The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-12-24

~ ne cOnNllueu'
at is a folly that other men have
committed before you. There IS not
much to be said on the question.
Was that all you had to tell me?'
II thol int that was enough for one
morning, " said Ralph, disconsolateIy.
He was bitterly disappointed at his
fathers matter of fact view OF the
proceeding; he had hoped to beableto
plead with him; to describe, in extenu-
ating hisfault, Eva's beauty and de-
votion, and absorbing love for HIM
self and child; but there was no need
for pleading now, and Ralph had felt
worse off than if his father had burst
into q torrent Of reproaches. After
pulling at his moustache restlessly Tor
q few moments, he SAID:
"Well, father, since you are not sur
prised at my first INSTRUMENT, perhaps
you will be equally prepared for q Sec
ond piece of information"
Eyes, / dare say | am" replied Mr..
Yorke, what is it?"
"Why, that l have q boy" muir
INJURED Ralph.
"Of course, of course" his father re-
marked. "There is nothing astonish-
ing in that, either. Really, Ralph,
your marvellous news is very stale"
estate, father?" gasped Ralph in ut
ter surprise.
eyes. stale, "Mr. Yorke replied, look
ing abstractedly in the fire as he add
ed-"I have no reason Of u to
doubt your word, but are you sure
you're married?'
81 should not be likely to make a
mistake in the matter" said Ralph,
with some pride. 81 have been "a
ried three years, father"
Have you. indced?" observed Mr..
Yorke. "Well, three years is a long
time, and l hope you made nc mis-
take about your wife. Ihope she is a
respectable kind of a girl. What was
Shea shop girl or s~ervant?"
"She is as good and noble a wife as
ever breathed," said Ralph, angrily,
land Ican't hear any insinuatlons
against her 'respectability.' Goodbye,
father" he continued, takingup his hat
and buttoning his coat. 81 can'tstop to
hear all this about my little woman,
and Pm 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 lett the room, and
in a second the street door closed up
on him.
Old Mr.. Yorke sat quietly in his
chair, q curious smile upon his face,
and when his wife returned from
church the only remark ne made was:
my dear, our boy has told me
about his marriage"
Ralph felt sorely wounded as he
turned into the street, and commenc-
ed a vigorous walk, he hardly knew
where. He started off at u brisk
pace. and strobe across Madison
Park.
BY the time Ralph had turned back
on his way ~homeward, he felt as
if "every twopence he owed were four
pence"--to use a humorous illustra-
tion of depression. Four o'clock was
striking as he put his key into the
door OF his lodging house; he could
not help remembering how hopeful he
had left in the morning. As he made
his way up the stairs to the draw
ing-room floor they inhabited he heard
voices in Eva's room. An indistinct
| sound OF q gruff mans voice reached
his ear, and he stopped in amazement.
Could any Of his friends have dis
covered his secret? Had any one oil
them dared to come and annoy her?
At that thought he sprang up the re-
manning 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 astonishmert
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 secresy, 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 xweIe in Ralph's eyes by
this time, and as he came forward
with outstretched hands to his
parents, he exclaimed;
you are, indeed, heaping the ira
ditional Goals Of ire upon my head By
your goodness. ! Ia only say that
I am ashamed of my r~eticence.
ought to have known yon too well tt
keep such q secret SO long"
mot so very long, after all, m,
boy" said Mr.. Yorke; cit was not
secret so long,"
1Well. three years is a fair time, "a