Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-11-23

and then released her. but she Still held
my hands How l had the courage to
say 10 her what / did Is a mystery to
me now.
''Ycu have helped me to bear my loss.
but of course we must forget all this.
for now that l am blind -
Il have eyes for both Of US. she
cried.
1T is your woman pity that speaks
now" / rejOined. lyon Will live To
thank me yet for speaking like this IL
loved you less, / might let you sacrifice
yourself, but | want You always TO
think wei of me. 1t was too bad of me
90 think it was Jack you meant when
you referred TO some one in the cave.
But you remember the part you played
for him on the Macarthur You think
too much of others.
did you think that when l saw you
both in trouble ON the Macarthur ! was
going to withhold the little help iewas
so easy for me TO givel And now per
haps you forget that it was in order to
save US you risked your life, and-and
met with this.
Think of what blindness means. l
hazarded. Its helplessness and useless
ness.
"If you were deaf and dumb as well
as blind, il would make no difference.
she rejoined.
And then to justify myself in her
exes-if -apv siitiqsttA''s r'artes rr1snrs
To know after what she had said
/ confessed how OF late nad wUrked
for her father not from necessity but for
love cf her; how, when / had spoken 10
her in the cave, it was not only because
my worldly position justified me, but
because could not conceal my real feel
ings any longer.
''You think it would have made any
difference to me if you had not possessed
a penny in the worldI" she asked.
II don't think it would-to you,
was my answer, ''but it would to me.
because then l could not have had the
courage TO speak as l did
"Then I'm afraid you are hardly the
man took you for, " she rejoined, with
forced assumption Of her old manner
had been mere than human II my
resolutions had not wavered then, but
| ground, rs ii were, my heart under
my heel ard honestly strove to do the
right. Ii was dishonorable to tempOrize-
| would find the squatter and ask his
pardon, and he, being a sensible man.
would look at the matter in the same
light as myself In the after years she
would be glad that she had been saved
4 ta1l har rrnfIHh
And now she astonished me. for she
said:
81 have told him everything al
ready"
There was the sound of footsteps
which thought might be her father :.
Instinctively and quickly. fear, l tried
to withdraw my hands from hers, but
she would not release them What
would the squatter or any other right
minded man think of my conduct in
this matterT The thought filed me with
shame, and now he entered the tent
Though my eyes saw him not, still by
some intuitive sense / knew 1t was Mr..
Mackenzie. He greeted me in kindly
fashion, and his voice betrayed no sur
prise
| lost no time in telling him what L
had to say. l was afraid that he might
| think / had acted dishonorably In the
matter. Certainly appearances were
| against me- 1t was not too late, how
ever to rectify matters, as 1 had just
told Miss Mackenzie. Would he allow
me to explain and then perhaps he
would be more ready to make allow
ances2
s'Norah has told me everything. he
said in kindly manner, ''and 1 can
not well see how 1 can blame you.
"But, sir. consider my position -
"Whcn | married Norah's mother.
I the squatter interrupted. mistaking my
meaning, II was not better of than
perhaps you are now. / had flO note
| and she had GO, 900. 1t was with that
| commenced life in this country. No
| can't see how can judge you from
that standpoint.
But / explained that he mistook my
meaning and that it was my blindnes:
that had now come between us. for, oi
course, i could not think of holding hei
TO that imperfectly made avowaL
1 on It quito Ilkilt tto ~ AA4'iNf os@@N
the squatter for of course you re- now
handicapped from a business point OF
view. You could hardly expect other
wise, You know. Still one doesn't know
that your sight is altogether destroyed
If there was any definite
But | interrupted here, telling him
as had told his daughter, that 1t wa
not n question If means. Had no
possessed the wherewithal should hav'
taken my departure long ago l merely
wanted to assure them that If under tn
altered circumstances they did some
what alter their attitude toward me
would be understood. 1t was only wha
one might expect. 1t Is not uniikel.
that as | made this speech the miser,
and pain il occasioned me must hav
shown upon my face, for | could hea
the girl catching her breath quickly
But the squatter came TO the rescue.
'Norah. he said, you've hear
what Mr.. Parker has said. He was tn
means Of your being alive now, yo'
know, and is entitled to be heard. la
not YOU better let things remain as h
suggestsr'
dad. I'm ashamed Of you. erie
| the girl .'You want my answer. Her
u.