugely. He is a magnificent officer, and -a fighter to the end of his plume; carries a chip -on his shoulder when he imagines anyone is -spoiling for a fight, or even looks crossways at -grand Old Glory.”</p> - -<p>Thus the two friends talked on, relating their -experiences, joking each other, and laughing in -that careless happy way, common alike to schoolboys -and those who sail the sea.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span></p> - -<p>Captain Dunlap declared that this berth was -good enough for him, that he would drop his -anchor right there, and calling a waiter proceeded -to order everything on the menu for dinner, -telling the waiter to serve it where they were and -serve slowly so that they might enjoy a rambling -conversation while they dined.</p> - -<p>Eating, drinking, talking and smoking, the -chums of boyhood days sat for hours, until the -streets became, as was the veranda, almost -deserted. Suddenly in an interval of silence as -they puffed their cigars, a piercing scream disturbed -the quiet of the street below. Again and -again was the cry repeated in an agonized female -voice.</p> - -<p>Both men sprang to their feet and peered along -the dark avenue that ran toward the bay. About -a block away they discerned just within the outer -circle of light cast by an electric burner a struggling -mass of men. At the instant that Jack and -Tom discovered whence came the cries, a figure -broke from the crowd and ran screaming through -the illuminated spot on the avenue pursued by a -half dozen men wearing the Russian naval uniform.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span> -The pursued figure was that of a half nude -female.</p> - -<p>With an angry growl, Jack Dunlap placed one -hand on the low railing around the veranda and -cleared it at a bound, landing on the sidewalk below, -he broke into a run, and dashed toward the -group of men under the electric light, who were -struggling with the person whom they had pursued -and recaptured.</p> - -<p>“The flag follows trade in this case,” cried -Maxon, who would joke even on his death-bed, as -he, too, sprang to the pavement and raced after -Jack.</p> - -<p>The brutal Finnish sailors of the Russian man-of-war -in Manila Bay swore to their mess-mates -that ten gigantic Yankees had fallen upon them -and taken away the Malay girl. They thus accounted -for their broken noses and discolored -optics.</p> - -<p>Truth is, that it was a rush; the working of -four well-trained Yankee arms like the piston -rods of a high-speed engine. Outraged American -manhood and old Aryan courage against the -spirit of brutal lustfulness, ignorance and race inferiority.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I say, Jack,” cried out Maxon as he raised his -face from the basin in which he had been bathing -a bruise, “Why don’t you go in for the P.R. -championship? You must be a sweet skipper for -a crew to go rusty with! Why, Matey, you had -the whole gang going before I even reached you. -Look here, sonny, you are just hell and a hurricane -in a shindy of that kind.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I tell you, Tom,” called Jack from the -next room, where, seated on the edge of the bed, -he was binding a handkerchief around the bleeding -knuckles of his left hand.</p> - -<p>“That kind of thing always sets my blood -boiling, but that in a city under our flag an outrage -of that kind should be attempted made me -wild. I guess from the looks of my hands that -maybe I did punch rather hard.” Rising, Jack -walked to the open door between the two bedrooms -and added:</p> - -<p>“I don’t mind just a plain fight, or even sometimes -a murder, but when it comes to a brute assaulting -a woman or child, I’m damned if I don’t -become like one of Victor Hugo’s characters, ‘I -see red.’ Temper seems to surge in my very -blood.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jack’s face, as he spoke, wore an angry scowl, -to which the earnest gesticulations with his bandaged -fists gave double meaning.</p> - -<p>“Of course it surges in your blood, old chap, -as it does on such occasions in mine and every -other decent descendant of Shem and Japheth on -earth,” replied Tom Maxon.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XI.</h2> - -<p>The Scottish Bard has written that to see -fair Melrose Abbey a-right, one must -visit it in the moon’s pale light. To see -New England in its greatest glory one must visit -that section of hallowed memories in the summer -season.</p> - -<p>Then it is that granite hills are wrapped in -emerald mantles. Then it is that hill-sides, slopes -and meadows are dimpled with countless daisies, -peeping enticingly from the face of smiling nature. -Then it is brooks, released from winter’s -icy bondage, laugh, sing, dance and gambol like -merry maidens in some care-free frolic.</p> - -<p>August, in the second year of Lucy Burton’s -married life, found Dunlap’s mansion still occupied -by the entire family. True, the Dunlap estate -lay in the most elevated portion of the suburbs -of Boston, and the house stood in the center of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> -extensive grounds almost park-like in extent and -arrangement, still it was unusual for the house -to be occupied by the family at that season of the -year.</p> - -<p>Generations of Dunlaps had sought relief from -city life and bustle during the month of August, -either among the Berkshire Hills, where an ornate -villa had been owned by them for decades, or at -Old Orchard, where their summer home was -rather a palace than a cottage, though so called by -the family. Burton, too, had a fine establishment -at Newport; yet this eventful August found the -family in their city residence.</p> - -<p>Many other things unusual attracted attention -and caused comment among the associates of -members of the Dunlap household. Burton and -Lucy had been noticeably absent during the past -few months from those public functions to which, -by their presence, they had formerly given so -much eclat.</p> - -<p>The very clerks in the office of J. Dunlap commented -upon the jubilant spirit that had taken -possession of, the always genial, manager. Chapman -regarded his apparent joyousness with suspicion,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> -and of all the office forces alone seemed -displeased with its presence.</p> - -<p>To intimate friends Burton spoke of selling the -“Eyrie,” saying that it was of no further use or -pleasure to him; that for months he had only -been near it to select some choice flowers from -the conservatory for the vases that adorned his -wife’s apartments.</p> - -<p>Mr. James Dunlap, ever the kindest, most considerate -of beings, the gentlest of gentlemen, had -become so solicitous concerning his granddaughter’s -comfort and care as to appear almost old -womanish. The anxiety he displayed about all -that tended to Lucy’s welfare was absolutely -pathetic.</p> - -<p>Walter Burton’s demeanor toward his young -wife might, for all men, serve as a model of devoted, -thoughtful deportment on the part of husbands. -To amuse and entertain her seemed his -all-absorbing idea and object. To exercise his -brilliant mental gifts in gay and enlivening conversation -was his chief pleasure. To use all the -great musical talent that he possessed, to drive -any momentary shadow of sadness from her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> -spirit. To stroll about the garden in the moonlight, -again whispering those words of love by -which he had first won her, was blissful occupation -to him.</p> - -<p>Even good old Uncle John in far-off Haiti imbibed -the spirit that seemed all pervading in the -realm about the young matron. Great hampers of -tropical fruits, plants and flowers came by trebly-paid -expressage from the West Indies, speed -alone being considered. They must be fresh when -offered to Lucy. Then, too, almost daily messages -came over the cable from Haiti, “How are -all today,” signed “John,” and it was ordered at -the office that each day should go a message to -Port au Prince, unless especially forbidden, saying, -“All is well,” this to be signed “James.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Church, the most sedate, composed and -stately of old gentlewomen, too, is in a flutter of -suppressed excitement, frequently closeted in -deep and mysterious consultations with medical -men and motherly looking women; giving -strange orders about the preparation of certain -dishes for the table, driving the chef almost distracted -by forbidding sauces that should always<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> -accompany some favorite entree of that tyrant.</p> - -<p>A suite of rooms in the Dunlap mansion has -been newly decorated; nothing like these decorations -has ever been seen before in Boston. In -elegance, taste and beauty they are the <i lang="la">ne plus -ultra</i> of decorative art. One, while in the sacred -precincts of the recently remodeled apartments, -might readily imagine that spring had been captured -and fettered here to make its sweet, bright -presence perpetual in this favored place. Colors -of the tinted sunbeam mingled with the peach -blossom’s tender shade to make the spot a bower -of beauty wherein a smiling cupid might pause -and fold his wings to slumber, forgetful of his -couch of pink pearl shell.</p> - -<p>The cultured, artistic, delicate taste of Boston’s -<i lang="la">arbiter elegantiarum</i> never produced anything -approaching the exquisite blending of -colors and unique, airy, harmonious fittings seen -in this, the ideal conception of the abode of -angels.</p> - -<p>The delicacy and tenderness of Lucy’s refined -and loving spirit contributed to create an indefinable -feeling that this was the chosen spot where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> -innocence, purity and love should seek repose. -Her womanly instinct had added soft shadings to -art’s perfect handiwork.</p> - -<p>The great sea shell, half opened, made of shining -silver, lined with the pearly product of the -Eastern Isles, in which lie, soft and white as -snow, downy cushions, filled from the breasts of -Orkney’s far-famed fowls, and these be-trimmed -with lace in tracery like frost on window pane, in -texture so gossamery and light that the brief -span of life seems all too short in which to weave -one inch, must surely be the nest wherein some -heaven-sent cherub shall nestle down in sleep.</p> - -<p>Some sprite from fairy-land alone may make a -toilet with the miniature articles of Etruscan -gold, bejeweled with gems of azure-hued turquois -that fill the gilded dressing case.</p> - -<p>The chiffoniers, tables, chairs and stands are -all inlaid with woods of the rarest kinds and -colors, with ivory and polished pearl shells interwoven -in queerly conceived mosaic; mirrors of -finest plate here and there are arranged that they -may catch the beauteous image of the cherubic occupant -of this bijou bower, and countlessly reproduce<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> -its angelic features; urns and basins of -transparent china-ware, in the production of -which France and Germany have surpassed all -former efforts, beautified by the brushes of -world-renowned artists, furnish vessels in which -the rosy, laughing face and dimpled limbs may -lave.</p> - -<p>The Western hills have cooled the eager glance -of the August sun. Lucy, softly humming as she -assorts and arranges a great basket of choice buds -and blossoms just arrived from the “Eyrie,” is -seated alone in a fantastic garden pagoda, which, -trellised by climbing rose bushes, stands within -the grounds of the Dunlap estate.</p> - -<p>As she rocks back and forth in the low chair -that is placed there for her comfort, little gleams -of sunshine sifting through the screen of roses -wander amidst her gold-brown tresses and spot -the filmy gown of white she wears with silver -splashes. As the lights and shadows of the gently -swaying leaves and roses dance about her, she -seems surrounded by hosts of cherubim in frolicsome -attendance on her. Some thought of that -nature came to her, for she let her hands lie still<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> -in her lap among the blossoms and watched the -ever fleeting, changeful rays of sunlight and -shade that like an April shower fell upon her. -Then she smiled as at some unseen spirit and -smiling grew pensive.</p> - -<p>The limpid light in Lucy’s eyes, as gazing into -the future she sees the coming glory of her womanhood, -is that same light that shone along the -road from Galilee to Bethlehem, when she, most -blessed of women for all time, rode humbly on an -ass to place an eternal monarch on a throne.</p> - -<p>That light in Lucy’s pensive hazel eyes, that -gentle, hopeful expectant look on her sweet face, -has, from the time that men were born on earth -subdued the fiery rage of angry braves in mortal -strife engaged, has turned brutality into cowering -shame, and caused the harshest, roughest and -most savage of the human kind to smooth the -brow, soften the voice and gently move aside, rendering -ready homage to a being raised higher far -than the throne of the mightiest king on earth.</p> - -<p>As she, who chambered with the cattle on -Judah’s hills, opened the passage from the groaning -earth to realms of eternal bliss by what she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> -gave to men, so ever those crowned with that -pellucid halo of expected maternity stand holding -ajar the gates that bar the path from man to that -mysterious source of life and soul called God.</p> - -<p>It is woman in her grandest glory, who draws -man and his Maker near together, with arms outstretched -and hands extended she grasps man -and reaches up toward the Divine Author of our -beings.</p> - -<p>In simplest attire and humblest station she -sanctifies the spot she stands upon. When most -beset by want or danger there lives no man -worthy of the name, who could refuse to heed her -lightest call.</p> - -<p>Oh! that wistful, yearning, hopeful, tender, -loving look that transfigured Lucy’s sweet face -until resemblance came to it, to that face that -has employed the souls, hearts and hands of -those most gifted by high heaven with pen and -brush.</p> - -<p>Out of this trance-like blissfulness the pensive -dreamer was aroused by the coming of her ever -constant guardian, her grandfather, who told her -that Miss Arabella Chapman had called, bringing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> -some offering that could be placed in no other -hand than that of the young matron.</p> - -<p>Away hastened Lucy to greet the time-worn -maiden, but fresh-hearted friend, and to hurry -with her up to a sealed and sacred apartment, -over whose threshold no male foot must ever step, -wherein was hidden heaping trays and shelves of -doll-like garments of marvelous texture and -make, articles the names of which no man ever -yet has learned to call, all so cunningly devised -as to create the need of lace, embroidery or such -matter on every edge and corner.</p> - -<p>Silky shawls and fleecy wraps, and funny little -caps of spider-spun lace, and socks of soft stuff -so small that Lucy’s tiny thumb could scarce find -room therein, all and much more than man can -tell were here stored carefully away and only -shown to closest friends by the fair warder of that -holy keep.</p> - -<p>And, oh! the loving, jealous care of Lucy. No -hand but her own could fold these small garments -just right. What awful calamity might -befall should one crease be awry or disturbed; no -eye so well could note some need in that dainty,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span> -diminutive collection of fairy underwear as hers; -no breast could beat so tenderly as hers as close -she pressed, fondled and kissed the little gowns -for elfin wear.</p> - -<p>Who would for all the gold coined on earth -rob her of one jot or tittle of her half-girlish, all-womanly -joy and jealous care? Not one who -ever whispered the word Mother!</p> - -<p>That night the watchman and his faithful dog -who guarded the Dunlap house and grounds, -saw at the unseemly hour of two o’clock many -lights suddenly appear within the mansion. The -shadow of the family physician, white-haired and -wise, flits by the windows of the room which, for -some weeks, he has occupied. Mrs. Church in -wrapper, lamp in hand, hastens by the great hall -window and ascends the stairs, accompanied by -an elderly woman, who a month before came to -live in the mansion. Soon a window on the balcony -is raised and Mr. James Dunlap in dressing -gown and slippers steps out, accompanied by Mr. -Burton, who seems too nervous to notice Mr. -Dunlap’s soothing hand placed on his shoulder.</p> - -<p>Soon the bell, that warns him to open wide the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> -outer gate, is rung, and then the watchman and -his dog see no more of the commotion within the -house. As he holds back the gate, he asks of the -coachman, who, with the dog-cart and the horse, -Dark Dick, is racing by:</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter?” In reply he only catches -the words:</p> - -<p>“Another nurse, d—— quick!”</p> - -<p>A standing order of the house of J. Dunlap -was that should at any time neither J. Dunlap nor -the manager appear by the noon hour, the superintendent, -Mr. Chapman, should take cab and -hasten to the residence of Mr. James Dunlap for -instructions concerning transactions that pressed -for immediate attention.</p> - -<p>Five minutes after noon, on the day when -at two o’clock in the morning the private watchman -had seen lights appear within the Dunlap -mansion. David Chapman was seated in a cab -speeding toward his employer’s residence.</p> - -<p>As the cab turned the corner on the avenue that -ran before the gate of the Dunlap place, the -horse’s hoof-beats were silenced. Chapman looked -out; the straw-carpeted pavement told the whole<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> -story. He ordered the driver to stop his horse, -and springing from the vehicle the superintendent, -walking, proceeded the balance of the distance.</p> - -<p>The vigil and anxiety of the past night had told -fearfully on well-preserved Mrs. Church, thought -Chapman as he noted her drawn, white and -frightened face, and listened to the awed tone of -her voice, as she told him that a boy was born to -Lucy; that she was very ill; that Mr. Burton was -troubled and wretched over the danger of his -wife, and would see no one; that Mr. Dunlap, exhausted -by agony of mind and weakened by -watching, had fainted, was now lying down and -must not be disturbed under any circumstances.</p> - -<p>Chapman in mute amazement stared at the -trembling lips that gave an account of the striking -down, within so short a time, of all three members -of the family. Speechless he stood and -stared, but could find no words to express either -his surprise or sorrow. As he stood thus, a faint -and husky, yet familiar, voice called from the far -end of the wide hall that ran through the center -of the house.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span></p> - -<p>“David, wait; I want you.”</p> - -<p>With uncertain step, and bowed head, a figure -came forward. As Chapman turned he saw that it -was Mr. Dunlap. One moment the old employee -gazed at the approaching man. Then springing -toward him, he cried as he caught sight of the -ashen hue on his old master’s blanched and deep-lined -face, and saw the blank look in his kind -eyes:</p> - -<p>“You are ill, sir; sit down!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, David; I am not well; I am somewhat -weak, but I wish to give you certain commands -that must not, as you value my friendship, be -disobeyed.” The old man paused and painfully -sought to gain command of his voice, and failing, -gasped forth:</p> - -<p>“Send a message to my brother saying, ‘It is a -boy and all is well,’ and add—David Chapman, -do you understand me?—and add these very -words, ‘Do not come home; it is unnecessary.’ -Sign the message ‘James’—and, listen, Chapman, -listen; no word that I am not well or my granddaughter -in danger must reach my brother -John.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Your instructions shall be obeyed, sir,” and -Chapman’s voice was almost as indistinct as that -of his loved master.</p> - -<p>“What of the business, sir, while Mr. Burton is -absent?” the ever-faithful superintendent asked.</p> - -<p>“Use your own discretion in everything,” and -with a dry, convulsive sob that shook his bended -frame, he added in a whisper:</p> - -<p>“It makes no difference now.”</p> - -<p>David Chapman heard the sob, and caught -those heartbroken words. In an instant that -strangely constituted man was on his knees at the -feet of him whom of all on earth he worshiped -most.</p> - -<p>“Can I help you, sir, in your trouble? Say anything -that man can do, and I shall do it, sir,” cried -Chapman piteously.</p> - -<p>“No, David, no; but, David, I thank you. Go, -my faithful old friend, and do what I have requested.”</p> - -<p>Chapman arose and pressed the wan hand that -James Dunlap extended, then hurried from the -house.</p> - -<p>Those who saw the superintendent that day<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> -wondered why they were unable to tell whether -it was grief or rage that marked the man’s face -so deeply.</p> - -<p>The message as dictated was sent that day to -Haiti.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XII.</h2> - -<p>By special concession from the Haitian -government, the blacks still maintaining -a prejudice against white people -owning real estate in Haiti, John Dunlap had -purchased several acres of land lying in the outskirts -of Port au Prince, and had built a commodious -house thereon, constructed in accordance -with the requirements of the warm climate of the -island.</p> - -<p>To-night with impatient manner he is walking -up and down the veranda which surrounds the -house, accompanied by Captain Jack Dunlap, to -whom he says:</p> - -<p>“I do not like the monotonous sentence that, -without change, has come to me daily for two -weeks past. It is not like my brother James, and -something, that I cannot explain, tells me that all -is not well at home in Boston.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you think that this presentiment is only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> -the result of anxiety; that you are permitting -imaginary evils to disturb you, sir?” put in Jack -respectfully.</p> - -<p>“No, Jack, I do not. From boyhood there has -existed an indescribable bond of sympathy between -my brother and myself that has always -conveyed to each of us, no matter how far apart, -a feeling of anxiety if trouble or danger threatened -either one. For days this feeling has been -increasing upon me, until it now has become unbearable. -I regret that I did not take passage on -the steamer that sailed today for New York. -Now I must wait a week.” As Mr. Dunlap came -to the end of his sentence, a chanting, croning -kind of sound was heard coming from some spot -just beyond the wall around his place.