Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-05-20
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! her she saw plainly the stormy look Il
his eyes and the suppressed passion II
his compressed lips and lowering brow
He looked at her with an angry pit.
and passed through the door without ,
word. She turned in after him. he
heart suddenly sick with fear. and look
ed in his face with silence full Of In
Qulry. but as 1t produced no answe
she asked:
"Have J done aught to anger you, ia
ther? Why don't you speak TO meT
"Sit down. Helen" he replied. IL hav'
! some bad news for you. am not an
CRY ut you in. particular. but | am an
CRY at you in the general. for you hav'
brought this sorrow Oh yourself b!
your ain free choice and will ant
against the choice and will Of a father
that was wiser than you and who loved
you with a love that had no selfishnes!
In it,
"I'm thinking all these words meal
something against poor Roy. Folks
won't let the lad alone"
"He won't let alone what he ha.
naething to do with. Let me tell yor
that there Is more trouble In the village
than words can sort. have had to pu
my ain body between Will and Roy
Anderson or Will would have thrashec
his cousin within an inch Of his life
and weel he deserves it"
Helen did not utter word. Her eyes
were dropped. she seated herself in
chair beside the table. and her father
noticed that she grasped the edge fol
further support He watched her q
moment and then continued:
What do you think Of man who
opens a letter that is not his and keeps
It a. of ten days without saying word
or witten about it? That is what Roy
Anderson has done"
How does anybody know the like OF
thatY'
Lucky Hlslop gave 1t to him. II
was from the McBrnes Of Glasgow
and was closed WI their big seal. with
a ship in full sail on it. Lucky knew
that Roy had once been in their serv
ice. and she saw the name Anderson.
and Roy happened In on the minute,
and she gave 1t to him. and he said
Thank you. Lucky: that Is all right.
aud so went ava with 1t. And 1t was
a wrong. for the letter was Wits let
ter. and Roy must have known that as
soon as he opened it. II not before. But
he never said word to VIII. and so
VIII has lost the trade he was seeking.
and it Is IL big loss. to his thinking"
How did Will find 1t out?"
For moment the elder did not all
swer. His eyes were fixed on his child
whose face was white as death In
deed the few words that formed her
question were shivered from between
her lips rather than spoken. He laid
his hand on the trembling one. which
had fallen from It's grasp of the table
and asked. DO you want me to stop
telling you. Helen"
mo. no." she cried. with a sudden
passionate sob. LET me hear the last
Of It and the worst or It."
"Weel. then. Willie got a LITER from
McBrine this morning saying that. as
he had not closed wi the trade on no
tice. they had made it elsewhere. and
the like OF that And Willie went In
passion to Lucky. and she told him she
had gi'en that very letter to Roy ten
days syne. and Just then Roy came by.
and she called him In and minded him
of 1t, but Roy would not remember
aught Of the circumstance. and the
lads got to words aud then to blows
and there was like to be red murder
done when Providence sent me that
way. and I put myself between them
and got a blow on my head that has
given me a sair pain. The village is
just boiling like the sea with school
Of herring fry. and some say Will has
been o'erhasty. and others say he did
what was well and right"
do you tell me that Will did not
know about the letter till this after
noon%
"Not until an hour ago."
Then Helen's face flushed scarlet.
Shaken, confused. lifted off her feet by
this revelation of her lovers lying
treachery. she did not shrink or COM
promise or slide away from the truth.
A moment or two she hesitated, while
she looked unswervingly Oh the shame
full fact. Then she asked her father If
he thought that Roy had been guilty
Of taking and keeping his Cousins let
ter
"You may give him the benefit Of the
doubt. II you wish to-" he answered,
but am most sure the lad is guilty"
al have no doubt" she said. "He
told me that he took the letter. He
told me last night that he had given 1t
to Willie. and that Willie said 1t was
of no consequences He lied to me. The
man is as bad as you think him. and !
am u sorrowful woman this day. May
be | do deserve the sorrow. ] don't just
rightly know. but l do know that
have a bitter. shameful heartache.'
And she laid her head upon her arms
and wept us only youth can weep.
Her father bent tenderly over her.
MY dear lass." he said. my dear lass
the eternal God is thy refuge. and
underneath are the everlasting arms
II Moses could rise to this height, sure
ly thou. with Christ to help thee. can
also reach It.
With these words he left her-left
her alone In one Of those dreary wastes
made by the loved who have deceived
or deserted us: vacant places watered