Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1901-01-24
THE GUILTY MAN

"a HE had nerved herself to meet
Sher father. She glanced in the
" mirror and saw how pale she
was. Her father would be pale. too,
but how different hts pallor from her
own--his Il l,allOr like none other In the
world.
A SILVER passed over her. Did she
love her father? Her anger went out
to him, not her love; her love was for
Jack, and he could never he anything
to her. Last night she had written to
Jack and told him the truth, and the
truth would separate them forever. She
was the daughter of a thief!
What uselessIiess it had been for her
mother to move hundreds of miles from
the old home: it had been done for the
husband. not for the daughter. For the
daughter there had been a half years
residence in this new place, and
learning to love man whom she had
last night declined to marry. Her ia
Their had wrought this unhappness Us
he had wrought SO much more.
What grief had not her father
wrought! The day he went to prison
tor the defalcation in the bank where
he had been cashier and her mothers
father manager. had not her mothers
father fallen deadY The world had
said the old banker could not stand the
disgrace. And what more! Had not
her mothers mother. always an invalid.
been stricken by her husbands death.
and never been told of her sOn-in-law's
crime? There had been mass Of de-
ception, the poor. feeble woman being
led to believe that her daughters hus-
band, whom she loved as son. had
gone away on business. and letters writ
ten In his prison cell had been read to
her, and they told her Of great pros
perity in the West. with cheerfulness
that was appalling. Yes. the girl al
most hated her father as she thought
over the events Of the past four years.
And yet. would she have hated him
save for Jack?
She pressed her hands fercely to her
eyes.
Suddenly she started: there was a
step on the stairs. her mother was
bringing her father up to her. How
should she meet him? Had 1t not been
for Jack she knew how she should have
met him: But her father had forced
Jack from her.
The steps ascending the stairs stop
ned. There was, Il cough outside the
library door, She knew the sharp little
cough-she used to fly to meet her fa-
ther, four years back. when she heard
that little cough In the hall In the dear
old home. Now she did not move from
the chair she sat In.
She heard voice outside the door,
her mother urging her father to enter
the room. Then the handle Of the door
turned, and her mother led In a strange
~ aged man.
The girl rose: her father stood before
her. expectancy In his face. She went
slowly to him. and held her forehead
up to his lips. Her mother looked angri-
~ at her, but she went back to her seat
and caught up some sewing.
annie" said the mother sharply. "is
this the way to meet your father? DO
you know that all that has occurred has
been more to me than to any one else
in the world? And yet forgive be-
cause ! love- And you who have a
lover"
II have no lover" coldly interrupted
the girl. II couldn't deceive him any
longer. | wrote him last night: told
him the truth. aud that would not
marry him."
The father shrank In his chair
'Ah." said the mother. NOW under
stand" She turned to her husband.
"Mark. do not mind 1t, dear. You have
me, and shall never fail You. Have
ever failed youA What Is done Is done;
II is all wiped away: 1t Is only remem'
bered by your daughter. not by me; and
you are AZ much to ME after all the mis-
takes and sufferlngs az the day when
! stood by your side and vowed to be q