Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-10-17
Matte Colwen.

said, folding her httlewhite hand in
his own, almost as white now. "You
have not been my friend of late, Mat
tie?"
always your friend, SimOn," was
the answer, "but thinking you wrong
in one act of your life; it is for that l
am here"
She threw aside her hat and cape as
she spoke, and took a chair beside
the invalid. Upon his face had gath
cred a hard frown. His lips were
firmly folded, and his eyes cruel as
death. Undaunted, Matte said:
"You will forgive Ned, Simon?"
"Never! He disobeyed me where
/ had most set my heart"
"Hemarried Lucy Wheaton, loving
her."
"a girl whose father was a common
drunkard, who died in delirium ire
mems and was buried by charity"
l"But good, pure girl, who nobly
did her duty to father and baby sister
till both died. A loving, tender girl,
against whom there was no reprOach,
and a faithful, good wife now for
three years. You will not die unfor-
givinsw 'N
81 have mademy will. 1t ishere,"
and he opened drawer in the table
beside him. "There are some lega-
cies, but the bulk of my fortune goes
to found library in Upham, this
house to be used for the purpose.
Ned will have $780,"
ooh, Simon, destroy that willr
"When Edward defed me, when
he chung to the girl | detested and
secretly married her, told him he
was my son no longer. He has lived
three years away from me"
e "Starving upon a clerks salary
when he had passed twenty-five
g years of his life in luxury"
/, "He made his choicep'
y 81 remember" Matte said, in &
a dreamy voice, as if she had forgotten
z her listener, "the day Ned was born
d poor Mary lay so i'll we feared she
g must die, and while others were busy
o around her bed the wee babe wa
6 brought to me. He was like you
n Simon, with great dark eyes and ;
lr broad brow, and yet he had Mary
d mouth, so sensitive and tender, quiv
IF ering with every motion. i remem
x Der when he was week old. l hat
re him in the nursery when you CAM
ID in, staggering like man under {
lie heavy burden, till you fell on you
q. knees beside me to sob:
lie "'God has taken Mary, but He ha
Il, left my boy! Thank God for m,
es boy!"
fe A long, quivering sigh broke fror
A. the invalid's lips.
ne ~ can see him as he was at thre
g, years old, with his brown curls shir
ing like satin, falling over his littl
les velvet coat, his soft, round cheek
ng rosy with health, and his eyes full {
lr- frank, bright intellect. He was M
ne quite four when he had scarlet feve
9r, How many nights you walked hil
eel up and down in your arms, when tt
ry fever would not let him sleep; no
many days you sat beside him cain
Ii ing the delirious fancies of his bah
els brain till the day that life givir
Ire sleep came to restore him, and agai
IT. you thanked God for your boys life
le- "Mattie, you torture me! cam
OF bear this!" the sick man murmurC
We hoarsely.
Ich 81 was at my window one NOR
his ing" Matte said, still in the san
'od even monotone, "when carria
yer dashed up the road with a pair
her runaway horses. The reins were
10Y the road, and there was no cont
over the terrified animals, w
hat dashed forward, the carriage swayi
md heavily from side toside, threaten
an every moment to be dashed to piec
her Inside man tried vainly to open t
Wn doors. The driver lay upon the 70
she beyond, thrown from his seat half
thy. toxicated and badly injured. VIII
ale, 1 looked, paralyzed with horror
oft, mere boy, not Is, ran from my dC
de into the road, threw himself befj
lpe, the horses, battled with them as til
air. reared and plunged threatening eve
rled moment to dash him to pieces, a
lor- held them until other aid came. N
'ne ran to help, and the STRIPPING Oper
Sht the door of the carriage when .
uSe- horses were quiettO release his fail
new The blood was streaming from 81
olu cash in his face, but he never heet