The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-07-14

sand to my mind, MIR. Tolley, it's
bit of pity it ever went so far"
Gas how?" said Bale. He was very
gloomy and quiet, and unlike himself,
and she had ceased to feel afraid of
him.
'ln this wise, Mr.. Tolley," she an
swered. 81 never chose your com
pany, and 1 never liked it. 1 look
on what you've said to me as a
liberty. And I defy you to say ever
showed you sign of encouragement
TO it,"
''That's true enough, ,p-oN Bale
gravely, and without touch OF irony.
'Tll do you that much credit. You've
made it pretty clear as you disliked me
from the beginning"
"And that, the girl retorted, "is
why look on what you've said in the
light of liberty, Mr.. Tolley.,'
''It won't be repeated" Bale an
swered. "Good night''
He fingered as if in expectation of
an answer, but the girl turned away
without a word. The garden gate
clicked behind her, and Bale was left
standing in the roadway.
well" he said to himself, ''it's
what / looked for, and it fits my
merits" He pulled handful of loose
tobacco from one pocket of his jacket
and a pipe from the other. Then,
having stood for q minute or two with
out a movement, he filed his pipe, lit
it, and walked away.
The girl meanwhile had reached the
cottage kitchen. She took candle.
stick from the high chimneypiece, and
set it on the table with an angry
emphasis. She stirred the waning
fire with the same petulance, and,
having thrust a thin silver or two Of
wood between the bars, she kneli
down before the CRATE and famed the
embers with her apron. When they
blazed she drew out one Of the sticks
and lit the candle. As the wick be.
gan to burn she looked up and gave q
faint cry at the sight Of an unexpected
figure in the room.
"Mother" she said, with a hand
upon her heart. ''How you frightened
mel'
"Hast no cause to be afraid o. me,
wench, p" her mother answered. $50
Bales got the sack, has hep"
''Got the sack?' Selma echoed
"No. He was never in my service.
HE never got any wages, pool
ladi" said the old woman. 'sThat'i
another matter, however. In YOU
service he has been this three year
"Well," returned Selma, 81 never
had any truck with him, and 1 nevel
wanted any. And now, if that's wha
he wanted to know, he knows it,"
'Yes," said the old woman, knitting
away with the same tranquility, ''yol
let him know it,"
"Why, mother" cried the girl
''what would you have me do? Die
you expect me to say 'Yesl' to him?'
''No, my dear. 1t would ha' givel
me a rare sore heart to hear it. Blu
I've known him since the day he wa
born, and I've been sorry for hin
many time. He's q nobody's child
poor Bale is. He was bred ON charity
and he was made to feel it. He's gon
wrong, my dear, like a good man,
more, because he'd hardly ever tn
chance to go right; but there was th
makin's of fine man in him. Yol
was quite right to say him nay, but
could wish as you'd been gentle wit
him. "
Selma lit second candle and 50
down beside it with her sewing.
"His father was travelin' coniuI
or" said the old woman, after Ion
pause. 81 saw him once alive, and
finer figure of man 1 never saw.
helped to lay him out, poor fellow
that same night. He broke his bacl
bone with a cannon ball doin' som
iuggler's trick with it, They said 1
the time he was in liquor, and he'd n
right TO do a dangerous thing li'
that at such time He'd built b
of tent across the road there on th
waste ground, and there was the vii
awaiting her confinement. The chill
wasn't born half an hour when SON
blunderin' idiot told her the new
That killed the mother. Then poo
Tolley's wife took in the child an
kept it, and we all helped bit; an
ho growed up to be called Tolley. An
as if he hadn't had misfortune enoug
TO begin life with, old Tolley mu
needs go an christen the poor lit
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