</p> - -<p>“Confound that old hag!” cried the impatient -old gentleman, as he heard the first notes of the -weird incantation, “for the last month, night and -day, she has been haunting my premises, wailing -out some everlasting song about Tu Konk, -white cows, black kids, and such stuff, all in that -infernal jargon of the mountain blacks. She -looks more like the devil than anything else. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> -tried to bribe her to go away, but the old witch -only laughed in my face. I then ordered her -driven away, but the servants are all afraid of -her and can’t be induced to molest her.”</p> - -<p>“She probably is only some half-witted old woman, -whom the superstitious negroes suppose -possessed of supernatural power. I don’t think -the matter worthy of your notice,” said Jack.</p> - -<p>“I suppose it is foolish, but her hanging about -my place just now, makes me nervous; but never -mind the hag at present. I was going to say to -you, when that howling stopped me, that so strong -has become my feeling of apprehension within -the last few hours that could I do so, I should -leave Port au Prince tonight and hurry straight -to Boston and my brother. This cursed Haitian -loan, for which the English and American bankers -hold our house morally, if not legally, responsible, -has held me in Haiti this late in the hot -season, and, tonight, I would gladly assume the -entire obligation legally, to be placed instantly -on Boston Common.”</p> - -<p>The positiveness and seriousness with which his -kinsman spoke caused even Jack’s steady nerves<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span> -to become somewhat shaken. Just then footsteps -were heard coming rapidly up the walk that led -to the roadway. As the two Dunlaps reached the -top step of the veranda a telegraph messenger -sprang up the stairs and handed an envelope to -Mr. John Dunlap. With trembling fingers he -opened the paper and going to a lamp that hung -in the hallway read it. Then with a cry of pain -he would have fallen to the floor had not Jack’s -strong arms been around him.</p> - -<p>“I knew it, I knew it,” he moaned.</p> - -<p>Jack took the message from the cold, numb -hand of the grief-stricken man and read:</p> - -<p>“Come immediately; your brother dying, Lucy -in great danger. David Chapman.”</p> - -<p>Jack almost carried the groaning old man to a -couch that stood in the hall, placing him upon -it he hurried to the side-board in the dinner-room -for a glass of wine or water; when he returned -he found Mr. Dunlap sitting up, with his -face hidden in his hands, rocking back and forward -murmuring.</p> - -<p>“A million dollars for a steamer; yea! all I am -worth for a ship to carry me to Boston! Oh! -Brother, Brother!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jack, though stricken to the heart by what -the message said, still held firm grip upon his -self-command for the sake of the kind old man -before him. When he heard the muttered words -of his suffering friend, for one instant he stood -as if suddenly struck by some helpful idea, then -cried,</p> - -<p>“You have the fastest sailing ship on the Atlantic, -Cousin John. The ‘Adams’ has only half -a cargo aboard. She can beat any steamer that -sails from Haiti to America, if there be breeze -but sufficient to fill her canvas. My crew is -aboard. Within one hour my water casks can be -filled, the anchor up, the bow-sprit pointing to -Boston, and, God send the wind, we’ll see the -Boston lights as soon as any steamer could show -them to us, or I’ll tear the masts out of the -‘Adams’ trying.”</p> - -<p>Like the revivifying effect of an electric -shock, the words of the seaman sent new life -into John Dunlap. He sprang to his feet, -grabbed for a hat and coat lying on the hall-table -and, ere Jack realized what was happening, -was racing down the pathway, leading to the -road, calling back:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Come on, my lad, come on!”</p> - -<p>Soon Jack was by the old man’s side, passing -his arm through that of his godfather, and thus -helping him forward, their race toward the -water was continued.</p> - -<p>Not one word was said to the house-servants. -The Dunlaps saw no one before they dashed -from the premises; no, not even the evil, flashing -eyes of the old black hag, who, listening to -what they said, peered at them through the low -window case.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Brice, call all hands aft,” commanded -Captain Dunlap as he stepped upon the deck of -his ship, half an hour after leaving the house of -Mr. Dunlap in Port au Prince.</p> - -<p>“Men,” said the skipper, when the astonished -crew had gathered at the mast and were waiting.</p> - -<p>“Most of you have sailed with me for months, -and know I ‘crack on’ every sail my ship can -carry at all times. Now, listen well to what I -say. This old gentleman at my side, my kinsman -and friend, and I have those in Boston -whom we love, and we have learned tonight that -one of them is dying and one is in danger. We<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> -must reach Boston at the earliest moment possible. -Within the hour I’ll heave my anchor up -and sail, such carrying of sail, in weather fair -or foul, no sailor yet has seen as I shall do. My -masts may go. I’ll take the chance of tearing -them out of the ship if I can but gain one hour. -No man must sail with me in this wild race unwillingly -or unaware of what I intend to do. -Therefore, from mate to cabin-boy, let him who -is unwilling to share the perils of this trip step -forward, take his wages and go over the side -into the small boat that lies beside the ship.”</p> - -<p>The skipper Stopped speaking and waited; for -some seconds there was a scuffling of bare feet -and shoving among the knot of seamen, but no -man said aught nor did any one step forward. -At last the impatient master cried out,</p> - -<p>“Well, what’s it to be! Can no man among you -find his tongue?”</p> - -<p>Then came more shuffling and shoving and -half audible exclamations of “Say it yourself!” -“Why don’t you answer the skipper?” Finally -old Brice moved around from behind the captain -and stood between him and the men. Then addressing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> -the master but looking at the crew, he -said,</p> - -<p>“I think, sir, the men wish to say, that they -are Yankee sailors, and see you and Mr. Dunlap -half scuttled by your sorrow and that they will -stick by you, and be d——n to the sail you carry! -Is that it, men?”</p> - -<p>A hoarse hurrah answered the first officer’s -question.</p> - -<p>“The mate says right enough; we’ll stick to -the ship and skipper,” came in chorus from the -brazen lungs of the crew.</p> - -<p>Such scampering about the deck was never -seen before on board the “Adams” as that of the -next thirty minutes. When the crew manned -the capstan and began hoisting the anchor a -strange black bundle, with gleaming eyes, came -tumbling over the bow. The startled crew -sprang away from what they took to be a huge -snake, but seeing, when it gathered itself together -and stood upright, that it was an old witch -of a black woman, they bawled out for the mate.</p> - -<p>The old termagant fought like a wild-cat, -scratching and tearing at the eyes of the men<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span> -as they bundled her over the ship’s side and into -the canoe in which she had come from the shore. -All the time the hag was raving, spitting and -swearing by all kinds of heathenish divinities -that she would go to Boston to see “my grandchild,” -and muttering all sorts of imprecations -and incantations, in the jargon of the West Indies, -upon the heads of all who attempted to prevent -her.</p> - -<p>As the ship gathered headway and swung -around, Mr. John Dunlap, who stood in the -stern, heard a weird chant, which he recognized -as coming from below him. He looked over the -railing and saw old Sybella standing upright in -the canoe in which she had been thrust by the -crew, waving her skinny bare arms, and chanting,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Tu Konk, the great one</div> -<div class="verse">Send her the Black Goat</div> -<div class="verse">White cow, Black kid</div> -<div class="verse">White teat, Black mouth</div> -<div class="verse">Tu Konk, Oh, Tu Konk</div> -<div class="verse">Black Blood, Oh, Tu Konk</div> -<div class="verse">Call back, Oh! Tu Konk.”</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span></p> - -<p>When Sybella saw Mr. Dunlap she ceased her -song, and began hurling savage and barbarous -curses upon him and his, which continued until -the tortured old gentleman could neither hear -nor see the crone longer.</p> - -<p>There was just enough cargo aboard the -“Adams” to steady her and give her the proper -trim. As soon as Jack secured enough offing, -in sailors’ parlance he “cut her loose.” Everything -in shape of sail that could draw was set, -the skipper took the deck nor did he leave it -again until he sprang into a yawl in Boston harbor.</p> - -<p>On the second day out from Port au Prince, -the wind increased to the fury of a gale, but still -no stitch of cloth was taken from the straining -masts and yards of the “Adams.” Two stalwart -sailors struggled with the wheel, the muscles of -their bared and sinewy arms standing out taut, -as toughened steel. The ship pitched and leaped -like a thing of life. The masts sprang before -the gale as if in their anguish they would jump -clear out of the ship.</p> - -<p>With steady, hard set eyes, the skipper<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> -watched each movement of his ship. He knew -her every motion as huntsman knows the action -of his well-trained hound. His jaws were -locked, the square, firm, Anglo-Saxon chin -might have been modeled out of granite, so rock-like -did it look. Away goes a sail, blown into -fragments that wildly flap against the yard. -Will the skipper ease her now?</p> - -<p>Old Brice looked toward the master, saw -something in his eyes, and saw him shake his -head—</p> - -<p>“Lay along here to clear up the muss, and set -another sail!” bawled Brice, and again he looked -toward the skipper; this time Jack nodded.</p> - -<p>Brave old John Dunlap scarcely ever left the -deck. He had a sailor’s heart and he had mingled -with those of the sea from babyhood. He -saw the danger and going to his namesake, said,</p> - -<p>“Carry all she’ll bear Jack. If you lose the -ship, I’ll give you ten; get me to Boston quickly, -lad, or wreck the ship.”</p> - -<p>“I will,” was all the answer that came from -Jack’s tightly pressed lips, nor did he change his -gaze from straight ahead while answering—yet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -the old man knew that Jack would make his -promise good.</p> - -<p>He, who in the hollow of His hand doth hold -the sea, knew of their need and favoring the object -of such speed, did send unto that ship safety -through the storm and favoring winds thereafter.</p> - -<p>No yacht, though for speed alone designed, -ever made such time, or ever will, or ever can, -as made the good ship “Adams” from Port au -Prince to Boston harbor.</p> - -<p class="tb">During the two weeks that succeeded the birth -of Lucy’s baby, her grandfather never left the -house, but like some wandering spirit of unrest, -moved silently but constantly, in slippered feet, -from room to room, up and down the broad -flight of stairs, and back and forth through the -halls.</p> - -<p>Maids and serving men stepped aside when -they saw the bent and faltering figure approaching; -James Dunlap had aged more within two -weeks than during any ten years of his life before. -His kind and beaming eyes of but yesterday<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span> -had lost all save the look of troubled age and -weariness. The ruddy glow bequeathed by temperate -youth had vanished from his countenance -in that short time, as mist beneath the rays of the -rising sun. The strong elastic step of seasoned -strength had given place to the shambling gait -of aged pantaloon.</p> - -<p>Burton in moody silence kept his room, or -venturing out was seen a changed and altered -man, with blood-shot eyes, as if from endless -tears, and haggard, desperate face deeply traced -by lines of trouble’s trenches dug by grief.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Church, the physician, nurse and even -the buxom black woman, who came to give suck -to the babe, all, seemed awe struck, distraught, -as if affrighted by some ghostly, awful thing -that they had seen.</p> - -<p>And then, too, all seemed to hold some -strange, mysterious secret in common, that in -some ways was connected with the recently arrived -heir to the Dunlap proud name and many -millions. The frightened conspirators held so -sacred the apartments blessed by the presence of -the Dunlap heir, that none but themselves might<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> -enter it, or even, in loyal love for all who bear -their old master’s name, see the babe. One poor -maid in loving, eager curiosity had ventured -to peep into the sacred shrine and when discovered, -though she had seen naught of the child, -was quickly driven from the house and lost her -cherished employment.</p> - -<p>Lucy Burton from the first hour after the birth -of the child was very ill. For two whole days -she hovered, hesitatingly, between life and -death, most of the time entirely unconscious or -when not so in a kind of stupor. But finally, -after two days of anxious watching, the physician -and Mrs. Church noticed a change. Lucy opened -her eyes and feebly felt beside her as if seeking -something, and finding not what she sought, -weakly motioned Mrs. Church to bend her head -down that she might whisper something in her -ear. As her old friend bent over her, she whispered -softly,</p> - -<p>“My baby, bring it.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Church’s face became so piteous as she -turned her appealing eyes toward the Doctor -that, that good man arose and coming to the bedside<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span> -took Lucy’s soft white hand in his. He had -known her as an infant, and guessing from Mrs. -Church’s face what Lucy wished, he said,</p> - -<p>“Not yet, dear child, you are too ill and weak, -and the excitement might be dangerous in your -condition.”</p> - -<p>But Lucy would listen no longer; she shook -her head and cried out quite audibly:</p> - -<p>“Bring me my baby! I want to see it. Every -mother wishes to see her baby.” Tears came -rolling from her sweet eyes.</p> - -<p>“But child, the baby boy is not well and to -bring him to you might cause serious conditions -to arise.”</p> - -<p>Well did that Doctor know the mother heart. -How ready that heart ever is to suffer and to -bleed that the off-spring may be shielded from -some danger or a single pang.</p> - -<p>“I can wait; don’t bring my darling if it will -do him harm. A boy! A boy! My boy! I’ll -wait, but where is Walter?”</p> - -<p>The Doctor told the nurse to summon Mr. -Burton, but cautioned Lucy not to excite or agitate -herself as she had been quite ill.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span></p> - -<p>Let him who has seen the look on the condemned -felon’s face, when the poor wretch gazes -on the knife within the guillotine, recall that -look. Let him who has seen the last wild, desperate -glance of a drowning man, recall that -look, and mingle with these the look of Love at -side of Hope’s death-bed, and thus find the look -on Burton’s face when he entered his wife’s bedroom.</p> - -<p>With arms outstretched she called to the faltering -man,</p> - -<p>“Walter, it is a boy! My baby! Your baby! -My husband!”</p> - -<p>The man fell, he did not drop, upon his knees -by the bedside and burying his face in the covering -wept bitterly. He took her hands, kissed -them, and wet them with his tears.</p> - -<p>“Oh! Don’t weep so, darling. I will soon be -well, and Oh! my husband we have a precious -baby boy.” Then she said, as if in the joy of -knowing that her baby was a boy, she had forgotten -all else,</p> - -<p>“Tell grandfather to come here. Tell him the -boy shall bear his name.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Doctor went himself to bring her grandfather -to her. She never noticed that strange -fact.</p> - -<p>James Dunlap, never had you in your seventy-three -years of life more need of strength of mind -than now!</p> - -<p>Her grandfather came to her leaning heavily -upon the Doctor’s arm. He bent and kissed her -brow, and in so doing dropped a tear upon her -cheek. Quickly she looked up and seeing pain -and grief in the white face above her, she started -and in the alarmed voice of a little child, she -cried,</p> - -<p>“Am I going to die? Are you all so pale and -weep because I am dying? Tell me Doctor! -Why Mamma Church is crying too.”</p> - -<p>She so had called Mrs. Church when a wee -maid and sometimes did so still.</p> - -<p>The Doctor seeing that she was flushed and -greatly excited hastened to the bedside and said -calmly but most earnestly,</p> - -<p>“No, my dear. You will not die, they are not -weeping for that reason, but you have been very -ill and we all love you so much that we weep<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> -from sympathy for you, my dear. Now please -lie down. You must my child, and all must -leave the room but nurse and me,” and speaking -thus, he gently pressed the gold-brown head -back on the pillows and urged all to leave the -room immediately.</p> - -<p>That night the nurse and Doctor heard the patient -often murmur both while awake and while -she slept,</p> - -<p>“My baby, my baby, it’s a boy, my baby.”</p> - -<p>For two or three days after this night Lucy -was quite ill again. Her mind seemed wandering -all along the path of her former life, but always -the all over-shadowing subject in all the -wanderings of her thoughts was, “My baby,” -“My baby.” Sometimes she called for Jack saying, -“Come Jack, and see my baby,” and then -for her uncle, laughing in her sleep and saying -“See, Uncle John, I’ve brought into the world a -boy, my baby.”</p> - -<p>When the fever again abated and once more -she became conscious her first words were “My -baby, bring it now.”</p> - -<p>For several days the mental resources of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> -nurse, Doctor and Mrs. Church were taxed to -their utmost in finding excuses for the absence -of the baby. He was not well. He was asleep, -she was not well enough and many other things -they told her as reasons for not bringing her -baby to her.</p> - -<p>But, Oh! the piteous pleading in her voice and -eyes, as with quivering lips and fluttering hands -extended toward them she would beg,</p> - -<p>“Please bring my baby to me. Every mother -wishes to see her baby, to press it to her breast, -to feel its breath upon her cheek, to hold it to -her heart; Oh! Please bring my darling to me.”</p> - -<p>Poor Mrs. Church, no martyr ever suffered -more than did that tender-hearted woman, who -loved Lucy with a mother’s heart.</p> - -<p>The Doctor, when he had reassured and quieted, -for a little while, his patient, would leave -the room and standing in the hall would wring -his hands and groan, as if in mortal agony.</p> - -<p>One night when Lucy seemed more restful -than usual, and was slumbering, worn out by -emotion and watching, the Doctor, lying on a -couch in the hall, fell fast asleep. The nurse,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> -seeing all about her resting, her charge peacefully -and regularly, first became drowsy, nodded -and then slept.</p> - -<p>The gold-brown head was raised cautiously -from its pillows, the hazel eyes wide opened -looked about, and seeing that the nurse was -sleeping and that no one was looking, then two -little white feet slipped stealthily from beneath -the coverlet, the slim figure rose, left the bed -and glided along the well remembered passage -that led from her chamber to that bower of -beauty made for her baby. As she, weak and -trembling, stole along, she smiled and whispered -to herself:</p> - -<p>“I will see my baby! I will hold him in my -arms, I am his own mother.”</p> - -<p>In the room, that with loving, hopeful hands -she had helped to decorate, the faintest flame -gave dim, uncertain light, yet quick she reached -the silver shell-like crib and feeling found no -baby there. Hearing a steady, loud breathing -of some one asleep and seeing the indistinct outline -of a bed in one corner of the room, she -softly crept to its side and feeling gently with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> -her soft hands found a tiny figure reposing beside -the snoring sleeper. To gather the baby to -the warm breast wherein her longing, loving -heart was beating wildly was the work of only -an instant.</p> - -<p>With her babe clutched close to her, she -opened her gown and laid its little head against -her soft and snowy bosom, then she stole back, -carrying her treasure to her own chamber.</p> - -<p>Like child that she was, women have much of -childish feeling ever in them. In girlish happiness -she closed her eyes and felt her way to the -gas-light, and turned it up full blast, laughing -to herself and saying as she uncovered the baby’s -face,</p> - -<p>“I won’t peep. I’ll see my baby’s beauty all at -once.”</p> - -<p>She opened her eyes and looked!</p> - -<p>Now, Oh! Mother of the Lord look down! -Oh! Christ, who hanging on His cross for the -thief could pity feel, have pity now!</p> - -<p>The thing she held upon her milk white breast -was Black—Black with hideous, misshapen -head receding to a point; with staring, rolling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span> -eyes of white set in its inky skin; and features -of an apish cast, increased the horror of the -thing.</p> - -<p>My God! That shriek! It pealed through -chamber, dome and hall. Again, again it rang -like scream of tortured soul in hell. It roused -the horses in the barn, they neighed in terror, -stamped upon the floor and struggled to be free. -The doves in fright forsook their cot. The dogs -began to bark. Yet high above all other sound, -that wild, loud scream rang out.</p> - -<p>When the nurse sprang up she dared not move -so wild were Lucy’s eyes. The Doctor, Burton, -her grandfather found her standing, hair unbound, -glaring wildly at what crying, lay on -the floor.</p> - -<p>“Away, you thieves!” she screamed, and -motioned to the door.</p> - -<p>“You have robbed me of my babe, and left -that in its stead.” She pointed at the object on -the floor.</p> - -<p>Her grandfather pallid, tottering, moved toward -her.</p> - -<p>“Back, old man, back! You stole my child<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span> -away,” she yelled, her blazing eyes filled with -insane rage and hate.