“To South America. Para was my first port,” he answered simply, wondering why he wanted to know.
“That's not far from Rio?” He was still looking sideways at him, but there was no wavering in his gaze.
“No, not far—Rio was our next stopping place. We had a hard voyage and put in to—”
“Do you know a young man by the name of Rutter—slim man with dark hair and eyes?” interrupted his father in an angry tone.
Harry started forward, his heart in his mouth, his hands upraised, his fingers opening. It was all he could do to restrain himself. “Don't you know me, father?” was trembling on his lips. Then something in the sound of the colonel's voice choked his utterance. Not now, he thought, mastering his emotion—a moment more and he would tell him.
“I have heard of him, sir,” he answered when he recovered his speech, straining his ears to catch the next word.
“Heard of him, have you? So has everybody else heard of him—a worthless scoundrel who broke his mother's heart; a man who disgraced his family—a gentleman turned brigand—a renegade who has gone back on his blood! Tell him so if you see him! Tell him I said so; I'm his father, and know! No—I don't want your silks—don't want anything that has to do with sailormen. I am busy—please go away. Don't stop to bundle them up—do that outside,” and he turned his back and readjusted the shade over his eyes.
Harry's heart sank, and a cold faintness stole through his frame. He was not angry nor indignant. He was stunned.
Without a word in reply he gathered up the silks from the chair, tucked them under his arm, and replacing his cap stepped outside into the fast approaching twilight. Whatever the morrow might bring forth, nothing more could be done to-day. To have thrown himself at his father's feet would only have resulted in his being driven from the grounds by the overseer, with the servants looking on—a humiliation he could not stand.
As he stood rolling the fabrics into a smaller compass, a gray-haired negro in the livery of a house servant passed hurriedly and entered the door of the office. Instantly his father's voice rang out: