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

VIZ last: IT,,
" word" said Selma,
'and to my mind, Mr.. Tolley, it's a
bit offs 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 defy you to say ever
showed you sign of encouragement
to it,"
"That's true enough" o51 Bale
gravely, and without touch OF irony.
"I'll 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."
1T 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, otis
what 1 looked for, and it fits my
merits" He pulled a handful of loose
tobacco from one pocket of his jacket
and a pipe from the other. Then,
having stood for a minute or two with.
out movement, he filed his pipe, lii
it, and walked away.
The girl meanwhile had reached the
cottage kitchen. She took a 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 g
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, her mother answered. "Sc
Bales got the sack, has he?"
"Got the sack?" Selma echoed
''No. He was never in my service.
"He never got any wages, pool
ladw said the old woman. "That':
another matter, however. In youl
service he has been this three year.
"Well," returned Selma, 81 never
had any truck with him, and 1 never
wanted any. And now, if that's wha
he wanted to know, he knows it."
EYES," said the old woman, knitting
away with the same tranquility, "yor
let him know it,"
"Why, mother" cried the girl
''what would you have me do? Die
you expect me to say 'Yes' to him?'
''No, my dear. 1t would ha' giveI
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 a 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 tn
makin's of fine man in him. Yol
was quite right to say him nay, but
could wish as you'd been gentle will
him.
Selma lit second candle and sa
down beside it with her sewing.
ellis father was a travelin' coniur
or, said the old woman, after loni
pause. 81 saw him once alive, and
finer figure of a man never saw.
helped TO lay him out, poor fellow
that same night. He broke his back
bone with a cannon ball doin' som
! juggler's trick with it. They said a
the time he was in liquor, and he'd N
right TO do a dangerous thing lik
that at such time. He'd built hi
of tent across the road there on tn
waste ground, and there was the wifi
awaiting her confinement. The chill
wasn't born half an hour when som
blunderin' idiot told her the news
That killed the mother. Then poo
Tolley's wife took in the child an
kept it, and we all helped bit; an
he growed up to be called Tolley An
as if he hadn't had misfortune enoug
TO begin life with, old Tolley mus
needs go an ehristen the poor littl
creetur' by his own name of Balaan