The Holly chieftain., 1898-12-02
VIII.
THE LETTER.

VIII.
THE LETTER.
Abby's object in following Mr.. Bing-
ham to Gem was to be first with the
story of the shooting on Tuesday night,
and to tell it in her own way. She
had found him in very fit state to
accept her version of the awkward facts.
That half of Mr.. Bingham's brain which
operated his being when he was emerg-
ing from the delirium Of drink received
the distorted tale, and took coarse,
sullen satisfaction in conceiving that
possibly 1t might be true. He pur-
posed to treat it as the truth, as Abby
had given it to him; It suited him in
several ways to do SO. For one reason,
it helped him to a sort Of apology for
himself, in his conscious betrayal of
his daughter, to be able to construct
countercharge against the girl herself.
He had been bored by her face of inno-
cence; now he could confront those
blue, astonished eyes with questions as
searching us their own.
The manager had returned to the
mine with his temper at skies and sew
ems, and himself in 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 rule, after one Of his tempor-
ary evanishments from the affairs of
men.
Abby, with her bangs more maenad-
lilo xbnp oyar r-ae COO tod roptsp hor r..
self, both feet leaving the floor at once.
She looked hard at Faith Us 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 ap-
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 moment; am not very well" she
said.
Il am sorry you are not WELL" said
her father. 81 feel pretty rocky my
self. Sit down. Ah-Abby, I have some
thing I wish to say to Miss Bingham; l
will 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 it
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 her
fathers face.
Mr.. Bingham began hurriedly in a
querulous key, clearing his throat, and
tapping the buttons of his vest with his
gold-rimmed eyeglasses.
at 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 matter
am afraid you have had very artifi-
cial training. Upon my word, don't
know how man is to bring up his
daughters, or whom he can trust them
with; thought that your aunts had
made at least a good girl of you"
Father. II there is anything you have
to find fault with me about, please don't
do it through my aunts. If have dis
appointed you, it's not their fault"
mo; youare right. It's not their fault
any more than it is mine. We have all
been deceived. But, 1 say, it's enough
to shake mans faith in the daylight!
Why. I thought that you were pride and
innocence itself"
Faith replied with q sad little laugh:
"Is 1t my pride or my innocence that's
in doubt?"
BLESS me, bless me, did not think
you could he SO hard; must be plain,
then. You cannot be ignorant of the
critical situation we are in: war be-
tween capital and labor seems newt
able. l have serious responsibilities on
both sides, and friends, I hope. on both
sides. But it's imperative should know
who are my friends and whom can
trust. A man would naturally think
that he might trust his own child"
Mr.. Bingham paused, but Faith simply
looked at him In pale-faced astonish-
ment. How do you suppose l feel
when discover that am harboring a
spy, and that I owe his presence in my
house to the-connivance and sympa-
thy Of my daughter7"
"a spyi" Faith repeated. "A spy ON
whom? II there Is such person in
this house did not know It."
"You did not know it7 And you can
face me down with that innocent looki
Are you acquainted with Mr.. Jchn
Darcie. NJ he calls himself?''
The pink rose Of consciousness in the
girls cheek famed into red rose Of
anger. "Have you any reason to sup
pose that he IL not what he calls him.
self?" she asked.
y have his own signature to prove
that he Il not. will show II to you
presently. He is cowardly detective,
sent over here by the faction IN London
that IL trying to down me and dIscredit
my management. He sneaked In here,
and has been doing the scavenger on the
sly for months; raking up lies and dirty
gossip ustsaisg TO svssy sorshead