The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1897-04-16
HER FATHERS
VICTIM,
A Story of Western Life.
BY THoMs L. MoNFoRT.
BY THoMs L. MoNFoRT.

lCopywright, 1891, a. n. kellogg N. Col
N my eyes to come back to nv arms. ~'
Sarah. /"
Yes, | know what you thought.
Hiram. | know that your soft, sillv
heart prompts you to make fool of
yourself. But before you do it. ask
| yourself if it would be right. Wasn't
You always kind and indulgentto Mary.
and didn't you do everything for her
that father could do?"
Yes, that's true" Hiram replied
with no little inward satisfaction, and
with growing feeling that he was a
much abused parent.
Then you have done your duty. Hi
ram, more than your duty. and If anv.
body is to bend the knee let it be the
one who has done wrong. | don't be.
ileve in father being made a slave to
the whim and wishes Of an unrrateful
child. If had ever had such a father
as you, and had ever crossed him in one
wish even, never would have forgiven
myself l couldn't ever looked the
world in the face after being SO heart.
less and ungrateful. Oh! Hiram. what
a noble, loving, forgiving nature you
have, and how unfeeling must have
been the child who could so rutblesslv
trample upon it."
AT this point the good Sarah, who all
along had shown strong symptoms of
weeping, was so overcome that she
could restrain her tears no longer. and
broke down and poured forth in a per,
rect Hood on her husbands shoulder
hiram was deeply touched, and he was
forced to exert himself to keep bacl, the
tears OF self pity that welled up in his
own eyes. He had never before real
l2ed how deeply he had been wronged.
and never before had he understood
now much he had been martyred. His
heart went out to himself, and he pitied
from the bottom of his soul.
There, there, Sarah" he said "don,t
let the tenderness of your heart cause
you to grieve too sorely for what have
oeen made to suffer. l promise Won
nat l shall not forget my wrongs again
'oon, since the weakness that possessed
ne fora short time is gone. No. III
lever make any advances to a child
Who so far forgot her duty to me and
reated me with such cruelty. and am
glad that you recalled me to myself y
lime to save me from taking the step ,
had anticipated" !
Sarah checked her tears and bv de-
yrees her sobbing ceased. The effort :
'he had made had been a great one, and ;
ler soul was terribly sore from the ,
Effects of it, but she had saved her hus- =,
)and from abusing himself and sinking y,
lis dignity, and she was satisfied. OF =
course she had saved him from all ex- :
'ense on Mary's account and kept that >
much more money for herself, but that !;
would not count for anything with such
noble soul as thatof the angelic Sarah. .
Hiram" she said when she had got !
Ier feelings sufficiently under control +,
be able to cease her tears and sobs, q
i hope l have not said too much / :,
ID sorry that your daughter cannot oc- Il
upy the place in your heart that child 4
hould occupy in the heart of a parent,
nd know | would be the last person y,
, aid in estranging you from her. Per-
APPS have said too much, but have sc
our good so deeply at heart that |
uldn't help saying what did. 1t was ii
for the sake of your loving, generous
IT," W
II know that, Sarah. I do not mis-
derstand you. know how it pains tt
u to have to say such things, but you
Il 1t to be your duty, and you do it. l I'll
ank you, my dear wife, with all my OF