The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-12-01
VIII.
THE LETTER.

The
Abby's object in following Mr.. Bing-
ham 10 Gem was to be first with the
story of the shooting on Tuesday night.
aud to tell 1t in her own way. She
had found him in very fit state to
accept her version of the awkward facts.
That half of Mr.. Binghams brain which
operated his being when he was emerg-
ing from the delirium of drink received
the distorted tale, and took a coarse,
sullen satisfaction in conceiviDg that
possibly it might be true. He pur-
posed to treat it as the truth, as Abby
had given it to him; 1t suited him in
several ways to do so. For one reason,
IL helped him to a sort of apology for
himself in his conscious betrayal of
his daughter, to be able to construct
counterchErge against the girl herself.
He had be>.n bored by her face of inno-
cence; now he could confront those
blue, astonished eyes with questions as
searching as their own.
The manager had returned to- the
mine with his temper at skies and sew
ems, and himself in a general state of
disrepair.. Faith had been summoned
to speak with him in the library, de-
mand which very much surprised her,
| for she was the last one he yearned
to see. as a rule, after one of his tempor-
ary evanishments from the affairs of
| men.
Abby, with her bangs more maenad-
like than ever, was seated, rocking her
self, both feet leaving the floor at once.
She looked hard at Faith as she entered
the room, but did not rise or cease rock
ing.
| Mr.. Bingham languidly rose, and
placed chair for his daughter; she
could not look him in the face, his APP
pearance was so deplorable.
"Sit down, Faith" he requested for
the girl had remained proudly standing.
81 thought you wished to see me only
for a moment; am not very well, she
said.
81 am sorry you are not WELL" said
her father. II feel pretty rocky my
self. Sit down. Ah--Abby, | have some
thing 1 wish to say to Miss Bingham;
viii see you after awhile-about the
dinner, you know"
Abby seemed half disposed to resent
this intimation that her company was
not desired; but, apparently thinking il
not worth while, she rose, and left the
room. Her chair continued to oscillate
for some seconds with the parting re-
pulsion communicated to it by her re-
treating form.
Faith raised her reluctant eyes to heI
fathers face.
Mr.. Bingham began hurriedly in g
querulous key, clearing his throat, and
tapping the buttons of his vest with his
gold-rimmed eyeglasses.
1T does not become you, Faith, under
the circumstances, to be so excessively
on your dignity; little more respect
for yourself in more important ways
and these little forms would not ma tier
| am afraid you have had very artifi
cial training. Upon my word, l dom
know how a man is to bring up hi
daughters, or whom he can trust then
with; ! thought that your aunts haC
made at least good girl of you"
"Father, IL there is anything you hav,
to find fault with me about, please dom
do it through my aunts. If have dis
, appointed you. it's not their fault"
mo; youare right. It's not their faul
any more than it is mine. We have al
been deceived. But, say, it's enough
to shake a mans faith in the daylight
Why, thought that you were pride anC
innocence itself"
Faith replied with sad little laugh
rs it my pride or my innocence that
in doL-t?"
BLESS me, bless me, did not thinl
you could be so hard; / must be plain
then. You cannot be ignorant of tn,
critical situation we are in: war be
tween capital and labor seems newt
able. | have serious responsibilities OF
both sides, and friends, hope, on boil
sides. But it's imperative / should know
who are my friends and whom | car
trust. A man would naturally thinl
that he might trust his own child.
Mr.. Bingham paused. but Faith simpl,
looked at him in pale-faced astonish
ment. How do you suppose / fee
when discover that am harboring
spy, and that ! owe his presence in m.
house to the-connivance and sympa
thy OF my daughterY"
"A spyl" Faith repeated. "a spy OF
whom? If there is such a person il
this house did not know it,"
"You did not know it? And you cal
face me down with that innocent look
Are you acquainted with Mr.. Johl
Darcie. as he calls himself?"
The pink rose of consciousness in tn
girls cheek famed into red rose o
anger. Have you any reason to sup
pose that he is not what he calls him
self?" she asked.
81 have his own signature to prov
that he is not, | will show il TO yol
presently. He is a cowardly detective
sent over here by the faction in Londol
that is trying to down me and discredi
my management. He sneaked in here
: and has been doing the scavenger on tn
sly for months; raking up lies and dirt,
gossip, listening 10 every sorehea'