The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-12-11
A FATHERS CRIME.

shadows were darkenlng the room
where he lay but darker still fell the
attendant shadows Of death.
Beside the couch knelt girl Of rare
loneliness of face and form, with feat
ures classically regular, with wavy Jet
black hair coiled loosely round her
stately little head, few dainty tend
rils curling low on her pure white brow
"a girl whose lips were curved and
crimson, whose eyes were like soft deep
we Is of light, and whose form matched
her face in its classical perfection
AT the lower end of the bed stood a
young mana handsome man, with
clear-cut regular features, and sunny
chestnut hair clustering over his brow,
and eyes that could darken with anger,
deepen with mrth, or sadden with SYM
patty, as need might be.
Deep, true, earnest sorrow rested on
his face at this moment, as his eyes
looked thoughtfully down on the man
who lay dying, His sorrow, however,
could not equal the intense grief of the
beautiful fac so the pillow press
ed by the dying man.
1t spoke well for Dalton Withers that
grief and sorrow drew tears at his
death-bed, though those who shed them
were neither kith nor kin to him-noth-
ing, as far as the ties of blood count.
but everything in love affection; for one
was his step-daughter, Beryl Edmonds,
dear to him as a child of his own, while
Guy Courten Y was his son by adop-
ton.
Beryl was not only his step-daughter.
but she was the child of the first and
dearest love of his life, from whom fate
had parted him in his youth.
On this same throw of fate hangs the
thread OF our story, for had it not been
for that love and loss, Beryl Edmonds
would not be kneelng at his side.
Ills first love, sweet Edith Barton
had been parted from him by false
story, told by amost treacherous friend
whom he had trusted and loved as a
brother.
Edith was naturally Of an easily-led
disposition, and believing the story told
her, married the teller in sudden pas
sion of pain. Then Dalton, maddened
by Edith's marriage, offered his hand
and fortune to another, which were ac-
cepted.
Then Edith awoke to the knowledge
OF what she had done-awoke to the
knowledge that Edison Marvin theman
she had married, the man who had won
her by lies and fraud, was rascal un-
worthy OF any woman's respect or
love.
She and Dalton had grown up to-
gether, with an old man who was I'M
Gle to both, at least, uncle by marriage
to Dalton, though they themselves were
not related, and Edith had always
been looked upon as his hciress, being
his sisters child, while Dalton was on
ly the child of his wifc's sister.
Angry at her marriage, however, for
il was his one wish to see her Dalton
Withers's wife, he changed his will and
left all he possessed to Dalton, but ifhe
died without heirs it was to revert 10
Edith's child.
But, as we have said before, Dalton
wed as well, and fragile baby-girl wa,
born to him at the very time girl was
born to his false friend, Edison Marvin.
Dalto 5 wife died shortly after the
birth OF her baby, and by an accident
IN one Of the mills Of which he was
owner his own life was almost despair.
ed OF at the same time; in fact, the doc
tors had given him up.
Whatever other faults Edison Marvin
hnd--tlnW
want Of love for his scornfu Young
wife, who had never loved him, and
now despsed him for the part he had
played, and for the baby-gr she had
borne him, was not among them, for ho
adored her, and worshippcd little Boryl, |
and for her sake and the wealth that |
should be her Swell, what would he
not do,
One day CONSERVATION reigned in |
Dalton Withers's home, forlittle Leslie,
his petted child, had disappeared his
golden-haired treasure was zone.
High up and low down he searched
for her, but she was not found--not
found, till, alas! when four long weary
weeks had gone, and then little corpse
iioated in on the silent river, the face
past recognition, but wearing the dain.
W garments, now water-siained and |
ruined, Of little Leslie Withers.
Edith's child, his child little Bcyl,
was Daton's hciress now.
Shortly after, in the very prime Of
his life, death came to Edison Marvin,
and when he was two years in his grave
the lovers Of old were married. for
Dalton had recovered from the acct.
dent Then, when she was the wife of
him she had loved all her life, she
learned a secret Of her first husbands
NE that blanched her face with its
knowledge.
A letter he hid left her to read If ey.
or she wed again. II seemed he felt, if
ever She did, her choice would be the
lover oil her grhood, and he was pre-.
pared TO strike her o blow from the
grave. Wv
What the blow was, She never told
but many bright soycreigns, counted
and uncounted, she spen, In The search
Tor some one--a weary, iruitless search,
alas!
All, death! how rich your harvest,
Years are nothing zen counted Won.
and one year before the opening Of our
story. Edith had died. and now her nus.
band was following her.
Her last words had been 10 Bpryl.