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

Your mother" his dry lips said.
"where Is sheY'
His wife caught his hand.
Dear" she said, "can you bear q
little moreY'
He looked at her.
"Annie," she said. sternly, "get me
those letters"
The girl went and took from the book
case packet, which she brought to her
mother.
MY letters to your mother" the
mans lips seemed to say, land un-
opened"
His wife fOndled his hand.
ut was only few months ago. she
said. II could not tell you the truth,
any more than could tell her. The
truth would have made you unhappier,
and wished to tell yoN myself she
loved you as she loved me. One morn
ing one of your letters came. and until
I could read 1t her she asked me to
let her hold it. An hour later we found
her with the letter held up to her heart
and she was very white and quiet
There had been no struggle whatever
no pain. We laid her beside father,
whom she had never ceased grievins
for, and who had given her every COM
fort In life, even when, am sure. he
could hardly afford the extravagances
ordered by her physicians. 1t Is all
over. and happily over. for both or
them, dear. and you were always kind
and good to then."
A low. long sigh broke from the man.
Then silence fell; the sound of the tram
bells in the street came distinctly to
| them. and the ticking Of the clock on
the mantel was strangely loud.
| There was movement on the part OF
Annie; she rose and came and kneeled
beside her fathers chair.
"Father," she said, you must forgive
me. am not very happy. do not
mean to be hard. but can't 60 back
from my reasoning. You have not only
mother, but you have me also; will do
what l can. l am sure you know that.
and after while you will not miss any
thing in me-"
go back to your seat" commanded
her mother. DO you know that you
are in the presence Of broken heart!
Doesn't your father accuse himself or
more than you accuse him Of! Who
are you. with your paltry love troubles
to come to him in time like this:'
Hush. Mary" said her husband.
'hush!
The silence fell again.
Annie sat alone; she was apart from
everything: there was no love for her
any more. Her father had expiated his
sin in the eyes of the world; in her
heart the sin that had been his still
| lived. For there was Jack, and she had
| given him up because of her fathers
guilt. There was narrowing OF the
radius; no matter for Jack. II her IA
Their were only IN innocent man! Love
surely created desire for purity. for
since she had learned to love Jack, her
fathers sin had grown and grown upon
her, and before that the sin had been
tempered by her plying love and her
prayers for heavens forgiveness.
The daughter Of thief! oh, why
had she met Jack? Why had she al
lowed herself to. care for him? Why
had she let herself feel glad when she
knew that he loved her? Why had she
greatly desired that he should tell her
that he had given his heart to her. and
demanded her own in return?
How many sadly confused questions
did she put to herself as she sat there
in the miserable silence, her mother and
her father at u greater distance from
her than they had ever been before.
while she vainly tried to accuse her
heart and her daughterly affection Of
transgressing, even though Jack called
through the silence, that. but for her
fathers crime, she might have claimed
w0man's perfect happiness on earth.
Her mother and her father apparent
ly failed to realize how much she was
going through: it was only her lack Of
response to their love that touched
them. Her alteration Of man who
might have been her husband was
merely f0Olishness Of hers, and not to
he placed In the same category with
her duty as a daughter-the daughter
Of a thief! That miserable word, that
disgraceful word would come upper
most to her. but for Jack, would this
have been so? The daughter of thief!
There came tap on the door. and 1t
sounded ON her ear like thunder.
Her mother went to the door and
opened It,
MARK" she said to her husband. ut
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
nothing. dear: you have been west. you
know. The servants have only been
with US since we moved here. Would
you like to come downstairs. or will you
stay here in the library?"
Il will stay here" he said. in his
hushed way. Here"
VERY WE'LL returned his wife. II
shan't be gone long. See here Is all the
old furniture. all your books. just as
you used to like them, and the pic
lures"
She leaned over and kissed him before
she went out. and closed the door be-