The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-01
A NEW YEAR REUNION

rrtacherous mother left no trace OF be
IN him. He is all minel Another yea
will see Jack through his medical col
legc. Then, with my son my partner.
can look outside of business and perhap
can love again"
DIR. Stielson's sister entered-MissS Sue
"a man is down stairs, brother, with
box for you. He is sinister and mysteri
GUS and will not give his name, but mus
see you"
mo subject peddler? have got owe
that. Let him come up. Stand, sister
outside the door and listen"
A man like a robber. with swelled fea
lures, came in with parcel.
"Wellg'
lis that your name or initialsr askeC
the man, producing a surgical instru
ment of silver.
Undoubtedly. How did you come by
it,"
Il took it in trade from a young man
think see his picture ON that mantel.
"Slandererl Deceiveri' exclaimed DR.
Suelson. That is my only SON."
Take your hand from my throat,
doctor. lam afraid Of you. If I should
cry Murder what would become OF
that young man? See here!"
He opened his package. and il con-
tanned a full set of costly surgical in
struments in DR.. Stielson's speciality, of
late not much used, but he recognized
every article.
Your reputation, said the Illicit deal
er, sis such that put the clew upon my
bargain at once. Iasked the young man
for a receipt when paid him the money
swear that see his photograph there.
Can YOU swear this is not his handwrit-
ingT"
The doctor looked and groaned and
sank into his chair.
"Sue, settle with this person. o my
God"
The sister did as she was hidden, dis
missed the fence shopkeeper and came
back.
Jack is a thief, Sue. He has robbed
his father. What is to be done!"
Nothing. II is bad enough already. "
II can never trust him again-never
recommend him. Our ways part from
this moment. Let him never see met
Brother, il is New Years eve."
THE night / married his accused
mother. Have l toiled and spent the
hours Of sleep in storm and midnight con-
sultation to gain a national fame only to
come to this pang-I have no sony'
He tainted, who had a nerve Of steel
and could cut to the very membrane be-
perienced and gave him restoratives and
heard him continue TO moan and rave.
"Be stillv' she said at length. "Do You
suppose this affiicts me noti What have
10 love but Jack? If you throw him
of, | will go with him. Now bewarer'
"Oh. if he had killed some one in an
ARRAY If he had set the city on fire! If
he had been anything but a theft"
Enough. He is a thief. That is all
of it. A thief was forgiven on the cross,
where you and l are now. shall for
give him"
81 never will"
Then you are a bad man. Perhaps
you have stolen yourself some time.
Look below your hard heart, Pierce
Stielson, and reflect"
She heard key in the door below and
left her brother, sick herself Of the mis-
cry which had come upon that house.
New Years ever exclaimed the doc
tor, and he threw himself upon the floor,
not for the first time in his life, TO know
the ache Of the broken heart.
He had come TO Philadelphia from
Delaware, ont Of an apothecary's shop, 4
study medicine. Excessive ambition from
boyhood on had annealed his real sensi
bilities With the fire Of energy till he wa
like boiler full Of fire, his rivets Of lif,
ever screwed mp, his leisure nothing bur
cold exhaustion. His was a name Of fam,
now without personality.
All knew that he had separated from
his wife soon after their marriage an,
was soured, but his son seemed 10 fill tn,
vacant place. His own integrity wa
everywhere understood, and a very few
knew that this man Of indifferent man
ners and hurry and intensity had a sec
ond nature beneath the first that was hk,
an undeveloped childhood.
Pure misery he felt now, the it'll,
thing he had not watched-filial truth
taking him like an assassin upon his owl
threshold.
He could not cry; he could not reason
His absolute nature and faith had beer
for the second time destroyed.
There were bottles on his mante
which could kill. They had often oc
CURED to him as instant reliefs from IS,
much living and 80 little resulting. II,
felt like dying now by his own act. n,
fear Of the grisly had he, but he was de
TERED by pride.
II he could almost wish his son woul,
read Of his fathers suicide and becom
penitent, there was a woman who NIGH
think the love Of her had caused il an,
exult!
How honorable, he thought, had beel
his life; the uniform meeting Of his bills
the apprehension of debt, the fidelity o
his contracts, his disregard Of avaric
while accommodating prosperity. An
yet his sister had but now thrown Il II
him that he might once have been
thief.
He thief Now he did weep in il
dignation!
"Never, never
Oh, memory
He faltered to say "never" again, f.
there crept into his mind the memory
two distinct actsof dishonesty commits
IN childhood. which he had forgotten Z,
30 wears