Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-05-18


rftt. fully ripe for q resou'luatl"h-
-rl,. oruuiuruuSS OF h.r love l'i AlAi
,,,,rst n. proved beyond H~ po~SimuIy I.
nf d dnuit. So that iu fae future. re-
.,r-igD from his present moot Hii-Hl .
,,.,- 1.. p.ruitted TO breed suspicion I'll /
l.. mind. rose from mf hhrehH5
n.-rlrr and stood besiu ,. nrA S''n /
L,I1.r. Madams white Shrunheh
hand within my own
Dear Madam 1 sal. i.ttle li'Hl-
,,I,.usly for tli- was ud-ed a great
,,..I,r.> an unwarrauta' ie. respunsi-
biltv was taking upoH "' 10
Won remember a nttl- Ni. 'U.l.
Alice gave you that ~Hd a.'.ih'""'
Sin, nodded her head iu assent
You remember ~h" SAM u was
| from your son Gerald
! \uoth,r asserting motion
1T is / think. a letter W nat lt ~
/ nfas Won desert the son Wh" trl'llllIS
tr Won. and adopt il lis place. As
I,,,.I,f.r the afflicted girl whom your
,d son lovcdt
"g' lam had mo- know dgr OF Nii'e
NH mi this was indeed a Stuo.u
u'"'H as ~uhiactinG her f"''"',H
r~' -,. su. choice between IA"
a""g''.l nun, 4, rliu@ of her old age a., anu
SAIla am III, - If the idol of q ne
,t.. 49, ., ~ "A, instant did she hest
I'm. 'St rot she withdrew hrr
u."'' at.Swei and clasping il
hand from M, rraSp. ~ 81 ~ SUP
,i,.,fn u ..s ly''om NM -. bri.rt -, 0a!lid
ful light dawned upon her
couutcuauce. givint. ii 2 heavenly rau.
anca of expression.
oh. &c indeed God would afford ne (
such an opportunity for aioDament.' /
she cried softly. Oh. 10 be allowed /
a chance for even so slight a compcu- (
sHtiou.
.Then you woJld stu cleave TO
DarracottE"
She hcsitated a moment before re- |
plying Then. i'm % slow and solemn /
tone. in lingering. measured accents. |
She said:
IF there could oc choice given me |
to-day. not between my son Darracott |
and the woman VINO blishted his life, |
bur between him aud the brother who |
assisted in that ruin. I would choose
not the son whom | idoliZgd until he /
became villain. hat my beloved child |
whom | neglected until ! discovered |
that my heart was breaking for want /
of the love | had 81 long disregarded"
The man behind mo WIS Striding |
impetuously forward hurricdly |
asked another question before his /
presence should thrust mine aside.
And this tardy justice is not simply |
the result of awakened conscience.
Madam My uttarancc was almost !
breathless in his haste. My dear lady |
gave q sharp, quick cry, that was al
most a sob.
ooh. no, Oh, no nor she returned.
The result of awakened love, Doro-
thy, Q Father in Heaven. restore To
me the heart of M boy
| turned then, and sped from the
room. | had no longer a right there
In the hall | met Dr. Spencer. and to
him I made full confession of my
guilt. ] was oblig ed TO acknowledge
it, for the tears were streaming down
my face. and he vas inquisitive con
ceTning their cause. lie looked grave
and shook his nead, but | remained
obstinate in appro al Of my conduct.
Even if she 81 Ould die from the
effects of what ycu call my imprud
ence," | rctorted, the brief joy of re
union with her SO q is worth twenty
years Of continued estrangcment and
suffering"
But She did not die From that
|
induce her recovery, and Or. Spencer
has always generously acknowledged
that I was the physician TO restore
her to health.
That evening Darracott and | took
our stroll on the terrace after dinner.
He seemed much pre0ccupied and
was but dull companion. Finally lie
said:
we have been doing my brother
Gerald an injustice all this time
l glanced up at him inquiringly.
His face looked tired ami white. but il
wore an expression of peace which
was new to it.
Il opened his letter this afternoon
and read it to my mother. by her wish
1t seems that he and-the woman did |
not leave here together, as we had
always supposed. lie fed in order to
preserve his honor, being aware of
the temptation her society exposed
him TO; and she followed him without
his knowledge. discovered his asylum
and insisted upon sharing it, | am
glad that | can think more leniently
of him, and / am also thankful that
my mothers memories of him will |
be less painful
No one could doubt the sincerity OF !
his words. To his noble nature 1t |
was, | knew, Il matter of profound
Thanksgiving that the brother who
had been so deeply indebted to him
had been proved less unworthy his !
benefactious. My heart grew warm
within me at this new evidence of his
Truly. hp was wor-
thy son even of Madam rs I had first
conceived her-tlawiySs. impgccahl".
above suspicion or rcuro1ch.
Again silence fell between us. We |
were both busy with our own
thoughts. suddenly he put a question
TO me so abrubtly that ii almost rend-
cred me specchlcss.
How do you feel about widowcrs,
Dorothy" he asked.
My heart gave quick leap, and
then I controlled its impctuosity ana
answered fIippantly with a counter
question.