Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-05

Vincent's lip curled; he did not put his
disdain into words.
| "a painful revelationP" his father con.
tinued, in more oracular fashion. "Oh, YES.
| no doubt But occasionally the truth is
bitter and wholesome ar the same time.
what you believe about the girl is one
thing; what know about her Is another;
| indeed, can gather that il was only through
her artihce that the old mans impostures
were accepted, or tolerated, at all. What is
heT-a farceur-a poseur-who would az
once have been sent to the right about but
ior the lngenue by his side, with her inno-
cent eyes and her sad look. When the
writer of the begging letter calls, his story
might be inquired into; but noI-for here is
this interesting young lady-and the hard.
est heart declines to eross-examine while shs
|, is standing there. And, of course, she must
go to the newspaper Offices, to bsguile the
editor with her silent distress while her
grandfather is wheedling him ont
OF a loan; or she accompanies him
to the wine merchant, or the book
seller, or the tailor, 80 that nothing
can be said about unpaid accounts vhiIs
she is by; and Of course there is a renewal
OF credit. A very simple and effective
trick: even where the people know the old
man to be rogue, they are sorry for the
girl, and they have a pleasing sense
OF virtue IN allowing themselves to be
mulcted: they little suspect that she is By
far the more accomplished swindler OF the
two"
Here Vincen. laughed, in open scorn; but
the laugh was forced one; and his eyes
were lowering.
Il am glad you consider il laughing
matter" said Mr.. Harris-who found il less
easy to combat this contemptuous unbelief
than If he had been met with indignation
and wrath. perhaps, after all, the story
is no revelation? Perhaps your complai-
sance goes further than merely tolerating
the old mans lies? Perhaps the glamof
the girl has thrown over you would lead
you to accept her just as she is. her hy-
pocrisy, her craft, And all? Or perhaps you
have planned out for yourself a still more
brilliant future than any that had occurred
to your friends? Perhaps you aim at being
the old mans successor? It Is an easy way
OF getting through life, having a woman
like that by your side, to earn your living
for you. The lover of Manon Lescaut-"
Vincent leaped to his feet his eyes
ahame.
''You 60 too far, be said, breathing hard.
You 60 too far. I have been trying to re-
member you are my father; don't make It
too difficult. What do I care about this
into your hesd-this trash-this venomous
guessing? Il is nothing to me. 1t is idle
air. know otherwise. But when it comes
to insult-well, il is all an insult; but some
thing must be forgiven to ignorance; the
people who have supplied you witq this
guesswork rubbish are probably as ignorant
as yourself about those two. Only-no more
insults, If you pleased I am your son; but
but there are limits to what you ask me to
bear in patience. You talk Of my madness
and infatuation; it is your madness, your
infatuation. What can you say Of your
own knowledge Of that old man and his
granddaughter? Why, nothing. You have
never spoken to them; never seen them.
And yet without an atom of inquiry, with
out an atom of proof, you 20 and accept all
this tissue Of guesswork-this r1bbish-tkis
trash-as if it were gospel; and you expect
me to give il patient hsarinz2 Itistoo
contemptiblel"
"Yes, but unfortunately" said Mr.. Har-
ris, with grear calmness-for now he felt he
had the advantage on his side, '.you are
mistaken in supposing that have made no
inquiry and have received no proof The
inquiry has been made for me With xfssS
skill and patience during ths past mouth