The Republican journal., 1899-02-16

hers and not to be placed in the same cate
CORY with her duty as a daughter-the
| daughter of thief! Tat miserable word,
that disgracefui word, would come upper
most to her. But for Jack would this
have been SO? The daughter of a thief?
There came a tap on the door, and it
sounded on her ear like thunder.
Her mother went to the door and open
ed it.
MARK she said to her husband, sit
/ is cook. She wishes to speak to me about
dinner. We are going to have all the
/ things you used to-all the things you
| like OF course the servants know moth
ing, dear You have been West, you
know. The servants have only been with
us since we moved here. Would you like
! in the library?"
81 will stay here" he said, in his hush
ed way. "Here."
"Ve1y well,' returned his wife. II
shan't be lone long. See, here is all the
old furnu ure, all your books, just as you
used to like them, and the pictures"
She leaned over and kissed him before
| she went out and closed the door behind
| her.
| Annie was alone with her father. She
| heard him moving carefully around, taking
up book, only to lay it down again. Be
fore the last picture he fingered making
no sound, but looking at the face of the
old bank manager who had fallen dead
the day his trusted cashier and his only
daughters husband had gone to serve a
sentence in prison. Annie could not see
| him, but she knew all that her father did
/ Her back was toward him, as she leaned
over her sewing, and her heart beat fast
/ when he turned from the picture at last
and swiftly crossed the carpet.
When his hand was laid upon her arm,
she almost shrieked aloud
"Annie!' said her fathers voice. 1t
was grim voice now, no quaver OF doubt
IN it, and it forced her like command
she dared not disobey.
| She rose from her seat and faced him.
Despite the physical changes in him
she saw before her his old self-strong,
not unbrave, not dsloyal, not criminal.
"You have given up your lover,'' he
went on rapidly. "'You have given him
up because of me. Pay attention to me.
| will tell you what had hoped never to
tell a living soul on earth. And L must
speak before your mother comes back, for
she must never know. But you must
know, and the man who asked you to be
his wife, and whom you refused on ac-
| count of me. | will go to him and | will
tell him as | tell you, that have wrecked
10 life, that have not wrecked my daugh-
| ter's happiness. Do you hear me, have
not ihter1ered with your llght 10 De happy
WIN the man you loVe. nave oeen at.
ludged criminal. nave served crlihl :
mars sentence. But L am an innocent
man, and, he turned ana pointed to the
picture OF MS "lfe fathef-tha man
knew IT, sacnhced not your mother' no,
you' out my own stand1ng 10 soclety ana
the minds OF men Tor the sake Oh my "lle
1ather ana ms lnvalld wlie.
ohe 9asped. She understood hlh' anu
she trembied from head to 1901.
II would never have foid you, he Went
on, 'only That you gave up your NE
happiness because OF my disgrace our
iorltlteo rove for me Wonio never nave
brought this confession, tor what ana
was done 10 save an oid man ana an ola
woman, VINO had been as a mother 10 me- II
nature could not make your love snihooh'
my Shame' mat love Is o1 niue account
our nother father SIN mace me d
prisoner. 1t was he who took the money
ana the oIame. | nave proofs oi an
ms, ana am glad that / never destroyed
them, tor must show these proofs to the
daughter whose lack OF love makes my
WORD OF nc account.