The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-05

hung heavily upon him.
News of his death ut Pittslurg
l.andingappeared in the papers, aud
to no one except his sister did Char
lie correct this error, and she kept
the secret of his whereabouts. Hero
lie was in these barracks u cripple
for lie, aud by that fnct shut of
from his vic and reconciliation with
the Captain. He could not retrieve
himself.
In this story which we had learned
was the full explanation of Chnrlie's
melancholy. How should we MD
him? was now the question, for our
sympathy was aroused. and we de.
termincdto endenvor to bring about
II reconciliation with the farher OF his
wife.
But where should We find kit Roy
ers? Our first step was TO take the
young mans sister into our conf.
Gence aud offer to nssist in bring
ing nbont the desired rencw..l of
friendship with the old man. Jennie
entered heartily into our plan. Our
correspondence was carried on with
the greatest secrecy, ind we learned
from her TINT Kate was still living,
now with her father. After lie had
been assured Of Charities death, the
Captain had gone to France, whittier
he had sent her to her mothers peo.
pie and brought her bnck.
But Kate was n changed woman;
SO changed, indeed, that her old nc
quaintances scarcely knew her. The
beautiful color in her cheeks was no
longer there. Her once laughing
blue eyes were sunken and lusterless.
Her features bore n wan look, and
she had grown retiring and silent,
stunning company of which she had
once been the lille. And the old Cap
tain? He had failed to crush her love
for Charlie, and in attempting it he
had ruined the health and beauty
and ambition of the one being he
really loved. He had wronged II
bright young man, the only one who
could have made her happy, the son
Of one who had ever been u staunch
friend to him in the days of early
struggle and made him what lie was.
| And the thoughts Of all this, with
the constant pain lie endured ut the
fact of his daughter being Indifferent
to him, even stunning him, preyed
i upon his mind, and bore their fruit.
All That he could do or she would oil.
low him Ito did for Kate. Nothing
was too good for her. But with it
: all. she betrayed so little cure about
what lie did or about what he did or
about him, that ut times he grew
wild with his own feelings. "Alas,"
he cried: Il would give ull possess
to Ike able to undo this great
wrong"
When Charles sister became nc
quainted with these facts she began
to tell her friends that she llutl heard
from the Chaplain OF the hospital in
d certain city that Charlie wns still
living. The news soon reached the
ears oi the now careworn and gray
haired old man. One morning he up.
pearcd ut tho house where Jennie
was staying and asksd'to see her.
In broken, almost incoherent words,
and with bowed head. the grief
stricken father sued for pardon of
the one whose brother lie had SO
cruelty wronged, and besought her
to tell him the truth.
eyes," She said in answer to his
eager questioning, sit is my belief
that Charlie is still alive, but he has
been badly wounded, and is a Grip
pie for li:e."
&, "Thank God, thank God, he lives,"
cried the old man. IL pray that l
wrong have done"
/ He lost no time in hurrying home
to tell the news to Kate. In spite of
his excitement he managed to mp
proach her with cnlmness. lie wish.
ell not to sturt!e her; she was SO
weak Of late; she had seemed to he
giving up her hold on life, and this
had only increased the old mans at
tention and anxiety.
Exit, my daughter" he said quiet
ly. II have good news for you."
{, She hardly turned her head, but
answered wearily: "There is no good
news for me until the ties broken here
are made whole again in Heaven"
Yes there u.s." said her father. ga
dear friend WHO went into the army
and was reported killed, was only
wounded and is still alive. Can you
guess who he is?"
3; Kate looked straight into her TIL
er's eyes for moment, and then said
slowly: Father, the only one llove
could not return were he alive. You
made him commit n crime which
bnnislied him from his home, and
YOU threatened him and twice ut
tempted to take his life. 1t in we'll
for me that lie is dead. do not care
for the return Of anyone else"
| These words and the sadness of his
daughters tone pierced the old Cap
tain's heart. Falling on his knees
beside her, with bitter anguish lie
cried:
I "kate, my darling daughter, for
give your poor old father for the
misery lie has cnused you and yours.
He sees tho error he made by his own
stubborness, and truly he has sui.
fered much more than he Gun express.
He is now ready to do all in his pow.
er to make YOU happy once more"
He did not wait Tor her answer, but
Selling her in his arms, he pressed her
to his heart, now almost bursting
! with his emotions, and hurriedly lett
the room.
In the solitude of his own room
the old Captain prayed; he who had
never prayed before begged for for
givness from his God for the wrong
lie had done and the. unhappiness he
had caused. He rose with purer
heart and a determination in the
future to make his daughters hap.
piness his first consideration and the
aim of his remaining years. "Ah,"
he thought, "1 only Charlie is really
alive"
Kate felt that the wrong done her
by her father was not sanctioned by
his true nature; that the acts had
been the result OF his impetuous M.
ture. Forgive him? Yes, he was her
father, and she loved him in spite of
the unhappiness he had caused her.
Jennie meanwhile had written the
young man about his wife. also