</p> - -<p>“My God! She is mad,” the Doctor cried, and -rushing forward caught her as she fell.</p> - -<p>“Thank God! She has fainted; help me place -her on the bed.”</p> - -<p>Burton, petrified by the awfulness of the scene -had until that moment stood like some ghastly, -reeling statue, now in an automatic manner he -came forward and helped the Doctor place her -on the bed.</p> - -<p>“Look to Mr. Dunlap,” cried the Doctor but -ere anyone could reach him the old man fell forward, -crashing on the floor; a stroke of paralysis -had deadened and benumbed his whole right side.</p> - -<p>Chapman was told next day that James Dunlap -was dying. Then, for the first and only time -in the life of David Chapman, he disobeyed an -order given by a Dunlap and sent the message -to Haiti.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XIII.</h2> - -<p>“The pilot is mad,” cried one old tar; and said,</p> - -<p>“The master is drunk, or there’s mutiny -aboard that ship.”</p> - -<p>Thus spoke among themselves a knot of seafaring -men who stood on the Boston docks -watching a ship under almost full sail, that came -tearing before a strong north-east gale into Boston’s -crowded harbor.</p> - -<p>The man who held the wheel and guided the -ship through the lanes of sail-less vessels anchored -in the harbor, as a skillful driver does -his team in crowded streets, was neither mad nor -drunk nor was there mutiny among the crew. -The man was Jack Dunlap; the ship was the -“Adams.”</p> - -<p>Jack knew the harbor, as does the dog its kennel. -He held a pilot’s certificate and waiving -assistance steered his ship himself in this mad<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> -race with time, that no moment should be lost -by lowering sails until the anchor dropped in -Massachusetts sand.</p> - -<p>The crew was ready at the sheets and running -gear. Each man at his station and all attention. -Old Brice in the waist stood watching the skipper -ready to pass the word, to “let all go;” Morgan, -the second mate, at the boat davits held the -tackle to lower away the yawl the instant the -ship “came round.”</p> - -<p>The skipper at the wheel, stood steady, firm -and sure, as though chiseled from hardest rock. -He never shifted his blood-shot eyes from -straight ahead. His strong, determined face, -colorless beneath the tan, never relaxed a line -of the intensity that stamped it with sharp angles. -The skipper had not closed his eyes in -sleep since leaving Port au Prince nor had he -left the deck for a single hour.</p> - -<p>“Let go all!” the helmsman called and Brice -repeated the order. The ship flew around, like -a startled stag and then came,</p> - -<p>“Let go the anchor! Lower away on that boat -tackle! Come, Cousin John, we are opposite<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span> -Dunlap’s docks. This is Boston harbor, thank -God!” So called Jack Dunlap, springing toward -the descending small boat that had hung at the -davits, and dragging the no-way backward old -gentleman, John Dunlap, along with him.</p> - -<p>The only moment lost in Port au Prince before -the “Adams” sailed was to arouse the operator -and send a message to Chapman saying that -John Dunlap had left in the “Adams” and was -on his way to Boston and his brother’s bedside.</p> - -<p>When the red ball barred with black streaming -from the masthead announced that a Dunlap -ship was entering the port, the information was -sent at once to the city, and an anxious, thin and -sorrowing man gave an order to the driver of -the fastest team in the Dunlap stables, to hasten -to Dunlap’s wharf and sprang into the carriage.</p> - -<p>The impatient, scrawny figure of David Chapman -caught the eyes of the two passengers in -the yawl, as with lusty strokes the sailors at the -oars urged the small boat toward the steps of the -dock. Chapman in his excitement fairly raced -up and down the dock waving his hands toward -the approaching boat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span></p> - -<p>“He still lives!” he shouted when they could -hear him, instinctively knowing that, that question -was first in the minds of those nearing the -wharf.</p> - -<p>“And Lucy?” said Jack huskily, as he stepped -on the dock and grasped Chapman’s extended -hand. Old John Dunlap had said never a word -nor looked right nor left, but springing up the -steps with extraordinary agility in one of his -age, had run directly to the waiting carriage.</p> - -<p>“Alive but better dead,” was all that the superintendent -could find breath to say as he ran -beside Jack toward the carriage and leaped in.</p> - -<p>“Stop for nothing; put the horses to a gallop,” -commanded Mr. Dunlap, leaning out of the -carriage window and addressing the coachman -as he wheeled his horses around and turned upon -the street.</p> - -<p>It was at an early hour on Sunday morning -when the Dunlaps landed and the streets were -freed from the week day traffic and the number -of vehicles that usually crowded them.</p> - -<p>As the swaying carriage dashed along, Chapman -was unable to make the recently arrived<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span> -men understand more than that Lucy had suddenly -become deranged as a result of her illness, -and that this appalling circumstance, in connection -with his idolized granddaughter’s severe -sickness had produced a paralytic stroke, that -had rendered powerless the entire right side of -James Dunlap’s body; that his vitality was so -low and his whole constitution seemed so shaken -and undermined by the events of the last few -weeks, that the physicians despaired of his life.</p> - -<p>As the foaming horses were halted before the -entrance of the Dunlap mansion, Mr. John Dunlap -jumped from the still swaying vehicle and -ran up the steps, heedless of Mrs. Church and -the servants in the hall, he rushed straight to -the well remembered room where, as boys, he and -his brother had slept, and which was still the -bed-chamber occupied by Mr. James Dunlap.</p> - -<p>John Dunlap opened the door and for a moment -faltered on the threshold; then that voice -he loved so well called out,</p> - -<p>“Is that my brother John?” The stricken man -had recognized his brother’s footsteps.</p> - -<p>An instant more and John Dunlap had thrown<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span> -himself across the bed and his arms were around -his brother; for several minutes those two hearts, -which in unison had beaten since first the life-blood -pulsated through them, were pressed together. -James Dunlap’s left hand weakly patting -his brother.</p> - -<p>David Chapman had followed, close upon the -heels of John Dunlap and was crouching at the -bottom of the bed, with his face hidden by the -bed-clothing that covered his old master’s feet, -and was silently sobbing. When Jack Dunlap -entered the hall good Mrs. Church, who had -been a second mother to him while he lived at -the Dunlap house in his school boy days, ran -to him and throwing her arms about his neck -fell upon his broad breast, weeping and crying,</p> - -<p>“My boy is home! Thank God for sending -you, Jack. We have suffered so, and needed -you so much, my boy!”</p> - -<p>When the sailor man had succeeded in pacifying -the distressed old housekeeper and disengaged -himself from her embrace, he hastened -after Chapman. As he entered the room and -stepped near the bed he heard a feeble voice<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> -which he scarcely recognized as that of Mr. -James Dunlap, say,</p> - -<p>“It is all my fault John. You, brother, tried -to prevent it. I alone am to blame. I have -driven my darling mad and I believe that it will -kill her. I did it Oh God! I did it. Blame no -one John; be kind, punish no one, my brother. -I alone am at fault.”</p> - -<p>These words came with the force of a terrible -blow to Jack Dunlap, and halted him in mute -and motionless wonder where he was.</p> - -<p>“James, don’t talk that way. I can’t stand it, -brother. Whatever you have done, I know not, -and care not, it is noble, just and right and I -stand with you, brother, in whatsoever it may -be,” said John Dunlap in a broken but energetic -voice.</p> - -<p>“Has no one told you then, John?” came -faintly from the partially paralyzed lips of him -who lay upon the bed.</p> - -<p>“Told me what? Brother James; but no matter -what they have to tell, you are not blamable -as you say; I stand by that.”</p> - -<p>Though the voice was husky, there was a challenge<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span> -in the tone that said, let no man dare attack -my brother. The innate chivalry of the old -New Englander was superior even to his sorrow.</p> - -<p>“Who is in the room beside you, John?” asked -James Dunlap, anxious that something he had -to say should not be heard by other than the -trustworthy, and unable to move his head to ascertain.</p> - -<p>“No one, James, but our kinsman, Jack Dunlap, -and faithful David Chapman,” replied his -brother.</p> - -<p>The palsied man struggled with some powerful -emotion, and by the greatest effort was -only able to utter in a whisper the words,</p> - -<p>“Lucy’s baby is black and impish. The negro -blood in Burton caused the breeding back to a -remote ancestor, as, John, you warned me might -be the case. It has driven my granddaughter -insane and will cause her death. God have -mercy on me!” The effort and emotion was too -much for the weak old gentleman; his head fell -to one side; he had fainted.</p> - -<p>John Dunlap started when he heard these direful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span> -words. A look of horror on his face, but -brotherly love stronger than all else caused him -to put aside every thought and endeavor to resuscitate -the unconscious man.</p> - -<p>Poor Jack. He had borne manfully much -heartache, but the dreadful thing that he had -just heard was too much for even his iron will -and nerves. He collapsed as if a dagger had -pierced his heart, and would have fallen to the -floor had he not gripped the bedstead when his -legs gave way.</p> - -<p>Chapman raised his head and gazed, with eyes -red from weeping, at him who told the calamitous -story of the events that had stricken him -down. There was a dangerous glitter in the -red eyes as Chapman sprung to John Dunlap’s -assistance in reviving the senseless man.</p> - -<p>When Jack recovered self-command sufficient -to realize what was happening about him, he -found that the physician, who had been summoned, -had administered restoratives and stimulants, -and that the patient had returned to consciousness; -that the kind Doctor was trying to -comfort the heartbroken brother of the sufferer<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> -even while obliged to admit that the end of life -for James Dunlap was not far distant.</p> - -<p>“Come and get in my bed, Jack,” came in a -low and indistinct voice from the couch of the -helpless patient. Captain Dunlap started in -surprise, but old John Dunlap made a motion -with his hand and said in a voice choking with -emotion,</p> - -<p>“He always so called me when we were boys,” -and lying down by his brother he put his arms -lovingly and protectingly around him.</p> - -<p>Thus the two old men lay side by side as they -had done years before in their cradle. The silence -remained for a long time unbroken, save -for the muffled sobs that came from those who -watched and grieved in the chamber.</p> - -<p>“How cold it is, Jack, come closer; I’m cold. -I broke through the ice today and got wet but -don’t tell mother, she will worry. Jack, don’t -tell on me.” The words were whispered to his -brother by the dying man.</p> - -<p>“No, Jim, I’ll not tell, old fellow,” bravely answered -John Dunlap, but a smothered sob shook -his shoulders. He knew his brother’s mind was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span> -straying back into the days of their boyhood.</p> - -<p>For what inscrutable cause does the mind of -the most aged recur to scenes and associations -of childhood when Death, the dread conqueror, -draws near? Why does the most patriarchal -prattle as though still at the mother knee in that -last and saddest hour? Is it because mother, -child, in purity approach nearest to that transcendent -pellucidity that surrounds the throne of -Him before whom all must appear? Does the -nearness of the coming hour cast its shadow on -the soul, causing it to return to the period of -greatest innocence, and that love that is purest -on earth?</p> - -<p>“Jack, hold me, I am slipping, I am going, -going, Jack.”</p> - -<p>Alas! James Dunlap had gone on that long, -last journey! The noble, kindly soul had gone -to its God. John Dunlap held in his arms the -pulseless form of him who for seventy-three -years had been his second self, and whom he had -loved with a devotedness seldom seen in this selfish -world of ours.</p> - -<p>To see a strong man weep is painful; to hear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span> -him sob is dreadful; but to listen and look upon -the sorrow of a strong and aged man is heartbreaking -and will cause sympathetic tears to -flow from eyes of all who are not flinty-hearted.</p> - -<p>Chapman, when he knew the end had come, -clasped the cold feet of his old employer and -wept bitterly; Jack could bear no more. With -bursting heart he fled from the room, but kept -the chamber sacred from intrusion, and in the -sole possession of the two old men who sorrowed -there.</p> - -<p>The funeral of James Dunlap was attended by -the foremost citizens of that section of the -United States, where for so many years he had -justly held a position of honor and prominence.</p> - -<p>The universal gloom and hush that was observable -throughout the city of Boston on the -day that the sorrowful cortege followed all that -remained earthly of this esteemed citizen, gave -greater evidence of universal grief than words -or weeping could have done.</p> - -<p>While James Dunlap had never held any civic -or political position, his broad charity, unostentatious -generosity, kindliness of spirit, constant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> -thoughtfulness of his fellow men, and the unassuming -gentleness of his lovable disposition and -character, gave him an undisputed high place in -the hearts of his fellow citizens of both lofty -and lowly condition.</p> - -<p>The chief executive of his native state, jurists, -scholars, and capitalists gathered with rough, -weather beaten seafaring men, clerks and laborers -to listen to the final prayer offered up, to -Him above, at the old family vault of the Dunlaps -beneath the sighing willow trees.</p> - -<p class="tb">Haggard and worn by the emotions that had -wrenched his very soul for the past two or three -weeks, David Chapman dragged himself to the -tea-table where his sister waited on the evening -of the day of the funeral ceremonies.</p> - -<p>With the fidelity of a faithful, loving dog he -had held a position during all of many nights at -the feet of him who in life had been his object -of paramount devotion; during those days with -unswerving faithfulness to the house of “J. Dunlap,” -he was found leaden hued and worn, but -still attentive, at his desk in the office. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> -great business must not suffer, thought the man, -even if I drop dead from exhaustion. Neither -John Dunlap nor Walter Burton was in a condition, -nor could they force themselves, to attend -to the business of the house no matter how urgent -the need might be.</p> - -<p>When the business of the day ended, Chapman -hastened to the Dunlap mansion, and like a -ghostly shadow glided to his position at the feet -of his old employer, speaking to no one and no -one saying him nay—it seemed the sad watcher’s -right.</p> - -<p>As David Chapman dropped into a chair at -the tea-table, the anxious and sympathetic sister -said,</p> - -<p>“Brother, you really must take some rest. Indeed -you must, David, now that all is over.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Arabella, I feel utterly exhausted and -shall rest.”</p> - -<p>The man’s condition was pitiable; his words -came from his throat with the dry, rasping -sound of a file working on hardest steel.</p> - -<p>“What a God-send Jack Dunlap is at this -time, sister. He has taken charge of everything,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span> -and in that steady, confident, masterful way of -his has brought order out of the chaos that existed -at the mansion. It may be the training and -habits acquired at sea, but no matter what it is -the transformation in the affairs at the house is -wonderful. His decisive manner of directing -everything and everybody and the correctness -and promptness with which all people and things -are disposed of by him is phenomenal. I thank -Providence for the relief that Jack’s coming has -brought.”</p> - -<p>The total exhaustion of Chapman’s intense -energy was best exhibited in the satisfaction he -felt at having some one to assist him even in the -affairs of the Dunlaps.</p> - -<p>“Jack is one of the best and strongest minded -men in the world. While I know that his heart -is bleeding for all, especially for Lucy, he has -maintained a self-control that is superb,” said -the spinster.</p> - -<p>“When he learned that Lucy’s hallucination -led her to believe that the old family physician -had conspired to deprive her of her baby, he -promptly procured the attendance of another<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -doctor, saying positively, ‘Lucy’s mind must not -be disturbed by sight of anything or person tending -to aggravate her mental disorder.’ He forbade -Mrs. Church going into Lucy’s apartments, -dismissed the nurse and procured a new one, had -that accursed infant put with his nurse into -other apartments and did it all so firmly and quietly -that no one dreamed of disputing any order -given by him,” said David wearily, but evidently -much relieved with the changes made by Jack.</p> - -<p>“What of Lucy? How is she?” anxiously -questioned Arabella.</p> - -<p>“Her mental faculties are totally disarranged. -She has not spoken coherently since she fell -senseless on that dreadful night and was carried -to her bed. Besides, her physical condition is -precarious in the extreme,” replied the brother.</p> - -<p>“Has Jack seen her yet?” inquired the old -maid sadly.</p> - -<p>“Yes, and it is very strange how rational she -became as soon as she saw him enter the room. -You know, Arabella, the steady, earnest, matter -of fact manner he has. Well, he walked into her -room with just that manner, they say he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -stopped to steady himself before going in, and -said ‘How are you, Cousin Lucy? I’ve come -home to see you,’ and without a quiver took her -extended hands and pressed them to his breast.</p> - -<p>“Lucy knew him at once when he stepped inside -the door. She looked intently at him, then gave -a glad, joyful cry and held out her hands, calling, -‘Jack, Oh Jack! Come to me, my champion! -Now all will be well.’ Then she put her weak, -white arms about his neck and began to weep as -she sobbed out, ‘Jack, I have needed you. You -said you would come from the end of the earth -to me. I knew you would come; Jack, they have -stolen my angel boy, my baby. Jack, find it, -bring it to me. I know you can. You said until -death you would love me, Jack. Oh! find my -baby, my darling.’”</p> - -<p>“Poor Lucy! Poor Jack!” broke in the old -lady, as tears of pity ran down her withered -cheek.</p> - -<p>“But think of the strength of the man, Arabella. -You and I know what he was suffering. -Yet he answered with never a waver in his -voice, ‘All right, little cousin, I am here and no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> -harm shall come to you. I’ll help you, but you -must be a good little girl and stay quiet and get -well. Shall I have my mother come to sit with -you?’ She cried out at once, ‘Please do, Jack, -Cousin Martha did not steal my baby,’ and then -he insisted that she put her head back on the -pillow and close her eyes. When she did so Jack -had the courage to sit on the bedside and sing -softly some old song about the sea that they had -sung together when children. The poor girl fell -fast asleep as he sung, but still clung to Jack’s -brown hand.”</p> - -<p>Chapman gave a groan when he finished as if -the harrowing scene was before him.</p> - -<p>“Blessings on the stout hearted boy,” whimpered -the old lady.</p> - -<p>“Lucy never calls, as formerly, for her grandfather -or husband. In fact, when Burton entered -her room after that awful night she flew -into a perfect frenzy, accusing him of stealing -her child and putting some imp that, at some -time, she had seen in Florida, in his place, notwithstanding -his protestations and entreaties. -Her mad fury increased to such a degree that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> -the doctor insisted that Burton should leave the -room, and has forbidden him to again visit his -wife until there is a change in her mental condition. -Of course, Lucy knows nothing of the -death of her grandfather.” The man’s voice -became choked as he uttered the last sentence.</p> - -<p>“Have Jack and Mr. Burton been together since -Jack’s return?” inquired Arabella, after a long -silence.</p> - -<p>“I think not, except once when they were closeted -in the library for two hours the day after -Jack arrived. When they came out I was in the -hall and heard Jack say, as he left the library -with Burton, ‘I shall hold you to your promise. -You must wait until my cousin be in a condition -of mind to express her wishes in that matter.’ -Jack’s voice was firm and emphatic and his face -was very stern. Burton replied, ‘I gave you my -word of honor.’ He seemed in great distress and -mental anguish. My opinion is that he had proposed -disappearing forever, and I think so for -the reason that he had asked me to dispose of a -great amount of his personal securities, and to -bring him currency for the proceeds in bills of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span> -large denomination, and Jack must have objected,” -rejoined Chapman.</p> - -<p>“I am sorry for Mr. Burton and am glad Jack -would not let him go away,” said the kind spinster.</p> - -<p>“Well I am not,” cried Chapman savagely, -notwithstanding his fatigue.</p> - -<p>“They would better let him go. This misfortune -is the physical one that long ago I told you was -possible. The next may be spiritual and result -in some emotional or fanatic outburst of barbarous -religious fervor that may again disgrace us -all. Then may develop the bestial propensities -of the sensual nature of savages and may result -in crime and ruin the house of Dunlap forever.”</p> - -<p>“David, go to bed and rest. You are worn -out and conjure up imaginary horrors purely by -reason of nervousness and weariness,” said the -sister soothingly.</p> - -<p>“You maintained months ago that the danger -of breeding back was imaginary. What do you -think now? The other things that I suggest as -possible, are inherent in Burton’s blood and may -tell their story yet.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span></p> - -<p>Chapman, though weak, became vehement immediately -upon the mention of this unfortunate -subject. It required all the persuasion and diplomacy -of his good sister to get him to desist -and finally to retire to his bed room for the rest -that was so needed by the worn out man.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XIV.</h2> - -<p>“You have been a tower of strength to -me, Jack, in the grief and trouble of the -last three months. I don’t know what -would have become of us all without your aid -and comfort.”</p> - -<p>So spoke Mr. John Dunlap. He appeared -many years older than he did when three months -before he arrived in Boston on board the -“Adams.” He was bent, and care worn. Deep -sorrow had taken the fire and mirth from his -honest, kindly eyes.</p> - -<p>“I am rejoiced and repaid if I have been able -to be of service to those whom I love, and who -have always been so kind to me,” replied Jack -Dunlap simply.</p> - -<p>The two men were seated in the library of the -Dunlap mansion in the closing hour of that late -November day, watching the heavy snow flakes -falling without.</p> - -<p>“Jack, I have meditated for several days upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span> -what I am about to say and can find no way but -to beg you to make more sacrifices for us,” said -the old gentleman, after a lapse of several minutes.</p> - -<p>“The condition in which our family is demands -the presence of some younger, stronger head and -hand than mine is now. I know the ‘Adams’ is -refitted, after her two years of service, and ready -for sea. I know you, my lad, and your reluctance -to remain idle when you think that you -should be at work.”</p> - -<p>“To be frank, sir, you have hit upon a subject -about which I desired to talk with you but have -hesitated for several days,” said the young man, -with something of relief in his tone.</p> - -<p>“Well then, Jack, to begin with, I wish to -charter your ship for a voyage and to show that -it is no subterfuge to hold you here, I say at -once I wish you to sail in her.” Mr. Dunlap -paused for a moment to note the effect of his -proposal and then continued,</p> - -<p>“Let me go over the situation, Jack, and tell -me if you do not agree in my conclusions. Lucy, -while apparently restored in a degree to her former<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span> -health, is still weak and looks fragile. The -physicians advise me to take her to a warmer -climate before our New England Winter sets in. -Her dementia still continues, and while she is -perfectly gentle and harmless, she will neither -tolerate the presence of her husband, nor poor -Mrs. Church, and is even not pleased or quiet in -my company. I think my likeness to my beloved -brother affects her. She clings to your good -mother and to you, my lad, with the confident affection -of a child. When she is not softly singing, -as she rocks and smiles in a heartrending, -far-off-way, some baby lullaby, she is flitting -about the house like some sweet and sorrowful -shadow. Can we, Jack, expose our girl in this -condition to the unsympathetic gaze of strangers?”</p> - -<p>“No, no, a thousand times no!” was the quick -and emphatic answer of the younger man.</p> - -<p>“Now listen, Jack. Since the death of that -poor, little misshapen black creature, which innocently -brought so much trouble into our lives, -and, Jack, your thoughtfulness in having it -buried quietly in Bedford instead of here is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span> -something I shall never forget. But to return -to Lucy: Since that object is out of the way, and -after the consultation of those great specialists -in mental disorder cases, I am led to hope that -Lucy may be restored to us in all the glory of -her former mental condition.”</p> - -<p>“God speed the day,” exclaimed Jack fervently -and reverently.</p> - -<p>“The specialists affirm that as this aberration -of mind was produced by a shock and as there -is no inherited insanity involved in the case, that -the restoration may occur at any moment in the -most unexpected manner. A surprise, shock or -some accident may instantly produce the joyful -change.</p> - -<p>“It is for that very reason that I have insisted -that Burton should remain near at hand, and -ready to respond to a call from the restored wife -for her husband’s presence. We must bear in -mind the fact that Lucy, before this hallucination, -was devotedly attached to her husband and -grandfather. With the return of her reason -we may justly expect the return of her former -affections and feelings,” interrupted Jack by way<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> -of explanation of something he had done.</p> - -<p>“I know that, Jack, and approve of your -course, but I am only a weak human creature, -and notwithstanding the injunction of my dying -brother to blame no one, I cannot eradicate from -my mind a feeling of animosity toward Burton. -I know that he is not culpable, but still I should -be glad to have him pass out of our lives, if it -were not for the probable effect upon Lucy if -she ever be restored to reason. However, I was -not displeased by his decision to return to his -own house, the ‘Eyrie,’ until his presence was required -here.”</p> - -<p>“Burton’s position, sir, has been a very trying -one. I may say a very dreadful one, and I think -that he has acted in a very manly, courageous -manner, sir, and I think it our duty, as Christian -men, to put aside even our natural repugnance -to the author of our misfortune and be lenient -toward one who has suffered as well as ourselves.”</p> - -<p>The young sailor stopped, hesitated, and then -jerked out the words</p> - -<p>“And to be frank and outspoken with you, sir,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span> -by heavens! I am saving him for Lucy’s sake; if -she wish him, when she know all, she shall -have him safe and sound if it cost my life.” -There was a fierce determination in Jack’s voice -that boded no good to Burton should he attempt -to disappear, nor to any one who attempted to -injure the man whom Lucy’s loyal sailor knight -was safe-keeping for his hopeless love’s sake.</p> - -<p>“Jack, I love you, lad.” was all that the old -Dunlap said, but he knew and felt the grandeur -of the character of the man, who pressed the -dagger down into his own heart, to save a single -pang to the woman whom he loved so unselfishly.</p> - -<p>“But to resume the recital of my plans and -our situation,” said the old gentleman settling -back in his chair. He had leaned forward to pat -Jack on the shoulder.</p> - -<p>“We agree that Lucy cannot be subjected to -the scrutiny and criticism of strangers. I propose, -that as the physicians advise a warmer climate, -to charter the ‘Adams,’ have the cabin remodeled -to accommodate Lucy, your mother, the -nurse and Lucy’s maid, and to take them all with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span> -me to Haiti, just as soon as the changes in the -accommodations on your ship can be made.”</p> - -<p>“Burton goes with us, of course,” said Jack, -assertively.</p> - -<p>“Well, I had not determined that point. What -do you think?”</p> - -<p>“Decidedly, yes! The business may suffer, -but let it. What is business in comparison to the -restoration of Lucy?” cried Jack in an aggressive -tone of voice.</p> - -<p>“It shall be as you think best, my lad. The -business will not suffer in any event, for since -Burton’s return to his position as manager, he -has in some extraordinary manner become -worthless in the management of the affairs of -the house. He does not inspire the respect that -he did formerly nor does he seem to possess the -same self-confidence and decision of character -that marked his manner before the events of the -past few weeks. I don’t know what I should -have done had it not been for Chapman. He has -taken full charge of everything and will continue -in control while I am absent, if you decide to -take Burton along.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You surprise me, sir. I had noticed no alteration -in Burton’s manner,” exclaimed Jack, sincerely -astonished at what he heard.</p> - -<p>“That is quite likely as he seems to regard you -with a kind of awed respect, but nevertheless -what I state is an absolute fact. When first he -made his appearance at the office he endeavored -by a brave, bold front to resume his position, but -somehow his attempt was a lamentable failure. -He seemed to feel that everyone was aware that -there was something sham about his assumed dignity -and authority and like an urchin caught masquerading -in his father’s coat and hat, he has discarded -the borrowed garments and relapsed into -the character that nature gave him. Burton’s -succeeding efforts to impress the office force and -people with whom we do business with a sense -of his importance have been absurdly laughable,” -said Mr. Dunlap.</p> - -<p>“The secret of the child, and all that concerns -our family is confined to our own people, and a -few old and faithful friends, is it not?” asked -Jack in an anxious, troubled voice.</p> - -<p>“Certainly, but that apparently does not lessen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span> -Burton’s sense of being garbed in stolen apparel. -I can notice the dignity and culture of the white -race growing less day by day in Burton’s speech -and manner, just as frost-pictures on a window -pane lessen each hour in the rays of the sun until -naught remains but the naked and bared -glass.”</p> - -<p>“What will be the end of all this, if you be -correct?” cried Jack.</p> - -<p>“One by one the purloined habiliments of the -superior race will disappear until finally he will -stand forth stripped of the acquired veneering -created by the culture of the white race, a negro. -This transformation, which I think time will effect, -recalls to me an example of the inordinate -vanity and love of parading in borrowed plumage -common to the negro race. During one of the -numerous insurrections in Haiti I used to see one -of the major generals of the insurgents—they -had a dozen for every hundred privates—a big -black fellow, strut about, puffed up with assumed -importance and dignity. In less than one -week after the insurrection was suppressed he -was at my door selling fish. While there he began<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span> -to ‘pat Juba,’ as he called it, and dance, giggling -with childish glee and winding up the performance -by begging me for a quarter. There -you see the negro of it. Prick the balloon and -when the borrowed elevating gas escapes the skin -collapses immediately,” said John Dunlap, with -the positiveness of a prophet.</p> - -<p>“God grant that the end be not as you surmise -or let God in His mercy continue our Lucy in -her present condition. It were more merciful. -History gives the records of men of the negro -race who did not end their lives in the manner -you suggest, however,” replied Jack, extracting -a crumb of comfort from the last statement.</p> - -<p>“True! my lad, true! There have been white -elephants and white crows; in every forest occasionally -a rare bird is found. So with the negro -race, rare exceptions to the general rule do appear -but so infrequently as to only accentuate -the accuracy of the general rule.”</p> - -<p class="tb">Walter Burton was seated at a table in his -bedroom at the “Eyrie.” Before him were scattered -letters, papers and writing material. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span> -was late at night and he had evidently been engaged -in assorting and destroying the contents -of an iron box placed beside him on the floor. -His elbows were on the table and his chin rested -in both of his hands while he gazed meditatively -at the flame in the lamp before him.</p> - -<p>“I am, oh! so weary of this farce. How I long -to be able to run away and be free,” he sighed as -he said this to himself. After a little while he -continued.</p> - -<p>“The farce has been played to the final act. I -know it. What is the use to continue upon the -stage longer? Should Lucy’s mind return to its -normal condition she must be informed of what -has transpired and then my happiness will terminate -anyhow. Of what earthly use is it for -me to remain here. She might call for me at -first, but only to repulse me at last. I am tolerated -by old John Dunlap, hated or despised by -the others except the noblest of them all, Jack -Dunlap. He relies upon my word of honor. I -must not lose his respect. I would to God I -had given another the promise not to disappear.”</p> - -<p>The man paused for some time in his soliloquy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span> -and then broke out again by exclaiming,</p> - -<p>“The moment that the nurse showed the child -to me a curtain of darkness seemed to roll back. -I saw clearly what produced the strange spells -that for so long have mystified me. I am a negro. -My blood and natural inclinations are those -common to the descendants of Ham. It matters -not that my skin is white, I am still a negro. The -acquirement of the education, culture and refinement -of the white race has made no change in -my blood and inherent instincts. I am ever a -negro. Like a jaded harlot I may paint my face -with the hues of health but I am like her, a diseased -imitator of the healthy. I may have every -outward and visible sign but the inward and -spiritual grace of the white race is not and can -never be mine. I am a wretched sham, fraud -and libel upon the white race with my fair skin -and affected manner.”</p> - -<p>The man’s arms fell upon the table and he -hid his head in them and groaned. Thus he remained -for a short time, then raised his head and -cried out,</p> - -<p>“I even doubt that my Christianity is genuine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span> -and not a hollow mockery! The doctrine of Mahomet -is received more readily, and practiced -more consistently by my native race in its ancient -home of Africa than the pure and elevating -teachings of Christ. The laws of Mahomet -seem more consistent with the sensual nature of -my race than the chaste commands of Christ. -History relates that Islamism is able to turn an -African negro from idolatry where the Christian -religion utterly fails. Are my protestations of -faith in Christianity like my refinement, culture -and manners, merely outward manifestations in -imitation of the white race and as deceitful as is -the color of my skin?”</p> - -<p>Burton sat silent for several moments and then -said in a tone of sad reminiscence.</p> - -<p>“I recall how everything in the Christian religion -or service that appealed to the emotional -element within me aroused me, but is my nature -as a negro, susceptible of receiving, retaining -and appreciating permanently the truths of that -purest and noblest of all faiths?” Again the -man paused as if silently struggling to solve the -problem suggested.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span></p> - -<p>“It has of late, I know, become the fashion to -refuse to accept the Scriptures literally, but there -is one prophecy concerning the descendants of -Ham which thousands of years have demonstrated -as true.”</p> - -<p>“The sculpture of that oldest of civilizations, -the mother of all culture, the Egyptian, proves -beyond a doubt that the children of Ham came -in contact with the source of Greek and Roman -culture yet they advanced not one step. The -profiles of some even of the early Pharaohs as -seen on their tombs furnish unmistakable proof -of that contact in the Negroid type of the features -of Egypt’s rulers.”</p> - -<p>“The Romans carried civilization to every -people whom they conquered and to those who -escaped the Roman domination they bequeathed -an impetus that urged them forward, with the -single exception of the accursed Hamites.”</p> - -<p>“The Arabs occupied Northern Africa and kept -burning the torch of civilization in the chaos of -the Dark Ages in Europe. The Arabs fraternized -more freely with the sons of Ham than all -other branches of the human race, but failed to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span> -push, pull or drive them along the highway of -culture.”</p> - -<p>“The negro race seems bound by that old -Scriptural prophecy concerning the descendants -of Ham. It does not advance beyond being the -hewers of wood and drawers of water for the -balance of mankind, notwithstanding five thousand -years of opportunity and inducement.”</p> - -<p>“The negro race in Africa, its ancestral land, -can point to no ruined temples, no not even -mounds like can the American Indians. It borrowed -not even the art of laying stones from -Egypt. It has no written language though the -Phoenicians gave that blessing to the world. It -has no religion worthy of the name, neither laws -nor well defined language. Notwithstanding its -association with Egyptian, Roman and Arabian -culture and civilization, fountains for all of the -thirsty white race, the negro race has benefited -not at all. It is where it was five thousand -years ago. God’s will be done!”</p> - -<p>Burton paused while a sneer came to his lips -when he began again speaking.</p> - -<p>“Haiti, after decades of freedom, starting with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span> -the benefits conferred by the religion and civilization -of one of the leading nations of earth, is -the home today of ignorance, slothfulness and -superstition. Every improvement made by the -former white rulers neglected and passing away. -In the hands of the white race it had now been -a Paradise. Liberia is as dead, stagnant and -torpid as if progress had vanished with the fostering -care of the white nations that founded -that republic.”</p> - -<p>The young man ceased in recapitulating the -failures of his race, but added with a sigh,</p> - -<p>“In America! Well one may grow oranges -in New England by covering the trees with glass -and heating the conservatory, but break the glass -or let the fire expire and the orange trees die. -Break the civilization of the white race in America -like the glass, let the fire of its culture become -extinguished and alas for the exotic race -and its artificial progress.”</p> - -<p>“But enough of my race,” exclaimed Burton -impatiently as he arose from the table and began -walking about the room.</p> - -<p>“Formerly I tried to curb an inclination that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span> -was incomprehensible. Now that I know the -cause I rather enjoy the relapses into my natural -self. I welcome the casting aside of the mask -and affectation of the unreal. It is a relief. The -restraint imposed by the presence of those who -know me for what I am, is irksome. I long all -day for the freedom of my isolation here in the -‘Eyrie’ where no prying eye is finely discriminating -the real from the sham. I loath the office -and the association there. Each day I seem to -drop a link of the chain that binds me to an artificial -existence.”</p> - -<p>Suddenly an idea seemed to present some new -phase to the soliloquizing man. He put his hand -to his head as if in pain, and cried out,</p> - -<p>“But the end! What shall it be?”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XV.</h2> - -<p>“It was good of you Jack, to have Mr. -Dunlap invite me to dine with him this -evening. I am deucedly weary of the -‘off colored,’” exclaimed Lieutenant Tom Maxon -as he and his companion, Captain Jack Dunlap -walked in the twilight through the outskirts of -Port au Prince.</p> - -<p>“To tell you the truth, Tom, I was not thinking -of your pleasure in the visit half so much as -I was about my old kinsman’s. You see we have -been here a month, and as my Cousin Lucy is -an invalid and sees no company, Mr. Dunlap has -divided his great rambling house into two parts. -He and Burton occupy one part and the women -folk the other; I join them as often as possible -but as Burton is exceedingly popular with the -dusky Haitians and often absent, my old cousin -is apt to be lonely. I thought your habitual jolliness -would do him good, and at the same time<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span> -secure you a fine dinner, excellent wine and the -best cigars in Haiti; hence the invitation.”</p> - -<p>“How is Mrs. Burton? I remember her from -the days when you, the little Princess and I used -to make ‘Rome howl’ in the Dunlap attic.”</p> - -<p>“Lucy is much improved by the sea voyage -and change of climate, but must have absolute -quiet. For that reason my mother keeps up an -establishment in one part of the house to insure -against noise, or intrusion,” said Jack.</p> - -<p>“I hope that you didn’t promise much jollity -on my part this evening, old chum, for the -thought of our little Princess being an invalid -and under the same roof knocks all the laugh -and joke out of even a mirthful idiot like Tom -Maxon,” said the lieutenant.</p> - -<p>“It’s sailing rather close to tears, I confess, -Tom, but I do wish you to cheer the old gentleman -up some if you can,” replied Jack as they -strolled along the highway between dense masses -of tropical foliage.</p> - -<p>“I say, Jack, is Mr. Dunlap’s place much further? -I don’t half like its location,” said Maxon -as he looked about him and noticed the absence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span> -of houses and the thick underbrush.</p> - -<p>“Why? What’s the matter with it? Are you -leg weary already, you sea-swab?” cried Dunlap -laughing.</p> - -<p>“Not a bit; but I’ll tell you something that -may be a little imprudent in a naval officer, but -still I think you ought to know. The American -Consul fears some trouble from the blacks on -account of the concessions that Dictator Dupree -was forced to grant the whites before the English -and American bankers would make the loan -that Mr. Dunlap negotiated. The rumor is that -the ignorant blacks from the mountains blame -your kinsman and mutter threats against him. -When Admiral Snave received the order at Gibraltar -to call at Port au Prince on our way home -with the flag-ship Delaware and one cruiser, we -all suspected something was up, and after we -arrived and the old fighting-cock placed guards -at the American Consulate we felt sure of it,” -replied Lieutenant Tom seriously.</p> - -<p>“Oh! pshaw, these black fellows are always -muttering and threatening but it ends at that,” -said Jack with a contemptuous gesture.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span></p> - -<p>“‘Luff round,’ shipmate,” suddenly called -Tom Maxon grabbing hold of Jack’s arm and -pointing through a break in the jungle that lined -the roadway.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t that a queer combination over there by -that dead tree?” continued the officer directing -Jack’s gaze to a cleared spot on the edge of the -forest.