The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-01-27

tender care OF NE
And she answered, Agnes Grey, the
only gratitude l ask IS belief in Us. The
people down there and she pointed
with her brown hand toward the town
"call Us the ehildreno murderer. We
are children Of masiyr instead. new
er saw my father, bui We both know he
was innocent. Aud Gideon remembers
his kindness, his tenderness. his gentle
ness and his honorf
~Your Uncle Matthew-forgive me, but
it is the truth-was . wild, bad fellow.
He quarreled with nv father, not father
with him, and the DEBT was paid. Moth
er saw il done and heard him boast that
the money should tzke him beyond the
reach Of irksome laws and chattering
toHgues. And as for the bloody hand
kerchief be had cut bis hand, and un-
bound and washed L, and tied it up
afresh in mothers very sight that day.
Don't dare to doubt il; don't be so cruel
as TO doubt it, Agnes
Then she brought me 10 the picture
that they kept as a sacred relic, and YER
ses written by his hand, and tender love
letters yellow with age and, as 1 looked
at the face-so sweet 50 good, so ike that
of the Gideon Lee knew felt sure
that those who stood before me, though
they were the children Of the man who
was hung, were not the offspring of a
murderer. And afterward Gideon also
spoke.
"It is hard to bear" he said-@hard to
know that we must bear it all our lives;
but if you could only see the truth-if
only, without proof, you viii understand
that we know no murder has ever been
done by our dear fathers hand-we, who
have his pictured face upon the wall, the
letters written to our mother, the words
our mother wrote, begging Us to read
them often when she was dead and new
er doubt the man who, on his knees in
the condemned cell, calling on God to
witness his last words, had sworn 70 his
wife, who would have loved him even
had he, in some hasty moment, dealt
fatal blox, that he knew nothing Of Mat
thew Grey's death, and even doubted
that he was dead at all-if you can be
Iieye with Us, and not With those who
we're his mlrderers, l, at least shall have
g lighter heart"
And put my hand into his and gave
the other to Madge, and said honestly,
4 do believe as you do, and always VII"
And so 1 went away but took their
faces with me, their pleasant ways, their
voices. As for Gideon's face, it haunted
me. There was about him charm that
no one else ever he'd. They were all
quaint, all charming in their way, but he
most Of all.
A pretty scandal there was through
the town when began to go down to
the farmhouse 70 see my friends /
knew il, and fought it bravely-
"Gideon Lee never killed anyone" I
vowed aloud to those who chided me.
1 will not pain his children for the fault
Of others"
But there in the town were those who
had been at the trial, and eleven Of the
jury and the witnesses and under q
stone in the graveyard were the bones
that had been sworn TO as Uncle Mat
thews, and, in bleak, lonely spot near
the prison, the coffin ofthe man who was
hung and how dared I, a baby almost
at the time, to Judge for myself?
I knew they were right enough but L
never faltered. was as sure as Madge
was that her father never killed Uncle
Matthew.
/ They would not come to nv home. In
deed, grandfather would have had the
door closed in their faces but nothing
could keep me from them. And it was
dangerous work, for me, too, as l began
to know before long, to sit so much by
Gideon Lees side, to hear his dear voice
so often, to feel nv heart thrilling with a
loving pity for him for which had no
words. He was my wounded and des-
pised knight, this dear Gideon Lee, be
fore had known him three short months
and 1 would have given my life for him.
But he said no words Of love to me, nor
to aim. Just friends We were, and moth
ing more, outwarIly. That was enongh
for the town-enough for grandfather.
found my dearest friends grow cold.
Even the clergyman asked me if il
would not harm me to hold companion
ship with such people"
Ana I said, They are the best people
| 1 have ever known. And even had then
father done the deed for which he died
they would be no worse for it. As it IS
he was murdered, and you are sll cruel
to these poor children of his-cruel and
unehristian-"
50 he left me angrily and so many
friend left me and all my comfort wa
to sit betweed Madge and Gideon in the
quiet evenings and talk TO them.
Just 50 we were sitting one evening
when grandfather walked into our midsi
and elutehed me iereely liy the arm NJ
need to repeat the words he uttered. Th'
insults stung me as sharply as they could
Gideon Lees children. But be forbade
me ever to speak TO them again, and tool
me home with him.
The last glimpse caught of the broth
er and sister showed them to be stsndins
hand in hand, their fingers clutched tight
their teeth set, their faces white with
wrath, under the-moonlight. 1t was ny
last glimpse for many years, for the dal
after this we sailed for Canada Grand
father was Canadian, and it was partly
to revisit his native land and partly 4
put the ocean between the Lees and M
that he took the voy4ge- But he could
not tear my heart from them. Loves
them better than any people lever met
most of all loved Gideon.
But never heard of him or from him
nor could CUES whether he lived or died
remembered or forgot me, for three Ions
years.
At the end Of that time my grandfath
er died, and I, his heiress, returned TO N.
native land rich woman and my owl
/ mistress, though this was the codicil Il
| the will that left me all Il, Henry Grey