Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1902-08-30
The GUILTY MAN /


no pain. We laid her beside father,
whom she never ceased grieving for
and 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, and
happily over for both of them, dear,
and you were always kind aud good to
them"
A 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 on
the mantle was strangely loud.
There was a 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. l do
not mean to be hard, but | can't go
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 a 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 a broken heart 1.
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 a time like this?"
Hush, Mary" said her husband.
"Hushr'
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 a narrowing Of the
radius. No matter for Jack If 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, and before that the sin had
been tempered by her plying love and
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
ly failed to realize how much she was
going through. 1t was only her lack of
IOuCnR0
them. Her alteration Of a 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 daughter-the daughter
of thief! That miserable word that
disgraceful word, would come upper
most to her But for Jack would this
have been SO? The daughter of a
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?"
81 will stay here" he said, in his
hushed way, Here"
Very we'll" 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