The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-08-28
THE GUILTY MAN

Wnom she never ceased yrieyiuy far
ana who had given her every comfort
In life. even when | am sure he could
hardly afford the extravagances order.
ed by her physicians. 1t is all over. aud
happily over for both of them dear
aud you We're always kind and good to
| Them"
low, long sigh broke from the man.
Then silence fell. the sound of tram
bells In the street came distinctly to
them, and the ticking of the clock Oh
the mantle was strangely loud.
1here was movement on the part Of
Annie. She rose and came and kneeled
beside her fathers chair.
Father" she said. "you must for
give me. am not very happy. do
not mean to be hard. but can't 90
back from my reasoning. You have not
only mother, but you have me also. |
VIII do what l can. l am sure you
know that. and after while you will
not miss anything in me-"
Go back to your seat" commanded
her mother. do you know that you
are In the presence Of broken hearl
Doesn't your father accuse himself of
more than you accuse him Of? Who
are you, with your paltry love troubles,
to come to him in time like this?"
Hush, Nary" said her husband.
"Hushv
The silence fell again.
Annie sat alone. She was apart from
everything. There was no love for her
anymore. 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
| father were only an innocent man.
| Love surely created a 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 aud
her prayers for heavens forgiveness.
The daughter of a 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 a greater distance
from her than they had ever been be-
fore, 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 woman's perfect happiness on
earth.
Her mother and her father apparent
" failed to realize how much she was
going through. 1t was only her lack of
| response to their love that touched
them. Her alteration of man who
might have been her husband was
merely foolishness Of hers and not to
be 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 u
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, "it
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|'
| II will stay here" he said, In his
hushed way, Here"
Every WELL" returned his wife. 81
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 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 book. only to lay it 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-