Louisiana capitolian., 1879-08-23

so l stole up TO my own room, and
with aheavy, heavy heart sat down
to think.
Thinking resulted in another burst
of tears, and when heard footsteps
on the stairs, threw myself on the
bed, my temples burning and throb-
bing.
Presently mother came in. Mother
and Miss May had ways alike.
There was the same caressing move
ment Of the hands, the same low,
persuasive voice.
"My head aches," l said, in reply to
her tender query, twas I i'll p
"To hard work these hot days for
my little GIRL" she said soothingly.
"Papa must contrive to get vaca-
ton tor me-"
Then she drew down the blinds
and went out softly, presently return
ing. think she had a suspicion that
all was not right. Ifso, it.was soon
verified, for rs ! turned toward her,
she saw my red and swollen eyes.
"Why, Alice, my dear child, what
has happened y she asked quite start
led. This is something more than q
headache"
In vain refused. She still insist
ed, until with my face half hidden on
her neck, | told her Of the cruel insult
ing words had heard.
There was a long silence.
"Your, dear, honorable fatI,er!" she
exclaimed, at last, with a choking
voice. elbow hard this isl"
"Then it was lie," ] cried joy
fully, "it was all a wicked, cruel lie;
| knew it was. And now l will tell
Miss May and hope that girl will be
punished for saying miserable
things"
looked up in my mothers face.
She regarded me with a fixed, in
tent gaze. There were tears in her
eyes, and her face was very sorrow
full. Her silence oppressed, terrified
me. All my old suspicious returned
in full force. My heart sank again,
and the pain returned.
"Alice," said my mother, at last.
and l must have been fainting, for
she shook me a little, and there was
q sob in her voice that recalled me to
consciousness.
sat upright and put my hair back
with my hands. My forehead felt
like Goals of fire.
"Then, mamma,' l said, with a
great effort, sis it true-all that came
unwillingly to my ear I"
"Alice, listen, and / will tell you
ALL" She sat besides me, and put
her arm round my waist, drawing me
closer and closer as she talked.
"My dear, your father was in prison
for six long and weary months"
/ shivered-O, how cold | was
The information seemed the death
knell Of all my hopes. l was too
wretched to cry.
"My, dear, 0, it is more painful to
me than you can ever imagine-he
was wholly innocent. A sin had
been laid to his charge, and so skill
fully that no proof appeared want
ing of his guilt. My darling, it was
only a few months after my marriage
that it all happened, aud you can
family imagine, with Your tempera-
mcnt, what l suffered. You were
born, dear, while he was langu,shing
in those walls. But, Alice, we have
paper upstairs, signed by q dying
man, which entirely exonerates your
dear father, for though he might have
cleared himself, he chose rather to
suffer for a time for one he loved. /
shall never speak Of this again, dear;
you will SEQ why, when l tell you
that the dying declaration Of the true
criminal, which l have locked away
you shall see it sometime that
ofmy only, my idolized brother"
"My poor, dear mother"
At that moment became her COM
forter, for she was nearly overcome
with the dreadful recital.
never troubled myself abont this
dreadful scandal, and something was
done or said, l never knew what, that
closed my schoolmatc's lips, from that
time, forever after. As for my father
he was now my hero, and to me
the greatest, n0blest of men.
Mpo M A 0io 1AmanImn