The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-16

AZ she will have me-" I felt that she
might as well know il all; l had decided
It.
''But Sallie?" said my mother.
"Sallie doesn't care n rap about me-"
But | remembered that | was letting
Sallie's cat out of the bag. which, in
deed, was hardly fair under the circum-
stances.
Yet here my mother SURPRISED me again
by drawing long sigh.
"Bob. If / had another boy 10 bring
ZIP / would never interfere with his
love affairs. not I. / wouldn't make
h:m--arS myself miserable"
my dear mother" ] cried in my in
creasing surprise, "what do you mean?'
"That / am this moment the most mis-
erablc woman in the world. told that
girl" She paused.
"Clarissa?" said I. "You told her
what?"
"Well. told Clarissa Henlow that she
must refuse you; she-she cried-and
said she would"
"You dared to? you dared to?" said.
Don't talk in that way; il all has
made me miserable enough. Wouldn't
attempt another time-to be a manager
of love affair"
"You have managed this so mlser-
ably" said /.
81 have managed this miserably," she
herself acknowledged with the most
surprising humility.
looked at her again; didn't like to
see her in that mood. Though she. in
deed. had made me miserable enough.
was she not my mother? Wasn't it all
for her notion OF my good?
Now she took u paper from her
pocket very nervously; an old letter.
crumpled, rather discolored, with lit
tie, round, red stain on it's corner. She
lifted it TO her lips and kissed it softly,
reverently.
"Driye once around the park, James,"
she said 10 the man. "You must give
me that much time, Robert must talk
to you. Then-you will-you mustfor-
give me-"
She held the letter up again.
Don't you recognize the hand?"
'lts his" said l, suddenly-"my fa-
ther's"
"Yes; listen. 1t is his voice, written
me from Virginia--during the war. 1t
has reached me as from the dead. l
found it--you know that little oak desk
in my room. was fumbling over some
papers. You remember the estory-that
time he was wounded and his life saved;
they found a letter on his person. That
letter, Bobbie, you know the story. was
directed to me. The rebel officer sentit
North TO me, with written on il the Off
GERS name who had pulled your father
out from the range of the guns"
"lIe was?" l asked, eagerly-"a Col.
onel Henlow?"
"A Colonel ITenlow," cried my mother
bending her head; "and just had been
to ask this Colonel Henlow's daughter
TO give up my son. had been reason
ing abominably-beca / thought
that girl could not possibly make you
happy. Bobbie. the girl who, in turn
saved you TO me-"
She was sobbing softly, gently; but ]
pressed her hand in mine.
"You dear, good woman, you did it
oil for the best. But"
1T after all doesn't seem TO be all fol
the best" my mother said.
''We can never tell" said /; "you did
what you thought was for the best"
| was still pressing her hand, and i
think it comforted her.
IL believe my impression of her is to
be depended on. Yet l don't know
whether she cares for me. How can
she?"
II wish you wouldn't be so humble
about any woman" my mother said.
"The only thing which persuades me
that she may"
"0f course she does" said my mother.
"That she didn't just say no" L con-
tinued; "she told me n fib She said
she had promised herself TO that fellow,
Sam Sladding."
well" said my mother, quickly, "she
has, hasn't she?"
mo; she was fbbing."
"1Iow do you know?'
"Sallie knows"
"How can Sallie know?"
Because" said ], "Salie intends to
marry this same fellow, Sladding"
"Sallie!" said my mother. "Salliei"
NO, she never cared for me-"
Then you mean to say that both SAL
lie Pcntand and you have been delib-
erately deceiving me"
I'VE did IL in self-defenSe-ifw we did"
| said. IL am sorry"
was particularly sorry because now
| had certaialy let Sallie's cat out OF the
bag; and | certainly ought not to have
done IL; ! owed that much 20 Sallie.
What are we 20 do?" my mother
asked. almost helplessly.
I'VE are going straight 20 Eighth
street" j now answered. with q deal OF
teliberatiou.
II didn't think that OF Sallie."
"Or perhaps OF mo" | said.
"Nou have been influenced by those
women" she said.