</p> - -<p>In the dim light could be distinguished the -figure of a well-dressed man, who was not black, -in earnest conversation with a bent old hag of a -black woman who rested her hand familiarly and -affectionately upon his arm. Dunlap started -when he first glanced at them. The figure and -dress of the man was strangely similar to that -of Walter Burton.</p> - -<p>“Some go-between in a dusky love affair -doubtless,” said Jack shortly as he moved on.</p> - -<p>“Well, I think I could select a better looking -Cupid,” exclaimed Tom laughing at the suggestion -of the old witch playing the part of love’s -messenger.</p> - -<p>“By the way, Jack, speaking of Cupid, I received -a peculiar communication at Gibraltar.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span> -It was only a clipping from some society paper -but this was what it said: ‘Mr. T. DeMontmorency -Jones has sailed in his magnificent yacht -the “Bessie” for the Mediterranean, where he -will spend the winter. <i lang="fr">En passant</i>, rumor says -the engagement between Mr. Jones and one of -Boston’s most popular belles has been terminated.’ -This same spindle shanked popinjay of a -millionaire was sailing in the wake of my <i lang="it">inamorata</i> -and was said to have cut me out of the race -after my Trafalgar. So, when I tell you, old -chap, that the writing on the envelope looks -suspiciously like the chirography of Miss Elizabeth -Winthrop, you can guess why I can sing</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">‘There’s a sweetheart over the sea’</div> -<div class="verse">‘And she’s awaiting there for me.’”</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>The light-hearted lieutenant aroused the birds -from their roosts by the gusto of his boisterous -baritone in his improvised song. He stopped -short and said abruptly,</p> - -<p>“Jack, why the deuce didn’t you fall in love -with the little Princess and marry her yourself?”</p> - -<p>“Hold hard, Tom. My cousin Lucy is the -object of too much serious concern to us all to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span> -be made the subject of jest just now, even by -you, comrade, and what you ask is infernal nonsense -anyhow,” replied Jack, somewhat confused -and with more heat than seemed justifiable.</p> - -<p>“Oh! I beg your pardon, Jack. You know that -I’m such a thoughtless fool, I didn’t think how -the question might sound,” said Tom quickly, in -embarrassment.</p> - -<p>Captain Dunlap made no mistake in promising -the lieutenant of the U.S.N. a good dinner, rare -wine and fine cigars. John Dunlap in the desert -of Sahara would have surrounded himself, somehow, -with all the accessories necessary to an ideal -host.</p> - -<p>Good-natured Tom Maxon exercised himself -to the utmost in cheering the old gentleman and -dispelling any loneliness or gloom that he might -feel. Tom told amusing anecdotes of the irascible -admiral, recounted odd experiences and -funny incidents in his term of service among the -Philippinoes and Chinese; he sang queer parodies -on popular ballads, and rollicking, jolly sea songs -until the old gentleman, temporarily forgetting -his care and grief, was laughing like a schoolboy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span></p> - -<p>When they were seated, feet upon the railing, -<i lang="fr">a la Americaine</i>, on the broad piazza, listening to -the songs of the tropical night birds, as they -smoked their cigars, the lieutenant recalled the -subject of the location of Mr. Dunlap’s house, by -saying,</p> - -<p>“I mentioned to Jack, while on my way here, -sir, that it seemed to me that you would be safer -nearer the American Consulate in case any -trouble should arise concerning the concessions -to the whites made by Dupree.”</p> - -<p>“Oh! I don’t think that there is any occasion -for alarm. To bluff and bluster is part of the -negro nature. The whole talk is inspired by the -agitation caused by the Voo Doo priests and -priestesses among the superstitious blacks from -the mountains. By the way, Jack, our old friend -the witch who wished to sail in your ship with -us when we left for Boston, still haunts my premises.” -As if to corroborate what the speaker had -just said, a wailing chant arose on the tranquil -night air, coming from just beyond the wall -around the garden,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Oh! Tu Konk, my Tu Konk”</div> -<div class="verse">“Send back the black blood.”</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span></p> - -<p>“There she is now,” exclaimed Jack and Mr. -Dunlap at the same time.</p> - -<p>“My black boy who waits at the table told me -that the old crone was holding meetings nightly -in worship of Voo Doo, and that too in the very -suburbs of the city,” said Mr. Dunlap when the -sound of old Sybella’s voice died away in the -distance.</p> - -<p>“Where is Burton tonight?” asked Jack as if -recalling something.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. When he does not appear at -the established dinner hour I take it for granted -that he is at the club in the city or dining with -some of his newly made friends. He is quite -popular here, being a Haitian himself,” replied -the old gentleman.</p> - -<p class="tb">It was late that night when Walter Burton entered -the apartments reserved for his exclusive -use in the house of John Dunlap. Throwing -off his coat he sat down in a great easy chair in -the moonlight by the open window and lighted a -cigar.</p> - -<p>“I wish that I were free to fly to the mountains<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span> -and hide myself here in Haiti among my own -people forever,” sighed the young man glancing -away off to the shadowy outline of the hills -against the moonlit sky.</p> - -<p>“The sensation of being pitied is humiliating -and hateful, and that was what I endured during -the voyage from Boston, and have suffered ever -since I arrived and have been in enforced association -with the Dunlaps. The devoted love for -Lucy, my wife, is a source of pain, not pleasure. -Her unreasoning antipathy now is more bearable -than will surely be the repulsion that must arise -if, when restored to reason, she learn that I am -the author of the cause of her disappointment, -horror and dementia. Woe is mine under any -circumstances! The evil consequences of attempted -amalgamation of the negro and white -races are not borne alone by the white participants -but fall as heavily upon those of the negro -blood who share in the abortive effort.”</p> - -<p>Burton seemed to ruminate for a long while, -smoking in silence, then he muttered,</p> - -<p>“Am I much happier when with my own race? -Hardly! When I am in the society of even the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span> -most highly cultivated Haitian negroes I am unable -to free myself from the thought that we are -much like a lot of monkeys, such as Italian street -musicians carry with them. We negroes are -togged out in the dignity, education and culture -of the white race, but we are only aping the natural, -self-evolved civilization and culture of the -whites. The clothing does not fit us, the garments -were not cut according to our mental and -moral measurements, and we appear ridiculous -when we don the borrowed trappings of the white -race’s mind, and pompously strut before an -amused and jeering world.”</p> - -<p>“When I imagined the mantle that I wore was -my own it set lightly and comfortably on me. -Now that I realize that it is the property of another, -it has become cumbersome, unwieldy, awkward -and is slipping rapidly from my shoulders.”</p> - -<p>“On the other side of the subject are equal -difficulties. If, weary of imitation and affectation, -I seek the society of my race in all its natural -purity and ignorance, my senses have become so -acute, softened and made tender by the long use -of my borrowed mantle that I am shocked, horrified<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span> -or disgusted. Oh! Son of Ham, escape -from the doom pronounced against you while -yet time was new seems impossible. In My Book -it is writ, saith the Lord!”</p> - -<p>In melancholy musing the man tortured by so -many contrary emotions and feelings, sat silently -gazing at the distant stars and then cried out in -anguish of spirit,</p> - -<p>“Oh! that I should be forced to feel that the -Creator of all this grand universe is unjust! -That I should regard education and culture as a -curse to those foredoomed to be hewers of wood -and drawers of water. That I should realize -that refinement is a cankerous limb, a clog and -hindrance to a negro, unfitting him for association -with his own race and yet impotent to change -those innate characteristics inherited by him from -his ancestors, that disqualify him from homogeneousness -with the white race.”</p> - -<p>The young man’s voice was full of despair and -even something of reproach as his subtle intellect -wove the meshes of the adamantine condition -that bound him helpless, in agony, to the rack of -race inferiority.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Mother Sybella, who has proven herself my -great-grandmother, urges me to fly and seek -among my own people that surcease from suffering -unattainable among the whites. While she -fascinates me, she fills me with horror. I am -drawn toward her yet I am repelled by something -loathsome in the association with her. She seems -to possess hypnotic power over my senses; she -leads me by some magnetic influence that exerts -control over the negro portion of my nature.”</p> - -<p>“I am ashamed to be seen by the white people, -especially the Dunlaps, in familiar conversation -with the grandmother of my mother, but in our -secret and frequent interviews she has told me -much that I was unaware of concerning my ancestors -and my mother. I have promised to attend -a meeting of my kinsmen tomorrow night, -which will be held in a secluded spot near the -city, whither she herself will guide me. I do not -wish to go. I did not wish to make the promise -and appointment to meet her, but was compelled -by the overmastering power she wields over the -natural proclivities within me. I must meet her -and go with her.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span></p> - -<p>The struggle in the dual nature of the man between -the contending forces of the innate and -the acquired was obvious in the reluctant tone -in which, while he admitted that he would obey -the innate, he lamented the abandonment of the -acquired.</p> - -<p>“I must go, I feel that I must! My destiny -was written ere Shem, Ham and Japhet separated -to people the world. I bow to the inevitable! -I am pledged to Dupree for dinner tomorrow -evening, but I shall excuse myself early, -and keep my appointment with Mother Sybella, -and accompany her to the meeting of my kindred.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XVI.</h2> - -<p>The cleared spot selected by Mother -Sybella as the scene of her mystic -ceremonies and the gathering place -of the worshipers of Voo Doo, though -scarcely beyond the outskirts of the city, -was so screened by the umbrageous growth of -tropical forest, interlaced with vanilla and grape-vines -that festoon every woodland of Haiti, that -its presence was not even suspected save by the -initiated.</p> - -<p>On the night that Dictator Dupree entertained, -among other guests the wealthy Haitian, Walter -Burton, partner in the great American house of -“J. Dunlap,” and husband of the heiress to the -millions accumulated by the long line of “J. Dunlaps” -which had controlled the Haitian trade -with the United States, a strange and uncanny -drama was enacted almost within sound of the -music that enlivened the Dictator’s banquet.</p> - -<p>Through trees entwined by gigantic vines, resembling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span> -monstrous writhing serpents, glided -silently many dark forms carrying blazing -torches of resinous wood to guide the flitting figures -through the intricacies of the hardly definable -pathways that ran in serpentine indistinctness -toward the clear spot, where Mother Sybella -had set up the altar of Tu Konk, and was calling -her children to worship by the booming of an -immense red drum upon which she beat at short -intervals.</p> - -<p>In the center of the clearing, coiled upon the -stump of a large tree, was a huge black snake, -that occasionally reared its head and, waving it -from side to side, emitted a fearful hissing sound -as it shot forth its scarlet, flame-like tongue.</p> - -<p>Torches and bonfires illuminated the spot and -cast gleams of light upon the dark faces and distended, -white and rolling eyes of the men and -women who, squatting in a circle back in the -shade of the underbrush, chanted a monotonous -dirge-like invocation to the Voo Doo divinity -called by them Tu Konk, and supposed to dwell -in the loathsome body of the serpent on the -stump.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span></p> - -<p>By almost imperceptible degrees the blows upon -the drum increased in frequency; old Sybella -seemed some tireless fiend incarnate as gradually -she animated the multitude and quickened the -growing excitement of her emotional listeners -by the ceaseless booming of her improved tom-tom. -Soon the forest began to resound with -hollow bellowing of conch shells carried by many -of the squatters about the circle. The chant became -quicker. Shouting took the place of the -droning monotonous incantations to Tu Konk.</p> - -<p>Higher and higher grew the gale of excitement. -The shouting grew in volume and intensity. -Wild whoops mingled with the more sonorous -shouts that made the forest reverberate.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the half-clad figure of a man sprang -into the circle of light that girded the stump -whereon the now irritated snake was hissing continuously. -The man was bare to the waist and -without covering on his legs and feet below the -knees; his eyes glared about him, the revolving -white balls in their ebony colored setting was -something terrifying to behold. The man uttered -whoop after whoop and began shuffling sideways<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span> -around the stump, every moment adding to the -rapidity and violence of his motions until shortly -he was madly bounding into the air and with -savage shouts tearing at the wool on his head, -while white foam flecked his bare black breast.</p> - -<p>The man’s madness became contagious. Figure -after figure sprang within the lighted space -about the serpent. Men, women, and even children -all more or less nude, the few garments worn -presenting a heterogeneal kaleidoscope of vivid, -garish colors as the frenzied dancers whirled -about in the irregular light of the torches and -bonfires.</p> - -<p>Soon spouting streams of red stained the glistening -black bodies, and joined the tide of white -foam pouring from the protruding, gaping, blubber -lips of the howling, frantic worshipers.</p> - -<p>The fanatic followers of Voo Dooism were -wounding themselves in the delirium of irresponsible -emotion. Blood gushed from long gashes -made by sharp knives on cheeks, breasts, backs -and limbs. The gyrations of the gory, crazed -and howling mass were hideous to behold.</p> - -<p>When the tempest of curbless frenzy seemed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span> -to have reached a point beyond which increase -appeared impossible, old Sybella rushed forward, -like the wraith of the ancient witch of Endor, -dashing the dancers aside, springing to the stump -she seized the snake and winding its shining -coils about her she waved aloft the long, glittering -blade of the knife that she held in hand, and -shrieked out, in the voice of an infuriated fiend,</p> - -<p>“Bring forth the hornless goat. Let Tu Konk -taste the blood of the hornless one!”</p> - -<p>A crowd of perfectly naked and bleeding men -darted forward bearing in their midst an entirely -nude girl, who in a perfect paroxysm of terror -fought, writhed and struggled fearfully, yelling -wildly all the time, in the grip of her merciless -and insensate captors.</p> - -<p>The men stretched the screaming wretch across -the stump on which the snake had rested, pressed -back the agonized girl’s head until her slender -neck was drawn taut. Quick as the serpent’s -darting tongue, Sybella’s bright, sharp blade descended, -severing at one stroke the head almost -from the quivering body.</p> - -<p>A fiercer, wilder cry arose from the insane devotees<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span> -as a great tub nearly full of fiery native -rum was placed to catch the gushing stream that -flowed in a crimson torrent from the still twitching -body of the sacrifice to Voo Doo.</p> - -<p>Sybella stirred the horrible mixture of blood -and rum with a ladle, made of an infant’s skull -affixed to a shin-bone of an adult human being, -and having replaced the snake upon his throne, -on the stump, in an abject posture presented to -the serpent the ladle filled with the nauseating -stuff. The re-incarnate Tu Konk thrust his head -repeatedly into the skull-bowl and scattered drops -of the scarlet liquid over his black and shining -coils.</p> - -<p>Then Sybella using the skull-ladle began filling -enormous dippers made of gourds, that the eager, -maddened crowd about the Voo Doo altar held -expectantly forth, craving a portion in the libation -to Tu Konk.</p> - -<p>The maniacal host gorged themselves with the -loathsome fluid, gulped down in frenzied haste, -great draughts of that devilish brew, from the -large calabashes that Sybella filled.</p> - -<p>Now hell itself broke forth. No longer were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span> -the worshipers men and women. The lid was -lifted from hell’s deepest, most fiendish caldron. -A crew of damned demons was spewed out upon -earth. With demoniac screams that rent the -calmness of the night, they beat and gashed themselves, -their slabbering, thick lips slapping together -as they gibbered, like insane monkeys, -sending flying showers of foam over their bare -and bleeding bodies. Human imps of hell’s creation -fell senseless to the ground or writhing in -hideous, inhuman convulsions twined their distorted -limbs about the furious dancers who -stamped upon their hellish faces and brought -the dancers shrieking to the earth.</p> - -<p>In the midst of this pandemonium, redolent -with the odor of inferno, a dark figure, that, -crouched in the deep shade of the clustering palm -plants, and covered with a dark mantle, had remained -unnoticed a spectator of the scene, sprang -up, hurled to one side the concealing cloak and -bounded toward the stump whereon the serpent -hissed defiance at his adorers.</p> - -<p>With an unearthly yell, half-groan, half-moan, -but all insane, frantic and wild, the neophyte<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span> -leaped about in erratic gyrations of adoration before -the snake, that embodiment of Tu Konk, the -Voo Doo divinity.</p> - -<p>As whirling and, in an ecstacy of emotion, -waving aloft his hands the howling dancer turned -and the light of the bonfire fell upon his face, the -brutalized features of Walter Burton were revealed.</p> - -<p>Those refined, aesthetic features that had made -the man “the observed of all observers” at Miss -Stanhope’s musicale in Boston, had scarcely been -recognized as the same in the strangely flattened -nose, the thickened lips, the popped and rolling -eyes of the man who, in the forest glade of Haiti -danced before the Voo Doo god Tu Konk the -serpent.</p> - -<p>Burton’s evening dress was torn and disarranged, -his hair disheveled, his immaculate linen -spotted with blood, his shoes broken and muddy, -his face contorted and agonized, as twisting and -squirming in every limb he sprang and leaped in -a fiercely violent dance before the snake. Yells -of long pent-up savage fury rang through the -dank night air, as Burton threw back his head -and whooped in barbarous license.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span></p> - -<p>Sybella’s flashing eyes gleamed with joy as she -gazed at this reclaimed scion of the negro race. -She stole toward the flying figure that spun -around, transported to the acme of insane emotion, -singing in triumphant screeches as she crept -forward,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Tu Konk, the Great one</div> -<div class="verse">Tu Konk, I thank thee</div> -<div class="verse">Back comes black blood</div> -<div class="verse">No longer childless</div> -<div class="verse">Tu Konk, I praise thee.”</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="tb">Mr. Dunlap was aroused at daylight by a messenger -wearing the naval uniform of the United -States, who waited below with an important communication -from Lieutenant Maxon.</p> - -<p>Two hours before Mr. Dunlap heard the rap -on his bedroom door, a pale and trembling figure, -clothed in a dilapidated evening suit, had slunk -stealthily past his chamber and entered the apartments -occupied by the husband of the Dunlap -heiress.</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>“Dear Mr. Dunlap.—I am instructed by Admiral -Snave to inform you that an uprising of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[278]</a></span> -the blacks is imminent; that it will be impossible -to protect you in your exposed position should -such an event take place. The admiral suggests -that you remove your family at once to the American -Consulate, where protection will be furnished -all Americans. Very respectfully,</p> - -<p class="right">Thomas Maxon, Lieut. U.S.N.”</p> - -<p>“P.S.—Please adopt the Admiral’s suggestion. -I think you had better let Jack know about this.</p> - -<p class="right">T.M.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>Such were the contents of the letter of which -the U.S. marine was bearer and it was answered -as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>“Dear Mr. Maxon.—Express my gratitude to -Admiral Snave for the suggestion, but be good -enough to add that the health of my niece demands -absolute quiet and that I shall remain here -instead of going to the crowded Consulate; that -I deem any disturbance as exceedingly improbable -from my intimate acquaintance with the -character of the natives of this island.</p> - -<p class="center">Very respectfully,</p> - -<p class="right">J. Dunlap.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span></p> - -<p>P.S.—Will notify Jack to bring a man or two -from his ship to guard premises for a night or -so.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>In the evening, as the shadows of night fell -upon the house of Mr. John Dunlap and the owls -began to flutter from their roosts and hoot, Mr. -Brice, first officer, and McLeod, the big, bony -carpenter of the “Adams” were seated on the -steps of the piazza in quiet contentment, puffing -the good cigars furnished by Mr. Dunlap after, -what seemed to them, a sumptuous banquet.