The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-27

way did she wrong you?"
Silence, daughter he cried. ''Yo1
must not question mer'
dare not now be silent" she said,
firmly. ''If she wronged you, have you
never, never forgiven her? 1t is awful
to think that she has been dead all these
years, and that the ashes of your anger
are still burning. Bless me, father, in
my mothers name, and say that you
forgive hertz
She knelt upon the snow, and raised
her hands in an agony of pleading.
Gould he gaze upon the poor, manned
child, whose life he had wrecked, and
not relent? Slowly the tears came in
to his eyes, slowly the fiood-gates of
his heart were opened, and the men,
DRY of happier times-of times when he
was better man-stole upon him with
softening influence. Blurred in the
moonlight, he saw the form of his
daughter before him, and, placing his
hand upon her head, he said:
''FOr your sake, my child, | forgive!
In your mothers name, bless you"
There was certainly something very
extraordinary the matter with little DIR.
BaX. He had been called away from
the house some time since, and having
been absent for nearly an hour, had
Just returned; and when Laura, who;
struggling to forget her sorrow, was
playing forfeits with the young people,
raised her eyes, she observed him re-
garding her in the strangest and most
inexplicable manner. The moment
their eyes met, he turned his away; but
presently he was looking at her again,
and so strangely. that she could not
avoid asking if anything allied him.
mo, my dear" he replied, with
singular cagerness, ''there is nothing
the matter with me. What should be
the matter with me, you little puss,
eh?''
Il don't know said Laura; "but
you look as if"
"Yes, my dear. as IL
GAS if you had seen a ghost"
"Ha hal" exclaimed the doctor,
laughing so loudly that all eyes were
turned upon him Immediately
That's as good a thing as I've heard
for years. 4 ghost What do you
think. Mr.. Harrild? Do l look to you
as if had seen a ghost?"
Il don't believe in ghosts" replied
Reuben Harrild, smiling.
"Ha" said DR.. Bax, taking Laura's
hand, and patting it gently. You
don't believe in ghostsi Now, that's
singular. l do; see them often"
Il beg your pardon" said Mr.. Wy
nd Il
Il hope there is nothing wrong here"
touching his forehead.
mot at all. say again, am be-
lever in ghosts. never pass church
yard at night without seeing hundred
of them, lodging round the tOmbstones.
| do believe that if | went outside the
house at this moment | should pop
upon ghost, or ghost would pop
upon me, to certainty. l am pop
sure | could raise one"
80 many popsn' murmured Mr..
Ramage.
May l venture to ask" said Mr..
Wymer, with a glance at his partners
which implied, Be prepared to receive
evidence; something may come of this,
''what kind of ghost you would raise?
for there are varieties, l suppose"
"Oh, yes" said DR.. BaX, with a
chuckle, There are varieties. The
ghost jOcular and the ghost detected;
the dOleSOme and the spri9htly; the
sober and the rakish."
Il beg your PARDON said Mr.. Wy
mer, somewhat scan dalized at this lev
ity.
Beg away, my dear sir; am in the
humor to forgive anything. But to
please you, will be more serious.
He led his friends to the window. Il
am a creature of impulse, my dear Mr..
Wymer; one moment am gay, the
next | am sad"
SanguineOus temperament" sug-
gcsted the lawyer.
Precisely so. Therefore ! will not
ask you, nor you, friend Harrild, nor
you, my dear Laura, to excuse the
changeful vapors Of my varying mood.
That sounds rather poetic, Mr.. Wy
mer?"
Il can not say. Poetry does not
come within the legitimate scope of my
duties"
"Ydu are mistaken, sir; your life
contains much poetry. But. as was
saying, / will not ask you to excuse me
for wandering to personal experience
an episode in our family history
My father-it is forty years since he
died-had a brother Frank, from
whom, years before his death, he had
parted in anger. and whom he never
saw again. Upon his death-bed the
thought of that brother troubled him
greatly. l was not very old at the
time, but | remember well his words:
: Ill could but see Frankr he muir
INJURED; we had so many happy years
We slept together, and went
sure. If / could but see my brother
Frank And he turned TO me, and
bid ME solemnly never to nurse anger
against mortal man. Your uncle and
l quarreled,' he said, and parted with
unforgiving words. If could see him
now, ana press his hand, and exchange
a loving word, should die happy l
have never forgotten his words, and
through all my life have never let the
sun go down upon my wrath.
Doctor Bax still held Laura's hand,
and did not appear to heed the curl
ously-inquiring look Reuben Harrild
cast upon him.
There are mysteries and miseries
in all families" the doctor continued.
% 1t is wonderful the suffering man in
fiicts upon himself"
Reuben, you had a son ="
Laura held her breath.
Yes, | had son." said Reuben,
gently. b" Go on, DOCTOR"
A son whom you have not seen for
years. You parted from him in
anger He went abroad. What if he