Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-03-25

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pallor from her own--his pallor like
none ether in the world.
A shiver passed over her. Did she
love her fatherp Her anger went out
to him, not her love: her love was for
Jack, and he could never be anything
to her. Last Eight she had written to
Jack and told him the truth, and the
truth would separate them forever.
She was the daughter of thief!
WHIST uselessr.sss it had been for her
mother to move hundreds OF miles from
the cid home; it had been done for the
husband, not for the daughter. For
the daughter there had been q half
wears residence in this new place, aad
q learning to love man whom she had
last night declined to marry. Her
father had wrought Shis unhappiress
as he had wrought SO muoh more.
What grief had not her father
wrought The day he went to prison
for the defalcation in the bank where
he had been cashier and her mothers
father president, had not her mothers
father fallen dead? The world had
said the old banker could not stand
the disgrace. And what more? Had
not her mothers mother, always an
invalid, been stricken by her hus-
bands death, and never been told of
her son-in.law's crime2 There had
been mass of deception, tho poor
feeble woman being led to believe that
her daughters husband, whom she
loved as son, had gone away on busi-
ness. and letters written in his prison
cell had been read to her, and they
fold her OF great prosperity in the
West, with cheerfulness that was ap-
palling. Yes, the girl almost hated
her father as she thought over the
events of the past four years. And,
yet, would she have hated him save
for Jack?
She pressed her hands fercely to her
eyes.
Suddenly she started; there was a
step on the stairs, her mother was
bringing her father up to her. How
should she meet him him? Had it not
been for Jack, she knew how she should
have met him! But her father had
forced Jack from her.
The steps ascending the stairs
stopped. There was o cough outside
the library door. She knew the sharp
little cough-she used to fly to meet
her father, foilr years back, when she
heard that little cough in the hall in
the dear old home. Now she did not
move from the chair she sat in.
She heard voice outside the door,
her mother urging her father to enter
the room. Then the handle of the
door turned, and her mother led in o
strangely aged man.
The girl rose; her father stood be-
fore her, expectancy in his face. She
went slowly to him, and held her fore
head up to his lips. Her mother
looked angrily at her, but she went
back to her seat and caught up some
sewing.
"Annie." said her mother, sharply,
sis this the way to meet your father ?
Do you know that all that has oc-
cured has been more to me than to
anyone else in the world? And yet I
forgive because love. And you, who
have alover-"
81 have no lover" coldly interrupt
ed the girl. 81 couldn't deceive him
any longer. j. wrote him last night !;
I told him the truth: and that l
would not marry him."
The father shrank in his chair.
t.Ah," said the mother, "now / un-
derstand." She turned to her hus-
band. ''Mark, do not mind it, dear.
You have me, and I shall never fail
you. Have ever failed you? What
is done, is done; 1t is all wiped away ;
it is only remembered by your daugh-
ter, not by me, and you are as much
to me sitter all the mistakes and suffer.
ings as the day when I stood by your
side and vowed to be a loving and true
wife till God should part us in death.
We always spoke of you, mother
and t.
s'Your mother" his dry lips said,
s'where is she?"
His wife caught his hand.
"Dear, " she said, "can you bear g
little more"
He looked at her.
"Annie," she said, aternly, "get me
those letters +"
The girl went and took from book
case packet which she brought to
her mother.
.My letters to your mother" the
mans lips seemed to say, ''and un.
opened"
His wife fondled his hand.
SIT was only few months ago." she
said. 'I could not tell you the truth
any more than I could tell her. The
truth would have made you unhsppier,
and wished to tell you myself. She
loved you as she loved me. One morn
ing one of your letters came, anduntil
could read it to her, she asked me to