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“We will get ready and go at once,” said’ Poppet. “The
{president, who is a cripple,-is an American, and no doubt
jhe would be glad to see-some of his own countrymen.”
| “We are not all. Americans,” spoke up Jack Howard;
|‘three of us are English, you know.” Oe
“Four,” added Joe. ‘My parents were born in: Eng-
land.” . - me
\ “Well, two of us are natives of the United States,” said
Van; ‘and so we will be very glad to see the president.”
' “So will we,” exclaimed Jack. “I think just as much
of America.as any other nation on the face of the globe.”
only back there now,” observed Lank Edwards. “I’ve
rot a wife an three children waitin’ for me in ther land
pf ther free, an’ I am wery anxious ter git home again, I
kin tell you!” Loo Te
hearted mate, which caused his companions to change the
subject. :
_| Ina few minutes they were ready to go to the president
of the African Utopia, and -with Poppet at their head,
they set out. , : es
As the city was very small, as was before stated, it did
not take them long to reach the president’s office, which
_Was situated in the most' pretentious building in the city.
Without any preliminaries whatever, our friends were
/ushered in. ~ :
They beheld a pleasant-faced man of middle age seated
na huge armchair, and when he arose to greet them
hey saw he was minus a leg. : /
Poppet introduced them as the six visiting strangers,
but when the president had shaken them by the hand, he
requested them to write their names in the book of new
etrivals, so he might know their -names. :
Each one complied with the reasonable request, and
hen the man looked over the names. ,
When he came to our hero’s signature he started a
hough he‘ had received an electric shock.
‘ou “ce .
ny Which one of you is Van Vincent?” he asked, in a
trange, unnatural voice. oo
dy ‘I am,” replied Van, stepping forward.
as | The president gazed at the boy for fully five minutes
ont} before he again spoke, and it was plain to be seen that
ct} Ne was undergoing a great deal of excitement. ©
he, | “IT would speak to you alone,” he at length said. “You
red friends will: please excuse us for a short time.” :
sar While you are engaged I will show our friends~
re: through the city building,” spoke up Poppet.
Very well, if all are satisfied.”
ce. {ane next minute Van Vincent and the president of
_ yi Strange city were alone in the room. oo
by id So your name is Van Vincent,” said the crippled man,
8azing at our hero.in a curious manner. ‘
ed} | “It is,” was the reply.
; here were you born?”
Van quickly told him. -
x Our mother is dead, is she not?”
fate teplied the boy, gazing at him in surprise. “My
4 jean JS, too. He died somewhere in Africa, I believe.”
‘ol &] eqtOo he did not!”
nei What!” exclaimed Van. “Did you know him?”
wt did, and do now.” .
be Vhere is he, then? Won’t you take me to him?”
ee BRAVE AND BOLD.
“T think enough of her to give all I am worth if I was)
A far-away look came into the eyes of the honest-
27.
“He stands before you, my boy. Iam your father!”
Had a bombshell exploded, Van could not have been _
more astounded. ..’ oo . :
Was it possible that he had found his father -in_ the
heart of the Dark Continent? 3 i
“Tt seemed scarcely probable, and yet, as he gazed-at the
man before him, he felt that it was certainly true.
‘With a‘coolness that was remarkable under ‘the circum-
stances, the president drew a time-worn pocketbook from
his pocket. : ve
Opening it, he drew forth three small photographs.
“There,” said he, handing them to Van, “‘is the likeness
of myself, and also those of my family, when I had. been
two years married.” — eat eo oS
As Van gazed at the pictures a mist came before his _
eyes, and he was forced to catch the back of a chair for
support. ,
The photos were those of a young man and woman, and
an infant of probably a year old. :
But this was not what caused Van to act so strangely.
He carried duplicates of those very pictures in his pockets.
_ The man and woman were'his father and mother, and
the infant was himself. Sot n
‘That settled the whole business.
’ Father and son were united after years of separation.
“But, father,” said Van, after both had somewhat re-
covered from their excitement, “how was it that you never
came home?” res
“It was impossible for me to make the attempt, my.
boy. Through the treachery of one of my own party, T
lost my left leg just before I reached the gate of this
wonderful city.
“I was picked up by the Utopians, and nursed back
to health and strength, and then, knowing the terrible
dangers I had passed through in order to reach this place,
I agreed to live with them always, since it would be
‘naught but suicide for me to start for the coast alone,
crippled as I was. 8 “
“Your mother was dead, and you were in the care of
my brother, whom I knew would take proper care of
you, and so I tried to content myself here, and have suc-
ceeded very well, though many is the time I have thought
of home and found the hot tears streaming down my |
face.” . Dy obos, mk
“You say you lost your leg
one of your own. party,”. said Van.
happened, won’t you?” ie
“T will do that in a few words, my son. It was this
way:.The party I was leading on my. tour of discovery
had dwindled down to eleven men—six whites and five
blacks. .
“All, save one besides myself, had often declared that .
they would travel no further, but, under our persuasion,
they would again start out. ,
“T began to notice that the fellow who took sides with
me had more control over the men than I did, but thought
through. the treachery of
“Tell me how it
' nothing of it until one day, when I gave orders to resume
our march, after eating dinner. .
“It was then that the man-I trusted deliberately drew
his rifle to his shoulder and shot me; and then without
a word they started over the back trail, leaving me lying
bleeding upon the ground. :