Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-02-03


might have been noble and useful, be-
cause in his youth he would not give up |
the occasional glass Of good fellowship |
and sociability.'
"'You knew him p cried, astonished.
81 knew him we'll. ] have pleaded
with him as plead with you'-and here,
to nv horror. she knelt at my fcet-'to
entreat him to leave untouched and I'M
tasted the fatal glass that leads to crime.
Oh, Cyrus, do not read this story with
careless heart, do not turn from my
PRAYERS and tears
VI raised her up and held her tenderly
i'm my arms.
...You take my state last night too
much to bea1t,' / said. Il never shall be-
come drunkard. and really, grandma,
it is not very flattering to suppose shall
become a murderer and die by hanging,
and [ laughed aloud i'll my pride OF
strength.
al must tell him! must tell him
my grandmother moaned. Il have kept
il from him all these years. but must
tell him now. Cyrus she added, rising
to her full height and looking down upon
me where l sat. you say you are III no
danger of this mans fate. You are a
gentleman! He was from one or the
best families in the country, Il scholar
and man of wealth and retinment. You
are Young! He was not thirty. say
to you, stop now! Make vow anu
keep it, that you will never touch liquor,
for tell you this man. who gave mp MS
life to eXpiate his crime, was MY SON.
AND YOUR FATHER!
MY father 7 gasped feeling that the
hangman's rope was already around my
throat.
.'sFrederick Carroll was your father.
You must have learned your name to-
day, but the lawyer promised me to tell
you no more. I tell you, because see
you lowering OH the verge of the preci-
pice over which your father was hurled
by the demon of drink. tell you. Fred
erick Carroll, that if with your fathers
name and wealth you inherit his careless
disregard of the dangers of the path OH
which YOU have taken your first step. so
also will you inherit the tate that gave
him murderer's grave, that killed his
young wife. drove his widowed mother
and only child to seek home in a dis
tant city, and hide their shame under d
| false name.
Cyrus paused long time after he
quoted his grandmOther's passionate APP
peal, and lay very quiet. inwardly re-
solving that the painful sacrifice he was
making for my sake should not be made
i'm vain.
After time he spoke again:
IL took up my burden. Will, from that
hour, that no deed of mine can ever eff
face. am the son of murderer. who
was hanged on the gallOws for his crime.
| can never tell you what [ have suf-
fered, carrying this secret ever hid in my
heart.
The sharpest pang of all was when l
saw Grace Dyer. You remember her,
Will?"
nodded assent. Only too we'll re-
membered that episode of my friends
life. Grace Dyer, one of those gentle,
beautiful girls who seem too pure and
good for the struggles of this lie, had
been one of party of young girls from
a popular seminary, who sat tor fancy
picture of the Muses." to commemorate
their graduation. | had noted from the
first sitting how Cyrus wOuld lingel
longer over this fair face than he die
over any of the other lovely ones sur
rounding it. She had been chosen tt
represent Euterpe; and Cyrus, | think
unconsciously ma lie her the most prom
! inent figure of the group, as she was Ger
tainly the most beautiful. In the whit
; dress, the Classic arrangement OF he
rich hair, the oval contour OF the face, til
large uplitted eyes, the very spllt o
music seemed to breathe.
But, alas . rs Cyrus painted. he repro
duced upon his own heart this glowing
picture. in unfading colOrs. | knew Thu:
love. | read il in every look he gave
the beautiful girl. | saw it in the un
wearied toll to make the lovely face
perfect upon the canvas, lingering Owe
it, retOuching and perfecting it after th'
others OF the group were completed.
And L fancied, too, that the gentle CIR
would be no unwilling listener to thu
suit of the handsome and wealthy yOuns
artist. have seen her soft eyes drOoI
when Cyrus spoke, and brighter fllsf
, spring to her pure round cheek. | hat
noted how her whole face irradiatet
when Cyrus talked to them all on sub
jects he hoped would draw attention. Il
the faces, apt to be set and stiff durln!
his task.
To those days I wondered why Cyru
starved his own heart, kept aoof iron
the companionship was sure was pre-
cious to him; why he refused Mr.. Dyer
gracious invitation to visit him. ate
Grace left school, why, hardest task
all. he refused to duplicate the pictur
for the father, or even to reproduce tn
figure of Euterpe alone.
/ understand why Cyrus paused ate
t. he spoke that dear name, and waited 81
7 lently until he spoke again.
II loved her, Will, how deeply cal
never tell you. and because | loved he
, L let her 90 from me, when my hear
+ told me l might have kept her by m,
. side. / would ask no woman to bear IN,
burden. / would give no woman tn
q pang of knowing her children coult
q never bear their fathers name withou
sharing the heritage of shame that cluns
to it. Still less would 1 deceive an
woman who trusted in me. let her g
3 out of my life forever.
"WilI, dear FRIEND" and Cyrus too
my hand in his own, lido you know WIN
: l tell you all this? Because L love you
: You are as dear to me as brother, and
= would not have you tread the path tina
, might blight your young lie, as III
+ father was blighted, curse your son as
am cursed!" ;,
, ..And you have not told it in vain:"
' cried.
q ''GOd bless you lOT tHcsc "oiuo' :"
= said, sit will be some comfort In m
:" weary life if 1 can think l have snatche
! you from the. perilous path where $
: many young feet stray TO crime. WI
: add one more secret to my story. VII
. My physician tells me that my eartni
: pilgrimage is nearly over. When In
: coffin lid closes over me. WILL, when
!. heart can be torn by the story hav
4 told you. will you use my commence
= trv TO win Others as l have won you