The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-15

grown reckless. / must 50.
II don { see anything ofthe sort!" roared
my Yes 81 81. Thank ron for your good
ness to me. It's been more than you think.
More than you can ever know. Tit
breaks me ali up-to 60. But must. ]"
"Look here p cried Mr.. tibley, II always
said there was m ont about yop. il could
only find Il. And here It isl What II this
bee in your bonnetf John--is ills =
that had al 3 fathers tenderness in 1t.
Because if It is'-as there came no
answer" that's oil right"
I'll cannot-marry her, sir" with
down-hung head.
"You can't marry my daughter, sir |"
began the master, and he stopped, thun-
derstruck, to comprehend the statements
ns" ersd s cam maI hiznss into
rage. II should like to know what's the
reason you can't marry my daughterl Do
you mean to say that you came here,
young whipper snapper from nowhere,
nothing, . nobody, and break my
daughters heart, and ruin her life, and"
.'stop, stop, stop, Mr.. Sibleyl" cried
John, as white ~ ashes. II should ruin
her life, indeed, il | stayed"
He waited q moment, looking his en-
ployer fun in the face-as Mr.. Sibley after
ward told his wife-as fixed as if he were
q saint carved in marble among all those
bales and barrels. 81 meant to tell you"
he said presently. moving his lips as II
with an effort. II meant to tell you AZ
soon as You began to be 30 good to me.
And then I felt that it was my only
chance in life. and couldn't. l thought,
too, it would give you pain-a mans
punishment pursues him all his life, You
see and hated 10. And / hated to see
the look you would have to give me when
told you. And thought then, perhaps you
thousand miles away. And kept along.
And when found / was begin Wing to care
for her, / made up my mind that must
gO--and il was hard-and II never
dreamed Of her caring for me! I would
have soon have dreamed of an angel out OF
heaven STOPPING to me! And when
found out that she did, l felt sure she
would get over it with me out of the way
--and-and only waited for you to come
back"
"What in thunder are you driving at y"
"a man who helps the helpless gave me
q suit of clothes, and l worked my passage
down here. When you gave me that team
to drive was just q fortnight out OF
aThat sol" said Mr.. sibley. And he
turned on his heel and went into the little
counting room and shut the door.
How many minutes, how many hours,
John stood immovable, just as he had been
left among the tuns and bags and boxes, he
could not have said. All thought, all emo.
ton. seemed to have been wrung out OF
him-he was not even suffering. At last
one Of the hands returned; John nodded
to him, took his hat and coat and went up
to the house 10 put his things together.
They were few, his possessions there,
but his hands trembled so that it took him
some time. When he was through he
heard the murmur of voices down below.
Should he leave the house where he had
He went down and hesitatingly turned
the handle of the sitting room door. Mr..
Sibley was there, too.
W-I-only came to say goodby. Oh,
sir! would give my right hand if"
You can give your right hand now,
John, said Mr.: Sibley. "You can give
your right hand to Annie. I'm willing.
for what you said in the store, we won't
consider that. I'm glad that's the only
been anything but q boy when
all that happened. You're hardly
more than boy now. I don't believe
there's ten men alive that hasn't taken
pennies, or apples, or something that didn't
got into bad company, some way,
/ suppose, and temptation came
that was too much for you when you were
weakened. You've grown since then,
grown the right way, strengthened. II
you'd been born crooked, you've had every
chance since you've been with me to
feather your nest. You could have run
away with handy capital for rogue
more than once. You're an honest man
by nature. John"
"Oh, am, am, mean to bel" cried
John, with shaking voice.
"We're forgiven otlr sins" said Mr.. Sib-
ley, solemnly, when we've become SO
that nothing on earth could make us COM
init them again. The Lord forgave you
long ago, John, when the posi-
bility of doing that wrong again
was drowned out of you. I don't
know why should set up to be any better
this again. Well never think of it again.
Well begin the year by putting the old
things behind US. YOU'RE as honest man as
me, John. Your mother an me 60 together
here; we believe in you; we're going to
prove it by giving you the dearest thing
on earth that's ours. 1t shall be q new
year for all of US. It shall give me what
wanted all my life and never had, and
that's son-and if I picked the world
over; John. couldn't find one more to my
mind than what you be, John. Come now
said Mr.. Sibley, putting up his bandanna,
You amt going to have time to think it
over. Old Peachblow's in the kitchen, just
down from the woods. I'll send him for the
minister. Mother, there's some black cake
in the stone jar, amt there? Well, wen
have quiet wedding here this afternoon,
and settle things, and then you and Annie
can go off for that little change we was
speaking of You go to Annie in the west
parlor, now, John.
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