The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-12-10

"Well, father, since you are n
surprised at my first installmer
perhaps you will be equally pr
pared for a second piece of info
nation"
: eyes, 1 dare say 1 am" replie
Mr.. Yorke. "What is it?"
"Why, that have a boy" mu
INJURED Ralph.
"Of course, of course" his Fl
ther remarked. There is nothin
astonishing in that either. Reall
Ralph, your marvellous news is yer
stale"
"Stale, father?7 gasped Ralph i
utter surprise.
Eyes, stale" Mr.. Yorke replied
looking abstractediv into the fir
as hsaded have no reason {
t9tdodurse to doubt your word, but ar
you sure you are married?"
81 should not be likely to max
a mistake In the NATTER salt
Ralph, with some pride. 81 have
been married three years, father.
"Have you, indeedp observed
Mr.. Yorke. well, three years is =,
long time, and L hope you made NJ
mistake about your wife. l hope
she was a respectable kind of {
girl. What was shea shop gir
or a serVant?'
"She is as good and noble a wifi
as ever breathed," said Ralph an
grily, "and can't hear any insinu-
ations against her 'respectability.'
Goodbye, father" he continued,
taking up his hat and buttoning his
coat. Il can't stop and hear al
this about my little woman, and /
am sure, under the circumstances,
you can't want me to dine with you
to-day. I'll go back to Eva. A
Merry Christmas to you, father, and
my love to mother"
And before his father had time
to answer Ralph had left the room
and in a second the street door
closed upon him.
Old Mr.. Yorke sat quietly in his
chair, a curious smile upon his face,
and when his wife returned from
church the only remark he made
was:
"My dear, our boy has told me
about his marriageY'
X #
Ralph felt sorely wounded as he
turned into the street, and com
menced a vigorous walk, he hardly
knew where. He started off at a
brisk pace and strobe across Madi-
son park.
By the time Ralph had turned
back on his way homeward he felt
as if "every twopence he owed were
fourpence"-to use a humorous il
lustration of depression. Four
o'clock was striking as he put his
key into the door of the lodging
house; he could not help remem ber-
ing how hopeful he had left it in
the morning. AS he made his way
up the stairs to the drawing room
floor they inhabited be heard voices
in Eva's room. An indistinct sound
of a gruff mans voice reached his
ear and he stopped in amazement.
Could any of his friends have dis
covered his secret? Had any one
of them dared to come and annoy
her? At that thought he sprang up
the remaining steps and flung open
the drawing room door.
Never did he forget the shock of
the sight that met his eyes. Eva
sat on a sofa beside a lady whom
he had first hardly recognized, and
in his arm chair was his father
with Eddie on his knee.
Ralph stood in mute astonish-
ment at the door of the room; and
then Eva came across to him and
putting one gentle hand on his
shoulder, said, simply:
"Ralph, dear, your good father
and mother have come to say that
they forgive US for our long secre-
sy and wish to be friends with Us
and let US be son and daughter to
them in every way. You see your
father loves his grandchild already"
The tears were in Ralph's eyes
by this time and as he came for
ward with outstretched hands to
his parents, he exclaimed:
You are, indeed, heaping the
traditional Goals of fire upon my
head by your goodness. | can only
say that | am ashamed of my reti-
cence. / ought to have known you
too well to keep such secret so
long"
''Not so very long after all, my
boy" said Mrs. Yorke; cit was not
a secret so long"
"Well, three years is fair time,
father" said Ralph; "and can as
sure you l am ashamed of every
day of those three years."
"But the secret was not kept for
three years." laughed Mr.. Yorke.
II have known it for year and a
halfr'
"You have known it~ cried Eva
and Ralph together.
eyes; l have known it for a year
and a half" said Mr.. Yorke, trium-
phantly, and evidently enjoying
their perplexity; "and for the mat
ter of that, so has your mother,
Ralph"
"But how2" cried Ralph. Il did
not know any one knew it,"
81 knew it through you, my boy"
said Mr.. Yorke. "You sent me a
year and half ago in one of your
letters, by accident, suppose-put
the wrong paper in the envelope
letter from-from-"
"From Eva" put in the owner of
that name, timidly.
"From Eva-thank you, my dear
=" continued Mr.. Yorke, with a
nod to his daughter-ln law, ga let
ter which told me the whole story,
and told me, also, this present ad-
dress. Otherwise, how could /
have gotten here to-day. was
very angry with you at first, Ralph !;
not angry at your choice so much
as at your want of confidence in us,
and your want of respect for your
wife in keeping the matter secret.
But we got over the anger at last,
your mother and /, and then we de
termined to wait and see how long
you would be silent. We have wait
ed great many days and weeks
and months, even, Ralph; but thank
God, the good instinct came at last;