The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1902-10-02
THE GUILTY NAN


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are you, with your paltry love troubles
10 come to him in time like thisT
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 explated his
sin in the eyes of the world. In her
| heart the sin that had been his stu
/ lived. For there was Jack, aud she had
given him up because OF her fathers
guilt There was narrowing of the
radius. No matter FOR Jack II her
father were only an 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. aud before that the sin had
been tempered by her pitying 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 thai 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 . greater distance
from her than they had ever been be-
fore, while she valnly tried TO accuse
her heart, aud her daughterly affection
OF transgressing, even though Jack
called through the silence that, but for
her fathers crime, she might have
claimed woman's perfect happiness on
earth.
Her mother and her father apparent
~ failed to realize how much she was
going through. IL was only her lack OF
response TO their love that touched
them. Her alteration OF a man who
might have been her husband was
merely a foolishness Of hers and not to
be placed in the same category with
her duty as a daughter-the daughter
of thief. That miserable word. that
disgra ceful 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
opened II.
Mark" she said to her husband. lit
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. or 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 llbrary?"
Il will stay here" he said, In his
hushed way. Here"
VERY WELL" returned his wife. 81
shant be gone long See. here is all
As you used to like them. and the pic
lures
She leaned over and kissed him be-
fore she went out and closed the door
behind her.
Annie was alone with her father. She
heard him moving carefully around.
taking up a book. only to lay 1t down
again. Before the last picture he lin
gered. making no sound. but looking
at the face of the old bank manager
who had fallen dead the day his trust.
ed cashier and his only daughters hus-
band had gone TO serve 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 car
pet.
When his hand was laid upon her
arm. she almost shrieked aloud.
'Annie." said her fathers voice. II
was grim voice now. no quaver OF
doubt in 1t. and 1t forced her like a
command she dared not dIsobey.
She rose from her seat and faced
him.
Despite the physical changes In aim
she saw before her his old self-strong.
not unbrave. not dlsloyaI, not a Grim
inal
You have given up your lover he
went on rapidly. you have given
him-np because OF me. Pay attention
10 me. viii tell you what | had
hoped never to tell living soul on
earth. And I 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 account OF me.
will 60 TO him and will tell him as
Tell you, that have wrecked no life.
that have not wrecked my daughters
happiness. Do you hear me, have not
interfered with your right to be happy
with the man you love. ! have been
adjudged a criminal. ! have served
criminals sentence. But ! am an inno-
cent man. and"-be turned and pointed
TO the picture OF his wife's father
that man knew II. I sacrificed not
your mother. not you. but my own
standing In society and the minds OF
men for the sake Of my wires father
and his invalid Wife
She gasped. She understood him. and
she trembled from head TO foot.
Il would never have told you" he
went on. only that you gave up your
life's happiness because Of my disgrace.
Your forfeited love for me would never