The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-11-10

pany 10 which he was bred; and his
sisters WINGED and blushed at his free
comments upon themselves, the life of
the home and Of the east, as it appeared
TO him after an interval of absence;
and his mother wistfully took note of
her boys gray hairs and his old, tired,
unspiritual appearance, but would not
discuss him or hear him criticised; and
his brothers pointedly requested him
to pay visit to their tailor, and they
sometimes forgot to mention TO mutual
dinner-giving friends that Fred was in
town. Yet they thought he might be
presentable enough, according to west
ern standards. He had, at his best, a
good manner, a trifle out of date. to be
sure; he had the indurate remains of
an expensive education; he drank too
much, undoubtedly, though that was
not an exceptional failing with the men
of their set. They did not conceive the
manner of his drinking when he was
at his lonely posts of unmatched re-
sponsibility; how he drank alone, and
continued idiotically replenishing, in
solitary boredom; how he drank with
his interiors lest they should think him
proud, and with his subordinates, of
course, because at an isolated mine the
managers boys" are his sole compan-
ions and sometimes better-bred men
than himself; nor the perilous stuff
that a man drinks, at those attitudes,
who is careless of himself. These
things the mothers heart OWNED,
shrinkingly, without a question or a
fact. But the prosperous eastern broth
ers, sensible of the continental scope
and Importance of their own affairs,
thought that a second-rate man might
do well enough for such places as they
sought for Fred. 1t could not be ex-
pected that first-class men would be
willing to exile themselves to holes and
corners of the earth, at any price. So
the good name, and the good manner
that was not quite up to date, and the
family influence, were in requisition
| once more to cover up the inner facts
of Fred's latest failure (what the facts
were his brothers hardly knew, and
they had not been very particular in
their inquiries), and he was passed on,
| iihp a tolu. W Ills HtAl OD-
portunity, at some other persons ex-
| pense.
Of late years friends of the family
| had hesitated to ask. "What is Fred
doing now?" He changed his occupa-
| ton so often-or it seemed often to per-
sons who thought of him only once in
| three or four years; and they said to
one another: What a mercy that he
mas never married again!" and they
bethought them that they must "do
something" for that pretty creature,
his daughter, and perhaps were trifie
relieved, on casting up her years, TO
remember that she could not be more
than a schoolgirl, and there was plenty
of time. And her aunts were such very
sensible women-no doubt they were
bringing her up to a fit sense of what
her fathers daughter might have to
look forward to; which they were not
doing at all, but were petting her, and
making as much ado over the child as il
all the good fairies hadmet at her christ.
ening. They were not even attempting
10 revise her innocent impressions of q
parent known to her chiefly through
his munificence in gifts and pocket
money. Her aunts never toldlher of the
earelessness that went with the munifi
cence; of the lapses, when there were
no remittances even for shoes and
school-bills; nor how often their owr
private means had been drawn upon, tc
spare the little inheritance that the,
held in trust from their sister to hei
child. This money, they were resolved
should not be touched, neither princi
pal nor interest. while they were it:
sustodians; and in this way alone they
showed their prudence. For why should
she need to know, poor child, what tn,
world said of her father? They them
selves did not pretend to know or t.
Judge him, but always, for the sake o.
their sister who had known him and hac
been silent to the last, they too wer,
silent. What the child's own mother
would never have told her, they be
lieved that they, who stood in tn,
mothers place, had no right to tel
lher.
When at last they were startled by
their brother-in-law's unexpected de
lndt Ms
him into the far west, they knew no'
what to say. They had no objections
that they could dare to offer now, ant
they had no rights in the child herself
that they could set against the right Of
a :Ither; and Faith, as any girl would
De, was wild to go. They watched ant
prayed, feeling as if some unhallowet
bargain, transacted long ago, in which
an unconscious life was the innocent
forfeit, had been fatally foreclosed. AnC
they had made no effort to prepare tn,
girl for whatever surprises, or shocks
or ordeals, this fo1eclosure involved
They could not have said just what il
was that they feared--simply they die
not trust the man, her father, and they
greatly feared the life to which he wa
taking her. But they never questioned
| that she must go.
Those gentle. unassertive, nader
mothers who, with more than materna
unselfishness, had fulfilled every duty
and made every sacrifice for their sis
ter's child, yielded her up to the natura
tie, and every one said that il was wei
done. A few outspoken old gentlemen
! urbo had No dauobtarc ~ thar oyvp