Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-16

carried them on Whlle hale ana talked 70
an eminent rose-culturist who had just in
vented new rose of a pink that was yellow,
and yellow that was pink.
All at once heard little cry, and Miss
Woolstine appeared at the door opening
into her room. Her face was white as snow,
her eyes filled with horror. did not wait
for her to speak, but at once arose and went
into her little Office. For a moment she
stood still looking at me
81 cannot tell you" she whispered.
Is it bad news-oad news for me?"
She nodded her head like dumb person.
Now, as my wife was dead and had no
child, and 1 knew my Office was safe, my
heart beat still steadily as 1 took her hand
in mine.
Nothing dreadful can happen to me, my
child. 1 am so poor that Hale has little to
take from mel But you-do not be afraid
10 tell me.-My poor girl!'
She looked at me still with great horror
in her eyes; she turned her head back and
gasped for breath, her voice was choked and
she could not speak.
"Do not distress yourself so;' held her
hand firmly in my own, ''If the trouble is
mine do not so increase it; if it is yours, let
me help you bear it!''
ST is Jack!'' she gasped, "Jacki-They
have killed himl They have raided the
ofice-they have killed him."
All, L was not so poorl Fate had left me
possession-vague, not in my grasp, but
still a possession, for it was Jack 1 had
meant to know, Jack, who was yet to be my
son and to inherit my fortune. And so, 1
in turn, looked in horror at her.
"How do you know it?'' asked.
She pointed to the paper still in her hand.
And there it was-all in head lines! A mob,
an attack on the He'll Beacon, a defense,
pistol shots, a dash into the office, and a
tearing out of all that was in it. Jacks
body had been carried off by the mob.
And he was dead. The handsome, gay
fellow who found life with me too slow even
to try for a little. And be was my wile's
nephew, and had not tried to make the
career l offered him pleasant and inviting.
sat down crushed and guilty, Tor, at least,
1 should have forced him to leave the
miners, or cease his rating of the strikers.
1 could not look at Margaret But in a
moment she was kneeling by me, and she
was telling me that he was not dead-no,
no, not deadi eff he was dead they would
not carry him away. He is alive; OH you
may be sure he is alive, and we must go at
once to him. We must find him, for he
must be sorely hurt, and we will have to
nurse him. Come" she said.
''Not you, my poor child" L answered.
81 cannot ask this of you. But you are
right. He may not be dead, yet even If he
is, it is my duty to go. The scoundrels!
The poor boy"
did not weep. She looked at me with
ghastly smile.
"What would Jack say if you came with
out me? He would never believe me
neverl And II oh, do you think could
stay here? should go mad, mad"
Margaret, you do not know what you
say. You never knew my nephew, dear
child"
She turned her head away as if in appeal.
"Ask him that question: Why he loved
me-he told me that his love for me would
be his death-and laughed at that-yes, Il
did 1 thought my fate far the hardest
But could not tell him so. You see the
very wedding day was fixed, and could
not tell him that I loved him better than
the man 1 was going to marry. Could 1?
You are his uncle, but you know could
not. Sometimes women have to listen when
they cannot answer"
81 do not understand you, but you must
be calmer. You must sit down. Hale,
come speak to her. do not know whether
she knows what she says"
Indeed knew very well. It was who
killed him. 1! Il He was desperate He
did not care. He told me he should not
care"
Hale was standing at the door, our visitor
had vanished, and looked in mute appeal
to nv friend, still feeling that the girl was
distracted. But Hale understood. He
came directly to her, took her in his strong
grasp and made her sit down. He gave
her drink of water and sat down in front
of her. "Now," said he, "we will help
you; but first you must control yourself,
and tell us so we can understand. If Jack
is to be helped, cool heads, not broken
hearts will have to do it. Crawford" and
he turned to me- "sit down. You are as
much upset as she is. Now what is the
matter with Jack? 1t is Jack Lewis, your
nephew, suppose?"
1 silently handed him the paper and he
read it without a word of comment. "And
you knew him?" he said to Margaret
She nodded her head. "And you were
engaged to him?"
The color swept up over the face that had
been so drawn and white.
"No," she answered, 81 was not engaged
to him." She looked from one to the other,
put her hand to her throat as if she was
choking. Then she spoke:
81 will have to tell you'll 1t was nv fault
because l should have come away sooner. 1
met him in the Adirondacks last summer,
and we were in the same party, because I
was visiting the wife of an old college
friend of his, and thought there was no
harm in it-in seeing him SO often, mean
because everyone knew 1 was engaged to my
cousin. But the night before 1 leltthere he
begged me to break the engagement and he
told me what was true, that didn't love nv
cousin. But did not know then that 1
could not marry Ned Mason. You see, I
had been engaged to him ever since was Is
and refused to even think of breaking it.
Jack said some hard, hard things 10 me,
and I was angry with him. After 1 came
home found could easier die than marry
Ned. And my uncle was so violently die.
appointed that had ) leave the house.
Then I came here"
The shadow of a smile passed over Hale's
face, but I took her hand in mine.
''And you did rightly" said. "I was the
one to whom you should have come"
"But 1 came because I had so often
watched you in church and thought there
never was so kind a face, and heard how
good you were to the girls you had here, and
of course, had to earn some money,
would not take any from my uncle"
"Still you knew was Jacks uncle"
eyes" she said gently.
The very incoherence and simplicity of
her little story touched me greatly, and 1
looked at Hale expecting to read in his eyes
pity, sympathy. Instead l saw judgment
and disapprobation. l knewihe condemned
her as a coquette who had not known her
own mind. This greatly resented, and /
felt he was narrow and prejudiced. And
because he was hard in his thoughts of her,
became more tender, and 1 should have |
liked to have comforted her as I should my