</p> - -<p>“I declare, Jack, were it not that the consequences -might be serious, I should rather enjoy -seeing long-limbed Brice and that wild, red-haired -Scotchman of yours, led by you, charging -an angry mob of blacks, armed with those antiquated -cutlasses that your fellows brought from -the ship. The blacks would surely run in pure -fright at the supposed resurrection of the ancient -buccaneers. No scene in a comic opera could -compare with what you and your men would -present,” said Mr. Dunlap in an amused tone, as -he rocked back and forth in an easy chair on the -veranda, and chatted with his namesake, Jack.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</a></span></p> - -<p>“It might be amusing to you, sir,” replied Jack -laughing, “but it would be death to any black -who came within the swing of either of the cutlasses -carried by Brice and McLeod. I picked -up a half dozen of those old swords at a sale in -Manila, and decorated my cabin with them. -When I told the men that there might be a fight -they could find no other weapons on board ship -so denuded my cabin of its decorations and -brought them along. Of course I have a revolver -but in a rush those old cutlasses could do -fearful execution. They are heavy and as sharp -as razors.”</p> - -<p>“While I am unwilling to take even a remote -risk with Lucy and your mother in the house, still -in my opinion there is not one chance in a million -that anything but bluff and bluster will come of -this muttering. Admiral Snave is always anxious -for a fight, and the wish is father of the thought -in this alarm,” said the old gentleman.</p> - -<p>“Why isn’t Burton here?” asked Jack almost -angrily.</p> - -<p>“He is up stairs. He has been feeling ill all -day and asked not to be disturbed unless he be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[281]</a></span> -needed. I shall let him rest. However, he has -a revolver and is an excellent shot and will prove -a valuable aid to us should the fools attempt to -molest the premises.”</p> - -<p>For an hour or two Brice and McLeod exchanged -an occasional word or two but gradually -these brief speeches became less frequent and -finally ceased altogether. Mr. Dunlap and Jack -carried on a desultory conversation for some -time, but had sat in silent communion with their -own thoughts for possibly an hour when, under -the somnific influence of the night songsters, the -Scotch ship-carpenter yawned, rose to his feet -and stretched his long, hairy arms. He paused -in the act and thrust forward his head to catch -some indistinct sound, then growled,</p> - -<p>“I hear murmuring like surf on a lee-shore.”</p> - -<p>Brice arose and listened for a minute then -called out,</p> - -<p>“Captain, I hear the sound of bare feet pattering -on the highway.”</p> - -<p>Jack was on his feet in an instant and ran down -the walk to the gate in the high brick wall that -surrounded the premises. He came running back<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span> -almost immediately and said in low voice as he -reached the piazza.</p> - -<p>“There is a mob coming toward the house, -along the road leading from the mountains. They -carry torches and may mean mischief. Cousin -John, will you have Burton called and will you -please remain here to look after the women. Brice -you and McLeod get cutlasses and bring me one -also. We will meet the mob at the gate.”</p> - -<p>“Oh! It is nothing Jack, maybe a negro frolic. -No use arousing Burton,” said the elder Dunlap.</p> - -<p>“If you please, sir, do as I ask. I will be prepared -in any event,” said Jack Dunlap tersely.</p> - -<p>“All right, Commander, the laugh will be at -your expense,” cried the amused old gentleman -as he ordered a servant to call Burton.</p> - -<p>Jack and his two stalwart supporters had barely -reached the gate when the advance guard of the -savage horde of black mountaineers appeared -before it. Instantly it flashed upon the mind of -the skipper that if he barred the gate, that then -part of the mob might go around and break over -the wall in the rear of the house and attack the -defenceless women.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Throw open the gate, McLeod, we will meet -them here,” commanded Captain Dunlap, and -turning as some one touched his shoulder, he -found Burton at his side, very pale and but half -clad, with a revolver in his hand.</p> - -<p>“Glad you are here, Burton.”</p> - -<p>“I did not have time to put on my shoes.” said -Burton.</p> - -<p>The main body of the mob now came up and -gathered about the open gate. The men were -armed with clubs and knives and some few, who -were evidently woodsmen, carried axes. Many -torches shed their light over the black and brutal -faces, making them appear more ebony by the -white and angry eyes that glared at the men who -stood ready to do battle just within the gateway.</p> - -<p>“I wish you people to understand that if you -attempt to enter this gate many of you will be -killed.”</p> - -<p>Young Dunlap spoke in a quiet voice, as he -stood between the pillars of the gate, but there -was such an unmistakable menace in the steady -tone that even the ignorant barbarians understood -what he meant.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[284]</a></span></p> - -<p>For the space of a minute of time the mob hesitated. -Suddenly a tall woodsman struck a -sweeping, chopping blow with his ax. The skipper -sprang aside just in time, and as quick as a -flash of lightning a stream of flame poured out -of the pistol he held in his hand, and that woodsman -would never chop wood again.</p> - -<p>Brice and McLeod had cast aside their coats, -and with their long, sinewy arms bared to the -elbows, cutlasses grasped in their strong hands, -they were by Jack’s side in a second.</p> - -<p>As the pistol shot rang out it seemed to give -the signal for an assault. With a howl, like -wild and enraged animals, the mob rushed upon -the men at the gate. The rush was met by the -rapid discharge of the revolvers held by Dunlap -and Burton; for a moment it was checked, then a -shrill voice was heard screaming high above the -howling of the savages,</p> - -<p>“Kill the white cow! She has stolen our son -from us! Kill the Yankee robbers! Spare my -black goat!”</p> - -<p>Sybella could be heard though concealed by the -tall black men of the mountains who again hurled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span> -themselves on the white men who guarded the -gateway.</p> - -<p>The revolvers were empty. Jack sent his flying -into a black face as he gripped the hilt of his -cutlass and joined old Brice and the carpenter in -the deadly reaping they were doing. Burton -having no other weapon than the revolver, threw -it aside and seized a club that had dropped from -the hands of one of the slain blacks.</p> - -<p>The sweep of those old cutlasses in the powerful -hands that held them was awful, magnificent; -no matter what may have been the history of -those old blades they had never been wielded as -now. But numbers began to tell and the infuriated -negroes fought like fiends, urged on by -the old siren Sybella who shrieked out a kind of -battle song of the blacks.</p> - -<p>How long the four held back the hundreds -none can tell, but it seemed an age to the fast -wearying men who held the gate. A blow from -an ax split McLeod’s head and he fell dead without -even a groan. Brice turned as he heard his -shipmate fall and received a stunning smash on -the temple from a club that felled him like an -ox in the shambles.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;" id="illus3"> -<img src="images/illus3.jpg" width="450" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">“He recklessly rushed in front of Burton.”</p> -<p class="caption-r"><a href="#Page_286">Page 286</a></p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jack saw Burton, who was fighting furiously, -beset by two savage blacks armed with axes -stuck on long poles. In that supreme moment of -peril the thought of Lucy’s sorrow at loss of her -husband, should she be restored to reason, came -to the mind of the great hearted sailor. He recklessly -rushed in front of Burton, severed at a -stroke of his sword the arm of one of Burton’s -assailants, and caught the descending ax of the -other when within an inch of the head of the man -who had taken the place in Lucy’s love that he -had hoped for.</p> - -<p>Jack Dunlap’s cutlass warded off the blow from -Burton but the sharp ax glanced along the blade -and was buried in the broad breast of Lucy’s -knight, and he fell across the bodies of his faithful -followers, Brice and McLeod; Jack’s fast -deafening ears caught sound of—</p> - -<p>“Follow me, lads, give them cold steel. Don’t -shoot. You may hit friends! Charge!”</p> - -<p>Tom Maxon’s voice was far from jolly now. -There was death in every note of it as, at the -head of a body of United States Blue-jackets, he -dashed in among the black barbarians. When -he caught sight of the prostrate, bleeding form<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[287]</a></span> -of his old school-fellow he raged like a wounded -lion among Sybella’s savage followers.</p> - -<p>As the lieutenant saw that the range of fire -was free from his friends, he cried out, hoarse -with passion,</p> - -<p>“Fire at will. Give them hell!” and he emptied -his own revolver into the huddled crowd of mountaineers, -who still stood, brave to recklessness, -hesitating about what to do against the new adversaries.</p> - -<p>The repeating rifles of the Americans soon -covered the roadway with dark corpses. Long -lanes were cut by the rapid fire through the -black mass. With howls and yells of mingled -terror, rage and disappointment the mob broke -and taking to the jungle disappeared in the darkness -of the adjacent forest.</p> - -<p>A sailor kicked aside what he thought was a -bundle of rags, and started back as the torch that -he bore revealed the open, fangless mouth and -snake-like, glaring eyes of an old crone of a -woman who in death seemed even more horrible -than in life.</p> - -<p>A rifle ball, at close range, had shattered -Mother Sybella’s skull.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XVII.</h2> - -<p>All established rules of the house of “J. -Dunlap” were as the laws of the Medes -and Persians to David Chapman, inviolable. -When the hour of twelve struck and -neither Mr. John Dunlap nor Mr. Burton appeared -at the office, the Superintendent immediately -proceeded to the residence of Mr. Dunlap.</p> - -<p>“I am sorry, Chapman, to have given you the -trouble of coming out here, but the fact is I am -not so strong as formerly, and I expected that -Burton would be at the office and thought a day -of repose might benefit me,” remarked Mr. John -Dunlap as Chapman entered his library carrying -a bundle of papers this March afternoon.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Burton has only been at the office once -within the past week and not more than a dozen -times since you all returned from Haiti some two -months ago,” replied the Superintendent, methodically -arranging the various memoranda on -the large library table.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[289]</a></span></p> - -<p>“First in order of date is as follows: Douglass -and McPherson, the solicitors at Glasgow, write -that they have purchased the annuity for old Mrs. -McLeod and that the income secured to her is -far larger than any possible comfort or even luxury -can require; they also say that the lot in the -graveyard has been secured and that the mother -of the dead ship carpenter is filled with gratitude -for the granite stone you have provided to mark -her son’s grave and that no nobler epitaph for -any Scotsman could be carved than the one suggested -by you to be cut on the stone, ‘Died defending -innocent women;’ they expect the body -to arrive within a few days and will follow instructions -concerning the reinterment of the remains -of gallant McLeod; they add that beyond -all expenditures ordered they will hold a balance -to our credit and ask what is your pleasure concerning -same, that the four thousand pounds -remitted by you was far too large a sum.”</p> - -<p>“Far too small! Tell them to buy a cottage -for McLeod’s mother and draw at sight for more -money, that the cottage may be a good one. -Why! Chapman, McLeod was a hero; but they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[290]</a></span> -were all of them that. He, however, gave his -life in our defense and there is no money value -that can repay that debt to him and his,” exclaimed -Mr. Dunlap earnestly, and leaning forward -in the excitement that the recollection of -the past recalled, continued:</p> - -<p>“David, the dead were heaped about the spot -where McLeod, Brice and Jack fell like corded -fire-wood. When I could leave the women, -Lieutenant Maxon and his men had dispersed -the blacks, I fairly waded in blood to reach -the place where Maxon and Burton were bending -over Jack. It was a fearful sight. It had -been an awful struggle, but it was all awful that -night. I dared not leave the women, yet I knew -that even my weak help was needed at the gate. -Had my messenger not met Maxon on the road, -to whom notice of the intended attack had been -given by a friendly black, we had all been killed.”</p> - -<p>The excited old gentleman paused to regain his -breath and resumed the story of that dreadful -experience.</p> - -<p>“Martha Dunlap is the kind of woman to be -mother of a hero. She was as calm and brave<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[291]</a></span> -as her son and helped me like a real heroine in -keeping the others quiet. We told Lucy it was -only a jubilee among the natives and that they -were shouting and shooting off firearms in their -sport along the highway. God forgive me for the -falsehood, but it served to keep our poor girl perfectly -calm and she does not even now know to -the contrary.” Mr. Dunlap reverently inclined -his head when he spoke of that most excusable -lie that he had told.</p> - -<p>“Jack does not get all of his nerve and courage -from the Dunlap blood, that is sure! When the -surgeon was examining the great gash in his -breast, Martha stood at his side and held the -basin; her hand never trembled though her tearless -face was as white as snow. All the others -of us, I fear, were blubbering like babies, I know, -anyhow Tom Maxon was whimpering more like -a lass than the brave and terrible fighter that he -is. When the surgeon gave us the joyful news -that the blow of the ax had been stopped by the -strong breast bone over our boy’s brave heart, -we were all ready to shout with gladness, but -Martha then, woman like, broke down and began -weeping.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[292]</a></span></p> - -<p>There was rather a suspicious moisture in the -eyes of the relator of the scene, as he thought -over the occurrences of that night in Haiti. Even -though all danger was past and his beloved namesake, -Jack Dunlap, was now so far recovered as -to be able to walk about, true somewhat paler -in complexion and with one arm bound across -his breast, but entirely beyond danger from the -blow of the desperate Haitian axman.</p> - -<p>“That fighting devil of an American admiral -soon cleared Port au Prince of the insurgents -and wished me to take up my residence at the -consulate, but I had enough of Haiti, for awhile -anyway. So as soon as Jack could safely be -moved, and old Brice, whose skull must be made -of iron, had come around sufficiently after that -smashing blow in the head, to take command of -the ‘Adams’ and navigate her to Boston, I bundled -everybody belonging to me aboard and -sailed for home.” The word home came with a -sigh of relief from Mr. Dunlap’s lips as he settled -back in his chair.</p> - -<p>“When we heard of your frightful experience, -I had some faint hope that the shock might have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[293]</a></span> -restored Mrs. Burton to her normal condition -of mind,” said Chapman.</p> - -<p>“Well, in the first place Lucy learned nothing -concerning the affair, and was simply told when -she called for Jack that he was not well and -would be absent from her for a short time. But -even had she received a nervous shock from the -harrowing events of that night, the experts in -mental disorders inform me that it is most unlikely -that any good result could have been produced; -that as the primary cause of her dementia -is disappointed hope, expectation, and the recoil -of the purest and best outpouring of her heart, -that the only shock at all probable to bring about -the desired change must come from a similar -source,” answered Mr. Dunlap.</p> - -<p>“To proceed with my report,” said the Superintendent -glancing over some papers.</p> - -<p>“Lieutenant Maxon is not wealthy, in fact, has -only his pay from the United States, and while -his family is one of the oldest and most highly -respected in Massachusetts all the members of it -are far from rich. The watch ordered made in -New York will be finished by the time the U.S.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[294]</a></span> -Ship Delaware arrives, which will not be before -next month.”</p> - -<p>“That all being as you have ascertained, I am -going to make a requisition upon your ingenuity, -David. You must secure the placing in Maxon’s -hands of twenty one-thousand dollar bills with -no other explanation than that it is from ‘an admirer.’ -The handsome, gay fellow may think -some doting old dowager sent it to him. The -watch I will present as a slight token of my -friendship when I have him here to dine with -me, and he can never suspect me in the money -matter.” Mr. Dunlap chuckled at the deep cunning -of the diabolical scheme.</p> - -<p>Chapman evidently was accustomed to the unstinted -munificence of the house of Dunlap, for -he accepted the instruction quite as a mere detail -of the business, made a few notes and with his -pen held between his teeth as he folded the paper, -mumbled:</p> - -<p>“I’ll see that he gets the money all right, sir, -without knowing where it comes from.”</p> - -<p>“Here are several things that Mr. Burton, who -is familiar with the preceding transactions,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[295]</a></span> -should pass upon, but as he is so seldom at the -office, I have had no opportunity to lay them before -him,” continued the ever vigilant Chapman, -turning over a number of documents.</p> - -<p>“I know even less than you do about Burton’s -department, so make out the best way that you -can under the circumstances.”</p> - -<p>“Is Mr. Burton ill, sir, or what is the reason -why he is absent from the office so much?” asked -Chapman, to whom it seemed that the greatest -deprivation in life must be loss of ability to be -present daily in the office of J. Dunlap.</p> - -<p>“I am utterly at a loss to explain Burton’s conduct, -especially since our return from Haiti. He -is morbid, melancholy, and seems to avoid the -society of all those who formerly were his chosen -associates and companions. He calls or sends -here daily with religious regularity to ascertain -the condition of Lucy’s health, and occasionally -asks Jack to accompany him on a ride behind -his fine team. You know that he is aware that -Jack saved his life by taking the blow on his own -breast that was aimed at Burton’s head. He -was devoted to Jack on the voyage home and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[296]</a></span> -here, until Jack’s recovery was assured beyond a -doubt, but now he acts so peculiarly that I don’t -know what to make of him,” replied the perplexed -old gentleman.</p> - -<p>“Humph! Humph!” grunted Chapman, in a -disparaging tone, and resumed the examination -of the sheets of paper before him. Selecting one, -he said:</p> - -<p>“I find Malloy, the father of the girl, who was -the victim of that nameless crime and afterward -murdered, to be a respectable, worthy man, poor, -but in need of no assistance. He is a porter at -Brown Brothers. It appears that the girl, who -was only fifteen years of age, was one of the -nursery maids in the Greenleaf family, and had -obtained permission to visit her father’s home on -the night of the crime and was on her way there -when she was assaulted.”</p> - -<p>“What has been done by the Police Department?” -asked Mr. Dunlap eagerly.</p> - -<p>“To tell the truth, very little. The detectives -seem mystified by a crime of so rare occurrence -in our section that it has shocked the whole of -New England. However, I know what would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[297]</a></span> -have happened had the crowd assembled around -Malloy’s house when the body was brought home, -been able to lay hands on the perpetrator of the -deed, the whole police force of Boston notwithstanding.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean, David?”</p> - -<p>“I mean that the wretch would have been -lynched,” exclaimed Chapman.</p> - -<p>“That had been a disgrace to the Commonwealth -of Massachusetts,” said the old gentleman -warmly.</p> - -<p>“That may or may not be, sir. Malloy and -his friends are all peaceable, law-abiding citizens. -Malloy was almost a maniac, not at the death -of his child but the rest of the crime, and the -agony of the heartbroken father was too much -for the human nature of his neighbors, and human -nature is the same in New England as elsewhere -in our land.”</p> - -<p>“But the law will punish crime and must be -respected no matter what may be the provocation -to ignore its regular administration of justice,” -said Mr. Dunlap with a judicial air.</p> - -<p>“Truth is, sir, that one can hardly comprehend<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[298]</a></span> -a father’s feelings under such circumstances, and -I don’t imagine there is a great difference between -the paternal heart in Massachusetts and in -Mississippi. Human nature is much alike in the -same race in every clime. Men of the North -may occasionally be slower to wrath but are fearfully -in earnest when aroused by an outrage,” -rejoined Chapman.</p> - -<p>“I frankly confess, David, that I recognize that -it is one thing for me to sit here calmly in my -library and coolly discuss a crime in which I have -no direct personal interest, and announce that -justice according to written law only should be -administered, but it would be quite a different -state of mind with which I should regard this -crime if one of my own family were the victim -of the brute’s attack. I fear then I should forget -about my calm theory of allowing the regular -execution of justice and everything else, even my -age and hoary head, and be foremost in seeking -quick revenge on the wretch,” said the old New -Englander hotly.</p> - -<p>“Knowing you and your family as I do, sir, -I’ll make oath that you would head the mob of -lynchers.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[299]</a></span></p> - -<p>“My brother James, who was the soul of honor -and a citizen of whom the Commonwealth was -justly proud, was very liberal in his opinion of -lynching for this crime. It was the single criminal -act for which his noble, charitable heart -could find no excuse. I think even my brother -James, model citizen though he was, would have -been a law-forgetting man under such circumstances.”