The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-11-16

bushes suffused her lovely face and neck,
but instead Of answering her fathers
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 a trem-
bling whisper.
"Why don't yer speak out, M'liss, in.
std o. standin' there as if you'd lost your
touguel Why is it see you an Paul
Jennings tergether last nightR"
"Pap," and the soft, sweet voice is
scarcely audible, ~ 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 ter
think that child O. niue should stan
up right in my face an un 'ertake ter hol'
up fer one O. them Jenningses, arter all
I've suffered at their hans. It's er hard
thing ter bear, Mliss, er hard thing to
know that my own child is willin' ter
fergit 'er pap's wrongs an take up fer
them as has alters been his enemies. 1t
was bad ernuf fer 'em to beat me outen
ther claim arter I'd improved it, but now
fer my child, ther only being in ther
worl' as is likely to keer fer me, ter 20
an hol' up fer one of 'em, is hundred
times worse. l never thought afore that
I'd ever live to see ther day when you'd
turn ergin me-"
''Pap, you know hain't turned ergiu
you, an that ] wouldn't take up fer no.
body, even to Paul hisself, who was er
enemy to you. But Paul hain't done
nothin' fer you to condemn him fer. II
wasn't him that took the claim.n
"No, 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 father
in the matters"
"I donno as he has an I don't know
as he hain't, but know he's one of tbel
family an that's ernuff."
"Pap, you do Paul wrong. He aim
nowise ter blame fer what was done year.
ergo, an eff you'd get to know him you'd
say he wasn't bad"
al don't want ter know him, an
don't want you to hev nothin' more tel
do with i'm. l said years ergo that IN,
an mine 'ud never mix er mingle in any
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"
''It amt Christian, pap, ter hold eI
grudge so long, an ergin ther innocent,
too"
ait may not be Christian, Miss. n
it amt likely I'll fergit my wrongs while
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 ther
mortgage less'n l raise ther money tel
pay int'rust, an KANT do thet fer Tyt
tried high an low. No, it amt likel,
that I'm goin' ter fergit an fergive al
sich er time"
M'liss's face blanched at hearing thes,
words, for they were the first intimatiou
she had received of the closing of the
mortgage on the little home. As sh,
looked at her fathers aged and bent form
and careworn features, and recalled all
the hardships and sufferings he had passed
through, aud pictured out in her imagin
ation what the future would be, she
could not find it in her heart to blam,
him for the bitter grudge he held against
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 a Ions
time silent, then M'liss came aud put he
arms about her fathers neck and kisset
him.
al don't want you to think, pap, tha
I'd ever take sides agin you, not even fe
Paul. I've tried fer be faithful to yol
all my life, an intend to go on so.
"Yes, l know Miss, what you've beer
ter me, and know you mean we'll. Blu
loVin' Paul as you do, its hard to be to
ward me what you've allus been"
''Paul's so good an kind, an do Low
him, pap, an it hurts me to think q
never hevin' nothin' ter do with i'm n
more"