The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-12-19


naming steps, and flung open the draw
ing room door.
Never did he forget the shock of the
sight that met his eyes. Eva sat on a
sofa beside a lady whom lie had first
scarcely recognized, and in his arm chair
was his father, with Eddie on his
knee!
Ralph stood in mute astonishment at
the door Of the ROOM and then Eva
came across to him, and putting one
gentle hand on his shoulder, she said,
simply:
Ralph, dear, your good father and
mother have come to say that they for
give us for our long secrecy, 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 al
ready"
The tears were in Ralph's eyes by this
time, and as he came forward with out
stretched hands to his parents, he cx-
claimed:
"You are indeed hcaping the tradi-
tional Goals Of fire upon my head by your
goodness. l can only say that | am
ashamed of my reticence. l ought to
have known you too well to keep such a
secret so long"
"Not so very long, after all, my boy"
said Mr.. Yorke; sit was not a secret so
long"
"Well, three years is fair time,
father" said Ralph; "and can assure
you am ashamed of every day of those
three years"
"But the secret was not kept for three
years." laughed Mr.. Yorl1e, 81 have
known it for a year and halfr'
you have known itr' cried Eva and
Ralph together.
Yes; have known it for year and
a half" said Mr.. Yorke, triumphantly,
and evidently enjoying their perplexity
"and, for the matter of that, so has your
mother, Ralph"
"But how?" cried Ralph. II did not
know any one knew of it,"
81 knew ii through yourself, my boy"
said Mr.. Yorke. you sent me a year
and half ago in one of your letters, by
accident, l suppose-put the wrong
paper in the cnvelope-a letter from
from"
"From Eva" put in the owner OF that
name, timidly.
"From Eva-thank you, my dear"
continued Mr.. Yorke, with nod to his
daughter-in-law, ''a letter which told
me the whole story, and told me, also,
this present address. Otherwise, how
could l have got here to-day. / was
very angry with you at first, Ralph, not
angry at your choice as 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 l, and
then we determined to wait and see how
long you would be silent. We have
waited great many days and weeks,
and months, even, Ralph; but, thank
God, the good instinct came at last; and
| see before. me, now, trust, q son
without secret upon his conscience, a
daughter without a trouble untold"
''Father and mother" said Ralph,
earnestly, as he held his young wife's
hanG in his, and raised it solemnly, as
if taking vow, Il cannot thank you
in flow of words; can only hope that
Eva and l may prove as generous and
admirable to our boy as you have been
to me-"
When they had kissed all around.
hats and cloaks We're put on, and the
party drove away in high glee in the
Yorke carriage to the Yorke home much
to the surprise and elation of the suspi-
cious landlady, who had been appeased
by the splendor of the visitors.
eva, darling" whispered Ralph to
his wife at dinner, was not Christmas
day the best day for the revelatjon2"