</p> - -<p>Old John Dunlap’s voice grew soft and tender -when he mentioned the name of his beloved -brother, and either Chapman became extraordinarily -near-sighted or the papers in his hand required -close scrutiny.</p> - -<p>“I have published the notice of the reward of -one thousand dollars offered by our house for the -capture of the perpetrator of the crime,” said the -Superintendent rather huskily, changing the subject -from that of the character of his old master.</p> - -<p>“That is well, we are the oldest business house -in Boston, and none can think it presumptuous -that we should be anxious to erase this stain -from the escutcheon of our Commonwealth. I -wish every inducement offered that may lead to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[300]</a></span> -the apprehension of the criminal.” Mr. Dunlap -stopped short as if suddenly some new idea -had occurred to his mind, and then exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“David, you possess a wonderful faculty for -fathoming deep and complex mysteries. Why -don’t you seek to discover the perpetrator of this -horrible crime?”</p> - -<p>David Chapman was not in the habit of blushing, -but certainly his cheeks took on an unusually -bright crimson hue, as Mr. Dunlap asked the -question, and he answered in a somewhat -abashed manner, as though detected in some act -of youthful folly.</p> - -<p>“I confess, sir, that I am making a little investigation -in my own way. There are a few -trifling circumstances and fragments of evidence -left by the criminal that were considered unworthy -of attention by the police that I am tracing -up, like an amateur Sherlock Holmes.”</p> - -<p>“Good for you, David! May you succeed in -unearthing the brutal villain! You have carte-blanche -to draw on the house for any expense -that your search may entail. Go ahead! I will -stand by you!” cried John Dunlap enthusiastically.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[301]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XVIII.</h2> - -<p>“The abysmal depth of degradation has -now been reached; I no longer, even -in my moments of affected refinement, -attempt to conceal the fact from myself, the -gauzy veil of acquisition no longer deceives even -me, it long since failed to deceive others.”</p> - -<p>What evil genii of metamorphosis had transformed -the debonair Walter Burton into the -wretched, slovenly, brutalized being who, grunting, -gave utterance to such sentiments, while -stretched, in unkempt abandonment, on a disordered -couch in the center of the unswept and -neglected music-room in the ‘Eyrie’ early on this -March morning?</p> - -<p>Even the linen of the once fastidious model of -masculine cleanliness was soiled, and the delights -of the bath seemed quite unknown to the heavy-eyed, -listless lounger on the couch.</p> - -<p>“I have abandoned useless effort to rehabilitate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[302]</a></span> -myself in the misfit garments of a civilization -and culture for which the configuration of my -mental structure, by nature, renders me unsuited. -My child indicated the off-springs natural to me. -My emotion and actions in the forest of Haiti -gave evidence of the degree of the pure spirit of -religion to be found in my inmost soul, and my -conduct, following natural inclinations, since my -return to Boston, has demonstrated how little -control civilization, morality, or pity have over -my inherent savage nature.”</p> - -<p>The man seemed in a peculiar way to derive -some satisfaction from rehearsing the story of -his hopeless condition, and in the fact that he had -reached the limit of descent.</p> - -<p>“I should have fled to the mountains of Haiti, -had I not been led to fight against my own kinsmen. -For the moment I was blinded by the -thread-bare thought that I was of the white instead -of black race, and when I had time to free -my mind from that old misleading idea, my hands -were stained with the blood of my own race. I -was obliged to leave Haiti or suffer the fate that -ever overtakes a traitor to his race.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[303]</a></span></p> - -<p>“There is no hope of the restoration of my -wife’s mental faculties, and even should there be -that is all the more reason for my fleeing from -Boston and forever disappearing, I retain enough -of the borrowed refinement of the whites in my -recollection to know that as I am now I should be -loathesome to her.”</p> - -<p>“Here, I must shun the sight of those who -know me, realizing that I can no longer appear -in the assumed character that I formerly did. -Here, I skulk the streets at night in the apparel -of a tramp seeking gratification of proclivities -that are natural to me.”</p> - -<p>“I know that I must leave this city and country -as quickly as possible. The long repressed desires -natural to me break forth with a fury that -renders me oblivious to consequences and my own -safety. Repression by civilization and culture -foreign to a race but serves to increase the violence -of the outburst when the barrier once is -broken.”</p> - -<p>“I will go to the office today, secure some private -documents and notify Mr. Dunlap that I -desire to withdraw at once from the firm of J.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[304]</a></span> -Dunlap. I will nerve myself for one more act -in the farce. I will don the costume in which I -paraded the stage so long for one more occasion.”</p> - -<p>Burton arose slowly from his recumbent position -as if reluctant to resume even for a day a -character that had become tiresome and obnoxious -to his negro nature.</p> - -<p class="tb">David Chapman had on several occasions made -suggestions to the head of the Police Department -in Boston that had resulted in the detection and -apprehension of elusive criminals. Unlike many -professional detectives, Chief O’Brien welcomed -the aid of amateurs and listened respectfully to -theories, sometimes ridiculous, but occasionally -suggestive of the correct solution of an apparently -incomprehensible crime.</p> - -<p>The deductive method of solving the problem -of a mysterious crime employed by Chapman was -not alone interesting to the Chief of Detectives, -but appeared wonderful in the correctness of the -conclusions obtained. He therefore gave eager -attention to what Chapman communicated to him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[305]</a></span> -while seated in the Chief’s private office on the -evening of the day that Burton visited the office -of J. Dunlap to secure his private correspondence -and documents.</p> - -<p>“In the first place, Chief, as soon as I learned -the details of this Malloy crime, I decided that -the perpetrator of it was of the negro race,” said -Chapman, methodically arranging a number of -slips of paper on the Chief’s desk, at which he -sat confronting O’Brien on the opposite side.</p> - -<p>“How did you arrive at that decision?” said -the detective.</p> - -<p>“Well, as you are aware, for you laughed at -me often enough when you ran across me with -my black associates, I ‘slummed’ among the -negroes for months to gain some knowledge of -the negro nature”.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I know that and often wondered at your -persistent prosecution of such a disagreeable undertaking,” -said O’Brien.</p> - -<p>“I learned in that investigation that beneath -the surface of careless, thoughtless gaiety and -good nature there lies a tremendous amount of -cruelty and brutal savagery in the negro nature;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[306]</a></span> -that dire results have been caused by a misconception -of the negro character on this point to -those associated with them; that while sensual -satiety produces lassitude in other races, in the -negro race it engenders a lust for blood that almost -invariably results in the murder of the victim -of a brutal attack. I checked the correctness -of my conclusions by an examination of all obtainable -records and completely verified the accuracy -of my deduction.”</p> - -<p>“That had not occurred to me before,” said the -Chief frankly; “now that you mention it, I think -from the record of that crime, as it recurs to me -at this moment, that your statement is true.”</p> - -<p>“The next step was to look for the particular -individual of the negro race who could fit in with -the trifling evidence in your possession, which -you so readily submitted to me. From the mold -taken by your men of the criminal’s foot-prints it -is evident that his feet were small and clad in -expensive shoes. In the shape of the imprints I -find corroboration of my premise that the author -of the crime was of the negro race. The fragment -of finger nail embedded in the girl’s throat,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[307]</a></span> -under a microscope reveals the fact that, while -the nail was not free from dirt, it had recently -been under the manipulation of a manicure and -was not of thick, coarse grain like a manual -laborer’s nails,” said the amateur detective glancing -at his notes.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I agree in all that, Mr. Chapman. Go -ahead; what follows?” remarked O’Brien.</p> - -<p>“We have then a negro, but one not engaged -in the usual employment of the negro residents -in Boston, to look for; next you found clutched -in the fingers of the dead girl two threads of -brownish color and coarse material, together with -a fragment of paper like a part of an envelope -on which was written a few notes of music.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and I defy the devil to make anything -result from such infinitesimal particles of evidence,” -exclaimed the professional detective.</p> - -<p>“Well, I’m not the devil.” said Chapman, -quietly proceeding to recapitulate the process -adopted by him.</p> - -<p>“From the few notes—you know that I am -something of a musician—I began, <i lang="it">poco a poco</i>, -as they say in music, to reconstruct the tune of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[308]</a></span> -which the few notes were a part. As I proceeded, -going over the notes time and again on my violoncello, -I became convinced that I had heard that -wild tune before, and am now able to say where -and when.”</p> - -<p>“Wonderful, perfectly wonderful if you can, -Chapman,” cried the thoroughly interested Chief.</p> - -<p>“What next?” O’Brien asked, impatient at the -calmness of the man on the opposite side of the -desk.</p> - -<p>“To-day I saw the finger that the fragment of -nail found in the girl’s neck would fit, and one -finger-nail had been broken and was gone,” continued -Chapman, by great effort restraining the -evidence of the exultation that he felt.</p> - -<p>“Where, man, where? And whose was the -hand?” gasped O’Brien.</p> - -<p>“Wait a moment! Upon reflection I realized -that the only part of a man’s apparel likely to give -way in a desperate struggle would be a coat -pocket; that the hand of the girl had grasped the -edge of the pocket and in so doing had closed -upon an old envelope in the pocket, which was -torn and remained in her hand with a couple of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[309]</a></span> -threads from the cloth of the coat when the murderer -finally wrenched the coat out of her lifeless -fingers.”</p> - -<p>“Quite likely,” exclaimed the Chief impatiently.</p> - -<p>“But hurry along, man,” urged the officer.</p> - -<p>“This afternoon I examined under the most -powerful microscope procurable in Boston the -threads that your assistant has in safe keeping. I -recognized the color and material of which those -threads are made. I know the coat whence the -threads came, and the owner of the coat,” declared -Chapman emphatically.</p> - -<p>“His name,” almost yelled the astonished detective.</p> - -<p>“David Chapman,” was the cool and triumphant -reply.</p> - -<p>The Chief glared at the exultant amateur with -wonder, in which a doubt of the man’s sanity -was mingled.</p> - -<p>“It is the coat of the suit I wore while ‘slumming’ -in my investigations concerning the negro -race. It has hung in my private closet in the -office until some time within the last two months,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[310]</a></span> -when it was abstracted by some one having keys -to the private offices of J. Dunlap. Mr. Dunlap, -Walter Burton and I alone possess such keys. -Burton, like me, is tall and slim, the suit will fit -him; Burton is of the negro race; I heard Burton -play the tune of which the few notes are part -when I went to his house on the only occasion -that I ever visited the ‘Eyrie;’ Burton’s shoes—I -tried an old one today which was left at the -office some months ago—exactly fit the tracks -left by the murderer. Burton having no suit -that he could wear as a disguise while rambling -the streets in search of adventure, found and appropriated -my old ‘slumming’ suit. You will find -that suit, blood-stained, the coat pocket torn, now -hidden somewhere in the ‘Eyrie’ if it be not destroyed. -Walter Burton is guilty of the Malloy -assault and murder!” Chapman had risen from -his chair, his face was aflame with vindictiveness -and passion, his small eyes blazing with satisfied -hatred as he almost yelled, in his excitement, the -denunciation of Burton.</p> - -<p>“Great God! man, it can’t be,” gasped the Chief -of Detectives, saying as he regained his breath,</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[311]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Burton and the Dunlaps are not people to -make mistakes with in such a horrible case as -this.”</p> - -<p>“Burton has withdrawn from our firm. He -has provided himself with a large sum of currency. -He is leaving the country. Tomorrow -night he dines with Mr. Dunlap to complete the -arrangements for the severance of his relations -with the house of J. Dunlap. Captain Jack Dunlap -will dine with Mr. Dunlap on that occasion, -and I shall be there to draw up any papers required. -The coast will be clear at the ‘Eyrie;’ -go there upon the pretext of arresting Victor, -Burton’s valet, on the charge of larceny; search -throughout the premises; if you find the garments, -and the coat is in the condition I describe, -come at once to the Dunlap mansion and arrest -the murderer, or it will be too late, the bird will -have flown.” The veins in Chapman’s brow and -neck were fairly bursting through the skin, so -intense were the passion and vehemence of the -man who, straining forward, shouted out directions -to the detective.</p> - -<p>O’Brien sat for several minutes in silence, buried<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[312]</a></span> -in deep meditation, glancing ever and anon -at Chapman, who, chafing with impatience, fairly -danced before the desk. The official arose and, -walking to the window, stood for some time gazing -out upon the lighted street below. Suddenly -he turned and came back to Chapman, whom he -held by the lapel of the coat, while he said,</p> - -<p>“Chapman, I know that you hate Burton. I -know also of your fidelity to the Dunlaps. You -would never have told this to me, even as much -as you hate Burton, if it were not true. This disclosure -and disgrace, if it be as you suspect, will -wound those dear to you.”</p> - -<p>This phase of the situation had evidently not -occurred to David Chapman in his zeal for satisfaction -to his all-consuming hatred of Burton. -He dropped his eyes, nervously clasped and unclasped -his hands, while his face paled as he -faltered out,</p> - -<p>“Well—maybe you had best not act upon my -suggestions; I may be all wrong.”</p> - -<p>“There, Mr. Chapman, is where I can’t agree -with you. I am a sworn officer of this commonwealth, -and, by heavens! I would arrest the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[313]</a></span> -governor of the state if I knew it to be my duty. -Not all the money of the Dunlaps or in the whole -of Massachusetts could prevent me from laying -my hand on Walter Burton and placing him under -arrest for the murder of the Malloy girl, if -I find the clothing you mention in the condition -you describe. I shall wait to make the search at -the ‘Eyrie’ until tomorrow night, that if there be -a mistake it shall not be an irreparable one,” said -the conscientious Chief of Detectives sternly, in -a determined tone of voice.</p> - -<p>“But I may be mistaken,” urged the agitated -amateur detective.</p> - -<p>“You have convinced me that there are grounds -for your statements; I know them now, and, -knowing them, by my oath of office, must take -action,” quietly replied O’Brien.</p> - -<p>“Then promise to keep my connection with the -case a secret, except what may be required of me -as a witness subpoenaed to appear and testify,” -cried the now remorseful Chapman.</p> - -<p>“That I will, and readily too, as it is but a -small favor in comparison to the great aid you -have been to our department, and is not in conflict<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[314]</a></span> -with my duty. I shall also collect and hand -over to you all of the reward.”</p> - -<p>“Never mind the reward; keep it for your pension -fund,” replied the regretful Superintendent -of J. Dunlap, who had played detective once too -often and too well for his own peace of mind.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[315]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XIX</h2> - -<p>Never had there assembled beneath the -roof of the Dunlap mansion since the -old house was constructed, a company -so entirely uncomfortable as that around the table -in the library on the night that Walter Burton -dined for the last time with Mr. Dunlap.</p> - -<p>John Dunlap’s mind was filled with doubts -concerning what was his duty with regard to -Burton, having due consideration for the memory -of his deceased brother, and as to what would -have been the wish of that beloved brother under -existing circumstances. Recognizing, as John -Dunlap did, the influence that his personal antipathy -for Burton had upon his conduct, he was -nervous and uncomfortable.</p> - -<p>Burton felt the restraint imposed upon him irksome, -even for the time of this brief and final -visit to the home where his best emotions had -been aroused, and the purest delights of his artificial<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[316]</a></span> -existence enjoyed. He was anxious to be -gone, to be free, to forget, and was impatient of -delay.</p> - -<p>Jack Dunlap, pale and somewhat thin, still -carrying his arm bound to his breast, felt the -weight of the responsibility resting upon him in -releasing Lucy’s husband from a promise that -for months had held him near her should the -husband’s presence be required at any moment, -and was correspondingly silent and meditative.</p> - -<p>Nervous, expectant and fearful, David Chapman -sat only half attentive to what was said or -done around him. His ears were strained to -catch the first sound that announced the coming -of the visitors which he now dreaded.</p> - -<p>“The terms of the settlement of my interest in -your house, Mr. Dunlap, are entirely too liberal -to me, and I only accept them because of my -anxiety to be freed from the cares of business at -the earliest possible moment, and am unwilling -to await the report of examining accountants,” -said Walter Burton as he glanced over the paper -submitted to him by Chapman.</p> - -<p>“Do you expect to leave the city at once?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[317]</a></span> -asked Mr. Dunlap in a hesitating, doubtful voice.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I will make a tour through the Southern -States, probably go to California and may return -and take a trip to Europe. I have promised Captain -Dunlap to keep your house informed of my -movements and address at all times, and shall -immediately respond, by promptly returning, if -my presence in Boston be called for,” replied -Burton.</p> - -<p>“I confess, Burton, that my mind is not free -from doubt as to the propriety of allowing you -to withdraw from our house. I should like to -act as my brother James would have done. His -wishes are as binding upon me now as when he -lived,” said Mr. Dunlap in a low and troubled -voice.</p> - -<p>“It is needless to rehearse the painful story of -the last few months, Mr. Dunlap. Had your -brother lived he must have perceived the total -vanity of some of his most cherished wishes regarding -the union of his granddaughter and myself. -Heirs to his name and estate must be impossible -from that union under the unalterable -conditions. My wife’s dementia and her irrational<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[318]</a></span> -aversion to my presence would have influenced -him as it does you and me, and—I might -as well say it—I am aware of the fact and realize -the naturalness of the sentiment. I am <i lang="la">persona -non grata</i> here.”</p> - -<p>There was a tinge of bitterness in the closing -sentence and Burton accompanied it with a defiant -manner that evinced much concealed resentment.</p> - -<p>As Burton ceased speaking, the eyes of the -four men sitting at the table turned to the door, -hearing it open. The footman who had opened -it had hardly crossed the threshold when he was -pushed aside by the firm hand of Chief of Detectives -O’Brien, who, in full uniform, followed -by a man in citizens’ dress carrying a bundle under -his arm, entered the room.</p> - -<p>Mr. Dunlap hurriedly arose and advancing -with outstretched hand exclaimed,</p> - -<p>“Why! Chief, this is an unexpected pleasure—”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Dunlap, stop a moment.” There was a -look in the official’s eyes that froze Mr. Dunlap’s -welcome on his lips and nailed him to the spot on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[319]</a></span> -which he stood. Chapman glanced at Burton, -on whom O’Brien’s gaze was fastened. Burton -had risen and stood trembling like an aspen leaf -without a single shade of color left in cheeks or -lips. Jack Dunlap’s face flushed somewhat indignantly -as he rose and walked forward to the -side of his kinsman.</p> - -<p>“With all due regard for that high respect I -entertain for you, Mr. Dunlap, it has become my -painful duty to enter your house tonight in my -official capacity and arrest one accused of the most -serious crime known to the law.” While O’Brien -was speaking he moved toward the table, never -removing his eyes from Burton.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean, sir?” cried Jack in a -wrathful voice, interposing himself between -O’Brien and the table.</p> - -<p>“Stand aside, Captain Dunlap!” said the Chief -sternly. Quickly stepping to Burton’s side and -placing his hand on his shoulder he said,</p> - -<p>“Walter Burton, I arrest you in the name of -the Commonwealth, on the charge of murder.”