Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-11-11


bushes suffused her lovely face and neck
but instead of answering her father.
question she stood idly lingering the
strings of her bonnet. Once or twice
she tried to speak, but though she did
not look up she knew that her fathers
cold, sharp eyes were gazing steadily at
her, and the words were lost in trem.
bling whisper.
"Why don't yer speak out, Miss, in
std o. standin' there as if you'd lost your
tongue2 Why is it see you an Paul
Jennings tergether last nighta"
''Pap," and the soft, sweet voice is
scarcely audible, 'I can't see why YOU
hold anything aginst Paul. No matter
what Others have done, know he hahn t
never harmed hair of yer head, an he
couldn't be hired to do anything agin'
yer fer the world"
"M'liss, I'm s'prised at yer. Jist tel
think that child o. mine should stan
up right in my face an un 'ertake ter bol'
up fer one O. them Jenningses, arter all
I've suffered at their hans. It's er hard
thing ter bear, M'liss, er bard thing ia
know that my own child is willin' ter
fergit 'er pap's wrongs an take up fer
them as has alters been his enemies. II
was bad ernuff fer em to beat me outen
ther claim arter Id improved it, but now
fer my child, ther only being in ther
worP as is likely to keer fer me, ter 90
an hol up fer one of 'em, is a hundred
times worse. never thought afore that
I'd ever live to see ther day when you d
turn ergiu me-"
"Pap, you know I hain't turned ergin
you, an that I wouldn't take up fer no.
body, even to Paul hisself, who was el
enemy to you. But Paul haint done
nothin' fer you to condemn him fer. II
wasn't him that took the claim"
ono, it wasn't him as took ther claim
but it wus his father, an the Jenningses
air all alike"
"Has Paul ever held up fer his fa.he,
in the matter?"
~ donno as he has an I don't know
as he hain't, but know he's one of thel
family an that's ernuff."
"Pap, you do Paul wrong. He aim
nowise ter blame fer what was done year,
ergo, an ef you'd get to know him you't
say he wasn't bad"
81 don't want ter know him, an
don't want you to hev nothin' more te
do with i'm. I said years ergo that In,
an mine 'ud never mix er mlngle in an,
way with ole Joel Jennings's family; an
fer my part I've KEEP to that promise
an SO did yer poor mother while sh,
lived, an hoped you would"
cit amt Christian, pap, ter hold e
grudge so long, an ergin ther innocent,
too"
cit may not be Christian, M'liss, bu
it amt likely I'll fergit my wrongs Will,
the Jenningses live on my land an he,
all ther comforts o. life, an me an mine
has ter git erlong ther best we kin on thi.
poor forty; an it amt likely so we'll he,
this long, fer Smiths goin' to close the
mortgage less'n l raise ther money tel
pay int'rust, an KANT do tibet fer Nv,
tried high an low. No, it amt likel,
that Im goin' ter fergit an fergive a
sich er time"
M'lisss face blanched at hearing thes,
words, for they were the first intimatior
she had received of the closing of tn,
mortgage on the little home. As sh
looked at her fathers aged and bent form
and careworn features, and recalled al
the hardships and sufferings he had passet
through, and pictured out in her imagin
aticn what the future would be, sh
could not find it in her heart to blam
him for the bitter grudge he held agains
Joel Jennings. But Paul was SO unlik
his father--so kind and gentle, and al
ways mindful of the welfare of others
She knew that her father had no righ
to blame him. They were both lon,
time silent, then M'liss came and put he
arms about her fathers neck and kisse
him.
''I don't want you to think, pap, ths
I'd ever take sides agin you, not even fe
Paul. I've tried fer be faithful to 70
all my life, an intend to 90 on so."
"Yes, l know Miss, what you've bee
ter me. and know you mean we'll. Br
lovin' Paul as you do, it's hard to be tt
ward me what you've allus BEEN"
''Paul's so good an kind, an do lov
him, pap, an it hurts me to think
never hevin' nothin' ter dc with i'm n
mare"