Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-08-27
CHAPTER VIII

"Do not try to change me-. )" repeated
Louis Kyle.
1t was an appeal to his father rather
than an assertion of his own inhexible
determination.
Il cannot read your past" he went
on, but | see my own present. and /
must work for my own future. This
will do with love for you, my mother
and Nora, but do not force me to DISC
hey by asking me to run counter to my
own sense of duty"
HE has his uncle Fredericks spirit
and his Alcle Frederick's ways. OGod,
o GodP cried the agonized father, and
his fingers again interlocked and his
head fell forward on his breast
"An uncle Frederick exclaimed
Louis. II never heard you speak of him
before. F"
''He is dead" walled the distracted
father.
"Oh, Valentinel Tell him all! Tell
him allp' cried Mrs. Kyle, coming over
and kneeling beside her husband, with
her white hands pressed about his, so
hard and brown. Ease your heart by
telling Louis all. A knowledge of the
one rash act of your life will not quench
his love +"
ooh, my father, there can be no act
in the past that would change me. You
have been to me from my earliest mem
ory my ideal of all that is brave, self
denying and noble. ask not to lift the
urtain Of your past But hear me-be-
ieve me that would die to save You
low that l am ready to bear with you
III the troubles Of the past and to share
With you all the burden they have
rought For many years have noticed
hat the shadow of a great affliction
lung over your heart, and have yearn-
ID to dispel it by the sunshine OF my
,wn love But do not let us yield to
tespair; there are four of us left, he
continued, drawing Nora to his side and
ussing her wet cheeks. IF need be,
Eill give up all else to make you happy,
,ut should scorn myself if l did not
ollow the light that / have, and that
light leads me to act for your good as
veil as mine.
Trust him, husband Trust Louis,
,leaded Mrs Kyle.
Valentine Kyle heaved q sigh, and,
ompressing his lips, raised his agonized
ace to the ceiling. Gould he open his
leart to his own son-to this only son,
or the other was worse than dead
md show him there the blood stains that
lad remained fresh through all the
years since that awful night?
The conflict between desire and
Ihame, duty and love, the confirmed
habit Of secrecy and the fear Of letting
II more light, and Of knowing what his
ION might think of him, was fearful
out brief.
II will tell Louis all, all, he said,
Itraightening up, with such an express
non ON his face as brave men wear when
;he ship is sinking beneath them.
"Shall Nora and 1 withdraw" asked
Mrs Kyle, taking her daughter hand
md leading her toward the door.
"Yes, wife, and tell her the whole
ruth. The years have made our secret
100 big and heavy for two to bear We
thought that time would obliterate it.
but it has grown and grown and gnaw-
I'd into my soul like rusting fetters ON
ihe limbs of a prisoner.
Mrs Kyle bowed and with Nora left
the room and quietly closed the door BE-
mind her When they were alone, Louis
said, Let us sit side by side, father,
and let me hold your hand rs when l
was a child"
"No, no, Louis, yo1 cannot hold my
hand till you have heard my story, for
rs speak you mil fiing it from you
with scorn, and tina, s,nuld I'LL me. "
II swear to you by ,".i Hod whom
you taught me to worshI! mt | could
not do such a deed II l say, Jour arm
Redeemed by the blood of the innocent
10 the shoulder cried Louis with i'm
passioned intensity.
"Do you see this hand, my sonT' Mr..
Kyle held his right arm up and spread
out the fingers
81 do, father"
docs it differ from other hands?'
at is brave and gentle and strong.
Yes, yes, it differs from every hand in
the world 1t is my fathers hand. "
1T is the hand Of q murderer, " said
tho father, sinking his voice and speak
ing 80 rapidly that his nostrils dilated
and his hungry eyes were eating into
his sons startled face.
"Of murderer" Louis trembled and
turned pale under the blow.
Eyes, Of murderer; of fratricidal
murderer I slew my brother 18 years
agony brother Frederick, your uncle,
and the bravest, finest man on whom
Gods sunshine ever fell That is why
took my wife and two baby boys and
fed into this wilderness. That is why
thought the shadow of these everlasting
hills would shield my face from men
and my sin from heaven But the very
solitude that promised relief has but in
tensifed the consciousness Of the crime
that has blasted my life. "
Overcome with emotion, Valentino
Kyle kneeled beside the bed and buried
his face in his hands This startling but
indefinite confession overwhelmed Louis
for n moment, but only for a moment
Springing from his chair he went over
and knelt beside his father, and, encir-
cling his neck with his right arm. he