</p> - -<p>With a movement too quick even for a glance -to catch, the Chief jerked Burton’s hands together<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[320]</a></span> -and snapped a pair of handcuffs on the wrists -of the rapidly collapsing man.</p> - -<p>The eyes of all present were fixed, in stupified -amazement, on O’Brien and Burton, and had not -seen what stood in the open doorway until a low -moan caused Jack to turn his head. He saw -then the figure of Lucy slowly sinking to the -floor.</p> - -<p>Lucy in her wanderings about the house was -passing through the hall when the uniformed -officer entered. Attracted by the unusual spectacle -of a man in a blue coat ornamented with -brass buttons, she had followed the policeman -and overheard all that he had said, and seen -what he had done.</p> - -<p>“I will furnish bail in any amount, O’Brien,” -exclaimed Mr. Dunlap, staying the two officers -by stepping before them as they almost carried -Burton, unable to walk, from the room.</p> - -<p>“Please stand aside, Mr. Dunlap,” said the -Chief kindly.</p> - -<p>“Don’t make it harder than it is now for me -to do my duty,” and gently pushing the old gentleman -aside, O’Brien and his assistant bore Burton<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[321]</a></span> -from the library and the Dunlap mansion.</p> - -<p>“Help me, quick! Lucy has fainted!” called -Jack, who, crippled as he was, could not raise -the unconscious wife of Burton.</p> - -<p>When Mr. Dunlap reached Jack’s bending figure, -Lucy opened her eyes, gazed about wildly -for an instant, gasped for breath as if suffocating, -and suddenly sprang unassisted to her feet, -as if shot upward by some hidden mechanism.</p> - -<p>“Walter! My husband! Where is he? Where -is grandfather? What has happened?” she cried -out, in a confused way, as one just aroused from -a sound sleep.</p> - -<p>Jack and Mr. Dunlap stared at her for a moment -in wonderment; then something in her eyes -gave them the gladsome tidings, in this their -hour of greatest trouble, that reason had resumed -its sway over loved Lucy’s mind; she was restored -to sanity. The shock had been to her heart and -restored her senses, as a similar shock had deprived -her of them. The experts had predicted -correctly.</p> - -<p>“Walter is in trouble, danger. I heard that -policeman say murder! Save my husband, Jack! -Uncle John! Where is my grandfather?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[322]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jack finally gathered enough of his scattered -composure to reply somehow to the excited young -woman. He said all that he dared say so soon -after the return of reason to her distracted head.</p> - -<p>“Be calm, Cousin Lucy! Your grandfather is -absent from the city. You have been ill. Your -Uncle John and I will do all in our power to aid -Walter if he be in danger.”</p> - -<p>She turned her eyes toward her Uncle John -and regarded him steadily for the space of a minute, -and then she whirled about and faced Jack, -crying out in clear and ringing tones,</p> - -<p>“I will not trust Uncle John. He dislikes -Walter and always has, but you! you, Jack Dunlap, -I trust next to my God and my good grandfather. -Will you promise to aid Walter?”</p> - -<p>“I promise, Lucy. Now be calm,” said Jack -gently.</p> - -<p>There was no madness now in Lucy’s bright, -gleaming, hazel eyes; womanly anxiety as a wife -was superb in its earnestness. She was grand, -sublime as with the majestic grace of a queen -of tragedy she swept close to her cousin, then -raising herself to her greatest height, with her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[323]</a></span> -hand extended upward, pointing to heaven, she -commanded as a sovereign might have done.</p> - -<p>“Swear to me, Jack Dunlap, by God above us -and your sacred honor, that you will stop at -nothing in the effort to save my husband. -Swear!”</p> - -<p>“I swear,” said the sailor simply as he raised -his hand.</p> - -<p>The woman’s manner, speech, and the scene -did not seem strange to those who stood about -her. She was suddenly aroused to reason to find -the object of her tenderest love in direst danger; -her stay, prop and reliance, her grandfather, unaccountably -absent. In that trying stress of circumstances, -the intensity of the feeling within -her wrought-up soul found expression in excessive -demands and exaggerated attitudes.</p> - -<p>“Now go! my Jack; hurry after Walter and -help him,” she urged as with nervous hands she -pushed him toward the door.</p> - -<p>Next morning, when the newspapers made the -startling announcement that a member of the -firm of J. Dunlap, Boston’s oldest and wealthiest -business house, had been arrested on the charge<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[324]</a></span> -of that nameless crime and the murder of the -Malloy girl, the entire city was stunned by the -intelligence.</p> - -<p>A crowd quickly gathered around the city jail. -Threatful mutterings were heard as the multitude -increased in numbers about the prison. When -Malloy came and his neighbors clustered about -the infuriated father of the outraged victim, that -slow and slumbering wrath that lies beneath the -calm, deceptive surface of the New England -character began to make itself evident. “Tear -down the gates!” “Lynch the fiend,” and such -expressions were heard among the men, momentarily -growing louder, as the cool exterior of the -Northern nature gave away.</p> - -<p>Soon many seafaring men were seen moving -among the most excited of the mob, saying as -they passed from one group to another, “It’s not -true! You know the Dunlaps too well!” “Keep -quiet, it’s a lie!” “Dunlap offered a reward for -the arrest of the villain; it can’t be as the papers -say!”</p> - -<p>One sailor-man, who carried a crippled arm, -mounted a box and made a speech, telling the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[325]</a></span> -people there must be a mistake and begging them -to be quiet. When he said that his name was -Dunlap, the seafaring men began to cheer for -“Skipper Jack,” and the mob joined in. Seeing -one of the Dunlap name so calm, honest and -brave in their very midst, the mob began to -doubt, and shaking their heads the people moved -gradually away and dispersed, persuaded that -naught connected with the worthy Dunlap name -could cause such foul wrong and disgrace to the -Commonwealth of Massachusetts.</p> - -<p>The best legal talent of New England was retained -that day for the defense of Burton. When -they had examined the circumstantial evidence -against Burton they frankly told Jack Dunlap -that an alibi, positively established, alone could -save the accused man.</p> - -<p>The unselfish sailor sought the seclusion of his -cabin on board his ship, that lay at anchor in the -harbor, there to ponder over the terrible information -given him by the leading lawyers of Boston.</p> - -<p>Uncomplainingly the man had resigned his -hope of the greatest joy that could come to his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[326]</a></span> -strong, unselfish soul—Lucy’s love. For the sake -of her whom he loved he had concealed his suffering. -He had smothered the sorrow that well -nigh wrenched the heart out of his bosom, that -he might minister to her in the hour of her mental -affliction. He had shed his blood in shielding -with his breast the man whom she had selected -in his stead. All this he had done as ungrudgingly -and gladly as he had tended her slightest -bidding when as wee maid she had ruled him.</p> - -<p>Love demanded of this great heart the final -and culminating sacrifice. Could he, would he -offer up his honor on the altar of his love?</p> - -<p>To this knight by right of nature, honor and -truth were dearer far than his blood or his life. -Would he surrender the one prize he cherished -highest for his hopeless love’s sake?</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>“I will swear that you were aboard my ship -with me every hour of the night on which the -crime of which you stand accused was committed. -An absolute alibi alone can save you. May -God forgive you! May God forgive me! and -may the people of Massachusetts pardon</p> - -<p class="right">Perjured Jack Dunlap.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[327]</a></span></p> - -</div> - -<p>Such was the letter sent by the sailor, by -well paid and trusty hand, to the successful suitor -for Lucy’s hand, now closely mewed within the -prison walls of Boston’s strongest jail.</p> - -<p>Could any man’s love be greater than the love -of him who sent that letter?</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[328]</a></span></p> - -<h2>XX</h2> - -<p>The court room was crowded, not only -by the casual visitors to such places, -who are ever in search of satisfaction to -their morbid curiosity, but also by the most fashionable -of Boston’s elite society.</p> - -<p>The preliminary examination in the case of the -Commonwealth vs. Walter Burton was on the -docket for hearing that day.</p> - -<p>Nearly a month had elapsed since the arrest; -all that an unlimited amount of money could accomplish -had been done to ameliorate the terrible -position of the prisoner. More than a million -dollars was offered in bail for the accused, and -it was hoped that by a preliminary examination -such a strong probability of the establishment of -an alibi could be presented, that the Court would -make an order permitting the acceptance of bail -for the appearance of the accused after the report -of the Grand Jury.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[329]</a></span></p> - -<p>Neither old John Dunlap nor Burton’s wife -was present. Jack had insisted that they must -not be in the court-room when he was called upon -to give his evidence.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Thomas Maxon, bronzed, stalwart, -and serious, sat beside his friend Jack Dunlap -among the witnesses for the defense.</p> - -<p>With a face of ghastly white, Jack Dunlap, his -arm still in a sling, stared straight before him, -heedless of the stir and flutter around him while -the audience was waiting the appearance of the -judge and the accused.</p> - -<p>There was a look of desperate resolve and defiance -on Burton’s face as he entered the court-room -between two officers and took his seat at -the counsel table behind the lawyers who appeared -for the defense.</p> - -<p>The prosecuting attorney proceeded, when the -case was called, to present the case for the Commonwealth -with the coldness and emotionless -precision that marks the movements of an expert -surgeon as he digs and cuts among the vitals of a -subject on the operating table.</p> - -<p>Chapman was much embarrassed and very nervous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[330]</a></span> -on the witness stand; his testimony was -fairly dragged from his livid, unwilling lips; he -interjected every doubt and possible suspicion -that might weigh against his evidence and weaken -the case of the Commonwealth. When he left -the stand he staggered like one intoxicated as -he walked back to his seat among the witnesses.</p> - -<p>When the case of the people was closed, the -leading counsel for the defense, one most learned -in the law, arose and, making a few well-chosen -introductory remarks, turned to a bailiff and said,</p> - -<p>“Call Captain John Dunlap.”</p> - -<p>For the first time in his life Jack Dunlap seemed -afraid to look men in the eyes. Neither glancing -right nor left, he strode with a determined -air to the witness stand and took his seat. His -face wore the hue of death. His jaws were so -clamped together that they seemed to crush his -teeth between them.</p> - -<p>They asked his name, age and occupation and -then his whereabout on the night of the crime -for which the prisoner stood accused.</p> - -<p>The witness made answer briefly to each of -these questions without removing his gaze from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[331]</a></span> -the wall above the heads of the audience, and -seemed collecting himself for an ordeal yet to -come.</p> - -<p>“Who was with you on board your ship, the -‘Adams,’ that night?” was the next question of -the lawyer for the defense.</p> - -<p>“Stop! Do not answer, Jack!” came in clear, -commanding tones from the mouth of the prisoner -as he sprang to his feet. His lawyers about -him tried to pull him down into his chair, but he -struggled and shook himself free and stood where -all could see him.</p> - -<p>Burton looked around him defiantly at the assembled -crowd in the court-room, holding up his -hand with palm turned toward Jack, in protest -against his giving answer to the last question. -Then, throwing back his head, he said in a loud -and steady voice,</p> - -<p>“I must and do protest against this further -sacrifice in my behalf on the part of that noble, -generous, grand man on the stand. Already he has -far exceeded the belief of the most credulous in -sacrificing himself for those whom he loves. That -I may prevent this last and grandest offering, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[332]</a></span> -honor of that brave man, I tell you all that I am -guilty of the crime as charged, and further, I -hurl into your teeth the fact that by your accursed -affectation of social equality between the White -and Negro races, which can never exist, you are -responsible in part for my crime, and you are -wholly answerable for much agony to the most -innocent and blameless of mortals on earth. -Your canting, maudlin, sentimental cry of social -intercourse between the races has caused wrong, -suffering, sorrow, crime, and now causes my -death.”</p> - -<p>As Burton ceased speaking he swiftly threw a -powder between his lips and quickly swallowed it.</p> - -<p>The audience, judge, lawyers, bailiffs, all sat -still, chained in a trance of astonishment as the -accused man uttered this unexpected phillipic -against a sometime tradition of New England, -and likewise pronounced his guilt by this open -and voluntary confession.</p> - -<p>None seemed to realize that the prisoner’s -speech was also his valedictory to life, until they -saw him reel, and, ere the nearest man could reach -him, fall, face downward, upon the court-room -floor, dead.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[333]</a></span></p> - -<p>Like the last ray of the setting sun, Burton’s -expiring speech and deed had been the parting -gleam of the nobility begotten by the blood of the -superior race within his veins, and reflected on -the bright surface of the civilization and culture -of the white race. The predominance of animalism -in the negro nature precludes the possibility -of suicide in even the extremest cases of conscious -debasement. Suicide is almost unknown -among the negro race.</p> - -<p class="tb">“Chapman found dead at his desk in the office! -My God! What more must I bear in my -old age! Oh! God, have mercy upon an old -man!”</p> - -<p>Poor old John Dunlap fell upon Jack’s shoulder -and wept from very weakness and misery, -and so the sailor supported and held him until the -paroxysm of wretchedness had passed; then he -gently led the broken old gentleman to the easiest -chair in the parlor of the Dunlap house and -begged him to sit down and compose his overwrought -feelings.</p> - -<p>“You say, Jack, that the porter found him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[334]</a></span> -seated at his desk this morning; that he thought -he was sleeping, as my faithful employee’s head -rested on his arms, and that it was only when he -touched him and noticed how cold he was that he -realized that Chapman was dead. My God! -How awful!” groaned the distressed speaker.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, and when the head clerks of the different -departments arrived and raised him they -saw lying on his desk before him ready for publication -the notice of the closing of the business -career of the house of J. Dunlap, and they took -from the dead man’s stiffened fingers the long -record of the firm to which he clung even in -death.”</p> - -<p>“I saw the poor fellow’s face grow pale and -his features twitch as if in pain when I told him -that the career of our house was ended. I urged -him to rest here until he was better, but he only -shook his head and hurried from my presence.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Dunlap spoke sadly and after a pause of -several minutes, during which an expression of -deepest melancholy settled over his countenance, -he continued sorrowfully,</p> - -<p>“Poor David Chapman, good and faithful servant!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[335]</a></span> -He loved the old house of ‘J. Dunlap’ -with all of his soul, and when he knew that the -end had come, it broke that intense heart of his.”</p> - -<p>“Why did you determine, sir, to take the old -sign down, and close those doors that for two -hundred years have stood open every day except -holidays?” asked Jack, full of sympathy for -the grief-stricken kinsman beside him.</p> - -<p>“I cannot bear the sight of my loved boyhood’s -home, dear old Boston, at present. It has been -the scene of so much agony and horror for me -within the past year that I must, for my own -sake, get away from the agonizing associations -all about me here. Lucy absolutely must be taken -away now that her mind is restored to its normal -condition, or she will surely go mad from weeping -and grieving. As soon as she is able to travel -we shall go to Europe to be absent months,—years. -I am an old man, maybe I shall never see -Boston again.” The old man stopped to choke -back a sob and then said,</p> - -<p>“It is hard, very hard, on me that I should be -obliged to close the house my brother James loved -so well, and that has been a glory to the Dunlap<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[336]</a></span> -name for two centuries. It may break my heart, -too, lad.”</p> - -<p>The white head sunk on the heaving chest and -an audible sob now shook the bended frame. -Jack watched his good godfather with manly -tears filling his honest eyes. Then, laying his -hand softly on the old man’s arm, he said,</p> - -<p>“Cousin John, would you feel less wretched if -I promised to leave the sea, and do my best to -keep the old sign, ‘J. Dunlap,’ in its place in the -crooked street where it has hung for two hundred -years?”</p> - -<p>John Dunlap raised his head almost as soon as -his namesake began to speak, and when Jack had -finished he had him around the neck and was -hugging the sturdy sailor, crying all the time,</p> - -<p>“God bless you, boy! Will you do that for -your old kinsman? Will you, lad?” And then -wringing Jack’s hand he cried,</p> - -<p>“A young J. Dunlap succeeds the old; all the -ships, trade and the capital remain as before! -You and Lucy are sole heirs to everything! The -chief clerks will shout for joy to know that the -house still goes on; they will help you faithfully<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[337]</a></span> -for love of my brother James and me. And oh! -Jack, when I am far away it will make my heart -beat easier to know that the Dunlap red ball -barred with black still floats upon the ocean, and -that the old sign is still here; that I was not the -one of my long line to take it from its place.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[338]</a></span></p> - -<h2>EPILOGUE.</h2> - -<p>Five times has Boston Common, old, honored -in history’s story, slept beneath its snowy counterpane, -all damaskeened by winter sunbeam’s -glory.</p> - -<p>Five times have brooks in Yankee vales burst -icy chains to flee, with gladsome shouts of merriment, -on joyous journey to the sea.</p> - -<p>Five times have Massachusetts hills and dales -been garbed in cloak of emerald, embroidered -wide in gay designs of daffodils and daisies since -the grand old Commonwealth was shocked by -the commission of a horrid crime by one called -Burton.</p> - -<p>An old sign still swings before an even older -building, in one of Boston’s most crooked streets. -“J. Dunlap, Shipping and Banking,” is what -the passersby may read on the old sign.</p> - -<p>Sometimes an old man is seen to enter the -building above the door of which is suspended -this sign; he is much bent and white of hair, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[339]</a></span> -sturdy still, despite some four-score years. All -men of Boston accord great respect to this handsome -old gentleman.</p> - -<p>The man who is head and manager of all the -business done within the old building where that -sign is seen, has the tanned and rugged look of -one who had long gazed upon the bright surface -of the sea. While he is only seen in landsmen’s -dress, it seems that clothing of a nautical cut -would best befit his stalwart figure.</p> - -<p>This head man at J. Dunlap’s office is cavalier-in-chief -to three old ladies, with whom he often -is seen driving in Boston’s beautiful suburbs; -one of these white-haired old dames he addresses -as “Mother,” another as “Mrs. Church,” and the -most withered one of the three he calls “Miss -Arabella.”</p> - -<p>He has been seen, too, with a sweet, sad, yet -very lovely young woman in whose glorious -crown of gold-brown hair silver silken threads -run in and out.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;" id="illus4"> -<img src="images/illus4.jpg" width="450" height="600" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">“Lucy, I have always loved you.”</p> -<p class="caption-r"><a href="#Page_340">Page 340</a></p> -</div> - -<p>A big, jovial naval man periodically drives up -before the old sign and shouting out, “Jack, come -here and see the latest!” exhibits a baby to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[340]</a></span> -sailor-looking manager. The last time he roared -in greatest glee, “It’s a girl, named Bessie, for -her mother.”</p> - -<p>Kind harvest moon, send forth your tenderest -glances, that fall betwixt the tall elm’s branches -on that sad, sweet face that lies so restfully -against a sailor’s loyal bosom.</p> - -<p>“Lucy, I have always loved you!” Jack Dunlap -kissed his “Little Princess” and put his strong -arms around her.</p> - -<p>Everlasting time, catch up those words, and -bear them on forever, as motto of most faithful -lover.</p> - -<p>An old man, standing at a window in the Dunlap -mansion, watched the man and woman in the -moonlight between the elm trees, and what he -witnessed seemed to bring a great joy to his good, -kind heart, for he reverently raised his eyes to -heaven and said,</p> - -<p>“My God, I thank Thee!”</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Blood Will Tell, by Benj. Rush Davenport - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLOOD WILL TELL *** - -***** This file should be named 62033-h.htm or 62033-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/0/3/62033/ - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images -made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - -</pre> - -</body> -</html> |