The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-27
THE SENIOR SENATOR.


friends neod) had thrown The girl upon
the world and prosnming upon her
fathers early acquaintance with him She
had come 20 him tO ask that hid and H.
dorsement which he felt little inclined 10
give.
While these thoughts were passing
through his MUD ho WAS courte0usiy urgt
ing huI 20 come in, but she put the otfer
aside. Here Is the letter, :" she said, lay
ing an onyelope IN his hand. 1t was
only written last night and under the
circumstances 10 may seem strange 10
you that l bring instead of sending IT,
out my father especially desired that l
should do so. Ho feared 10 might be lost
In the mail and never reach you Ga sick
mans fancy and he laid such.stress upon
INV giving 10 To you myself that l would
ave been careless indeed il l had failed
To gra,ify him-pnrticularly now"
The senator took the letter idly. That
it contained an appeal or ASSISTANCE he
felt confident and the girls grave pa
thotio beauty was, OF course expected 20
90 It's share towards influencing hjm.
lie tore of the envelope aud read
"Woodleigh, April 9.-My Dear Erncst:
liz has been many day sincU you re-
ceivod u letter from my hand AMI doubt
lass you will find it difficult 10 deciphee
this one. l was never much Of scribe
S you remember and what little Skill
l ever possessed has dessrted me since NY
long illness. While lying on my denth
bed | ! ave thought much OF you and your
successful career. You cannot know
what qualification 10 has been To mo 60
see tho isd whom 1 always admired push
boldly % the front and by his wit and
resource give TO his State that Representa-
tion ia the halls OF Congress which sho
ALWAYS deserved.
II would have told you this ero now.
but political life is apt to mako one
skeptical. and perhaps had 1 Expressed
myself frankly and unresorvedly. as l am
doing now you might have thought had
an axe TO Rrind--a friend | wished nd
vauccd. some woman violation 10 be placed
In tho departments so 4 held my peace.
/ 10 not say sou would bavo doubted me.
but YOU might have done so. and nothing
could hurt me more than that you should
mtsj judge mo.
And speaking OF that reminds mo Of
what l meant TO say, Some time ago an
acquaintance Zone OF those idle gOsslps
who do So much Co make life hnrder) told
me that he had every reason to know that
you thought i still bore you IA grudgo for
defeating me.
1 bear YOU n gIudge Why, my dear boy.
the idea Is too preposterousl surely you
know that L was not made of such con
tempible stun and no my reason for not
seeking you more. was because you were
rich and prosperous and ! was neither,
and when one is on the crest of the wave
10 is so easy TO misunderstood the motives
of those who are not.
Il do not say this TO reproah you, but
by way OF explanation.
Il was weary of public life and its ac-
companyiDg trials, long before you de-
feated me and you did but pave tie way
TO what j had long desired.
ASK my wife. my children, any OF my
friends, and they will confirm this state
meDt.
mo. Ernest. what have regretted (and
that continually is that time and Gil
cumstance should have swept you so com
p!etey out Of my life, for IL hurt me that
you should so soon have outgrown me.
"Ihat hated you or envied YOU your
rightly won honors is u fallacy too palpa-
BILE To need denial but which 1 am never
theless writing to do.
They tell me you are at Ashley for
fortnight SO will you not drop in some
afternoon and see noy
II would like TO look upon your face
again and talk over the old days when
you were my stanch helper ana right
hand man and when you were only
dreaming of the fame that now is youIs
The senator lifted his hand TO his
throat
Il regret that you will not come in
Miss Rothermel. he said, but will you
tell your father for me that L will drive
over 10 see him this evening"
she looked at him ouriously. then. draw
ing her veil closer about har face. she
turned back To the carriage.
That is kind uf you." she answered,
gently, But 10 is too late now-you can
do nothing--my father died this morn
ing. "-Chioago News.