"Oh, if a man would only think of his offspring having to carry on, long past his last day! And of how hard it is for a boy or girl to stand up and proudly (?) claim that so-and-so 'was my Dad,' if all Branton Hills knows of that Dad's inglorious past. Poor kids!" for you know that Gadsby said, in this story's start, that "a man should so carry on his daily affairs as to bring no word of admonition from anybody;" for a man's doings should put a stain upon no soul but his own.
But, aha!! As His Honor got to his parlor, his sad mind found a happy, smiling Lady awaiting him; crying joyously:—
"Look! Look, John! Word from William! From Bill, in Paris!"
Bill's first communication said:—
"Darling Folks: Julius and I just got into this town from a month of hard marching, ditch-digging and fighting. I am all right, and so is Julius. Ran across Frank, who is on duty at our Commissary. Lucky guy! Lots of food always around! Paul is growing fat. Looks mighty good. Oh, how all of us do miss you and good old Branton Hills! I can't find a solitary suit in this town that I would put on to go to a dog fight! Such fashion!" and so on; just a natural outpouring from a boy, away on his first trip from his Dad's kindly roof.
"Ha, ha!" said Gadsby, laughing jovially; "That's our Bill, all right! Always thinking of dolling up!" and Lady Gadsby, rising quickly, said:—
"Oh, I must call up Nancy, Kathlyn and Sarah!" and, in a trio of small bungalows, joy, wild joy, found its way into girlish minds!
As Gadsby sat, going through this good word again and again, a mirthful chuckling had Lady Gadsby asking:—
"What's so funny about it?"
"Nothing; only if I didn't know that Frank is such a grand, good lad, I'd think Bill was hiding a bit from us; for that 'on duty at Commissary' might amount only to potato paring!"