Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-01-10
BEAT HER LITTLE CHAIR.

; CITY. tiS VIE had been dead Tor
! years. and in strong, almost pas
sionate devotion for his only child,
handsome girl of eighteen years, he
toiled without thought of rest when
extreme old age should come, that
his Mary might enjoy the little
advantages so highly priced by women
| One day Mary went into the city, but
when evening came she had not re
| turned. The old man walked tie
floor impatiently, and when the shad
ows deepened and lost outline with
the receding twilight, he grew uneasy
and went to the city. He went to
several houses and talked with many
people, but no one had seen the girl
Cursing a circumstance that should
cause him such anxiety, he FASTENED
home, thinking that she might have
returned during his absence. She
had not come, and again he went to
the city and again returned to find hls
home cheerless Early next morning,
after night of torture, he went into
the city. A boy met him in the street
and handed him a letter. 1t was
from his daughter. 'The old, old
story of love and deception, " were the
first words that glared at him. II
know you can have no sympathy for
me now, and | will not heap affiiction
on you by words which you could not
so deeply feel in reading as | do in
writing | am gone 20 look for him;
the man who ruined me and your
home. If find him, | will kill him.
STEPPED in shame, ruined forever, you
will never see me again"
The old man turned and went
straight to his home. His face looked
hard and worn like a weather beaten
wall, and his eyes were colerless.
He did not bow down to his great af-
Fiction but went to work.
Months passed and no one heard
him speak Of his daughter. Once
some one, stranger in the neigh
borhood, asked him if he lived alone
and he repli d: mo, not entirely.
He'll occupies my bed with me.
One stormy night the old man sat
by his fire: 4 dog stopped near the
house and howled. The old man
arose to drive him away. When
he opened the door voice said:
"FatherW
He staggered back. Mary stepped
into the room.
Father don't yon know me9"
"No."
For Gods sake, don't say thatl
have come back 10 you," sinking,
Il have come back to pray for help.
forgiveness. A Just retribution over
took him. He was killed in a rail.
road accident. Let me be your child
AGAIN.
NO"
my God, father, you will kill
me- Oh don't put me Quit Oh, let
me stay by the tirel Heaven"
He had showed her into the dark
nessand closed the door lie turned,
and catching sight Of the little rock
ing chair he had given her when she
was child, he seized it with one
hand, held it aloft, and, with the
other, beat it until the blood trickled
from his Singers
When he opened the door at morn
ing there were prints in the mud as
though some one had been kneeling
on the ground.
His face grew harder as the days
passed ON. When he met a hand
some woman. he sneered at her One
day while passing "a magistrates
Office, he heard some one say: Ten
dollars fine and fifty days in Jail. y
CHANGING through the door way, he
saw Mary standing in front of the
justice.
A year passed. He sat by his fire
at night A snow storm ragged and
the wind made the shutters SILVER.
A dog howled and the old man shudder-
ed. He sat with his head on his hand
looking at the door. The wind blew
the door open and Mary fell into the
room.
ooh, do not put me out, | am dy-
ingW
He closed the door and drawing the
bed near the fire he lifted her np and
put her on it. He bent over her.
His face no longer looked like an old
wall
oh, do not throw me in the snow.
No, my poor angel.
She threw her arms around his
neck
II want to be buried by my mother
She and God have forgiven me-
And | the least worthy of all on
earth, forgive you. When | saw you
my soul grew warm-my soul that
was frozen.
There is a God, isn't there.
Yes, angel, and he has made
heaven of this night"
She put her arms around him again
Early at morning, when one of the
neighbors came over he found the
old man sitting on the bedside, dead,
holding the hand of lifeless girl
Her face wore a smile of content
ment And his face was not like an
old wall. Siftiugs
Ruin for The EXpiatory Chapel.
london telegram