The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-05
CHAPTER !.

The neat little maid-servant tripped out
into the neat little hall and ushered the
visitor in. AIr. DsdleY was a clergyman.
Anyone could see that by the cut OF his
long black coat and the little white bow
at his throat He was q large, heavy
man an ample and a sombre man, with
loose, bsggy cheeks and a very bald head.
II received your letter. Miss Pettifer.
and / am here TO counsel you, to the best
Of my humble abilities. To-the-best-
of-Dy-humble-ab
lie spoke slowly, reflectively, and had a
habit Of even more slowly repeating the
last few words of his sentences. as il he
were carefully posing and weighing them
and trying to make them balance.
ut is very kind of you to come. am
In great trouble. But won't you sit down,
srr?" ssid Miss Pettfer, with a quaint
mingling of reverence ana apologize
courtesy. but with no sign of trouble on
her hard features. no sound OF trouble in
her clear, cold voice.
The Rev. Mr.. Dadey turned ponder
Ously about. deposited bis hat on the ta-
Bile, dropped his black kid gloves into it.
and sank down in the cosey, olo-iashioned
armchair with a prolonged sigh. He was
such large man that he made everything
in the parlor look smaller than 1t was
For il was a very small. neat little room,
and the furniture harmonized with the
smallness of the roOn, aud the size Of
Miss Pettifer was in harmony with the
furniture.
DUTY" said Mr.. Dadley presently. sigh
ing and looking az the csiling-"duty, my
dear friend. is always pleasant. II is not
nearly always unpleasant; but. being
duty, it must be done. Must ? bs-done."
al want you to tell roe, said Miss Petit
fer calmly, what nv duty If"
ITO be sure. To-be-sure," responded
Mr.. Dadley. "Now, l have thought cam
estly over il all, and having known and
watched your abandoned nephew, George
Pascoe. from his boyhood upward, l trust
that l am right feel that l am right in
saying: No; YOU must not do it, Ger
tainly not. No-certainly-not."
Miss Pettifer looked at him steadily,
without speaking, and he continued, with
a studied information and grave earnest
ness which was really impressive:
III know ALL have considered all. |
know how you loved your younger sister,
how true you were TO her. Who but YOUR
self said a word Ia her behalf when. for
gstiul of her duty to her widowed mother,
she ran away from home and married a
man unworthy Of herr She went her
willful way; her mother died without for
giving her; and when sorrow and death
overtake her, 10 whom does she turn for
help but to your Your love is still hers;
you 90 TO her. find her in abjeot poverty,
deserted by the ecoundrei VINO married
her, and you minister 10 her dying needs.
Her one child, a boy OF seven. she leaves
L T. 1
your trust? You have kept him, clothed
him, schooled him; YOU have stinted him
in nothing. Your love for your sister
moves you TO do all this and more You
do il all for her sake-for love OF her Not
for the boys sake. Him you never
loved"
Miss Pettifer made q movement as If to
interrupt him, but checked herself,
dropped her heod in mute acquiescence,
and he went on:
"You did your duty, but you could not
love him. How could YOU? True, he ia
your sisters child. but he is also the child
Of the man who darkened your old home
and made your sisters young lie misera-
bic. Her death 10 AZ his door. You could
not love that mans child, but you did oil
else but love him. With the wilfulness
Of his mother the boy has the utterly bad
heart Of hrs father. How has he repaid
your One NAV forgive much mischief In
boy, but not such heartless, malicious
mischief as was brought home to him so
often that his name became by-word in
the town. lie did not love you, anu did
not care what sorrow and shame he
brought upon you. On my advice, you
sent him away 20 school. There, young as
he was-ioT be was still only eighteen-he
was soon found 20 be indulging in secret
gambling, drinking, and riotous living.
He communicates his sChool-ie lows, terri
bic reports come TO you here, and over
and over again you nay heavy sums to re-
lieve him from debt and degrad alton: but
at last he falls into such disgrace that he
il expelled. lie sneaks back TO you-the
spiritess hound with promises of
amendment Promises-of-am ndment
What are they worth? In the weeks that
followed, how many times did no get
money from you-wheed ing il out OF you.
or sven robbing you of it ii he could not
get it otherwise? How many times did
he come 10 your door after midnight
senselessly intoxicated? How many times
did you forgive him, for your sisters sake?
All And now"
He paused, and spread his hands out
expressively.
Vow" said Miss Pettifer quietly, "it is
worse than ever"
Norse-than-ever, repeated Mr.
Dadley. when you persuaded Mr.. Grel-
lin, your fathers old friend, to give the
graceless scoundrsl a chance, thinking
that if the boy could get free OF his old
companions here, he might settle down TO
work in London, under Mr.. Grellin's care,
and 90 right yet-what was your resolve Z?
You remember what you told the boy
here, IN my presence, on the day he left
your"
II told him." said Mics Pettifer, "that if
he did wrong again be should bear what
ever punishment he had earned. that
would not shield him any more because
/ felt that il only encouraged him in
wrong-doing. l told him that, so long as
he lived honorably and well, l would help
him IN every way ! could, but that il he
fell into his old bad ways again would
help him no more-I would utterly dis
own him"
Uterly-disown-him repeated Mr..
Dadley; yes. And now he has gone
from bad TO worse. Betrayed his master s
trust. Got into difficulty through gam
bling and loose living. and forged his mas
ter's name to a check for GOO. Takes adj
vantage OF his masters absence 10 do it,
and hides mis- crime by classifying his &C.
counts. Now he is found out, arrested
and rem6nded, and Mr.. Grellin rightly