The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-01-10

set streaked with green.
Our sleep was not very sweet that
night. My wife had been over to
Johnson's for chat while had been
writing my journal, and when she re-
turned the whitewinged dove of peace
went hence. There were tears in the
blessed woman's eyes and her lower
lip trembled.
"Such time as I have had!" she
cried. "Never have L been so tempted
to let down the bars of temper!
Land!"
"Ies?" said, smiling.
"NVhat do you thinl1?" she went on
after an interval Of labored breath
ing. Mrs. Johnson insinuates-she
does not say outright, for she does
not dare-that we stole those bell
flowers"
"stole them!" I gasped. "From
whom does she say we stole them?"
"From Mr.. Johnson. She says that
the choicest specimens upon their
bellfower tree were stolen, and she
says that they looked precisely like
those taken to the fair by us. In fact,
she says, Mr.. johnson is almost will
ing to take his oath they were the
| same"
1 laughed somewhat holloway. I
did not mean to laugh hollowly, but
1 could not help it. From the moment
when we had found those bellflowers
| beneath that unfortunate tree 1 had
not been easy in my mind. My con-
science had not been affected, but my
intellect had evinced mild tendency
| to nausea. The tree had never justi-
fed the confidence we so suddenly re-
posed in it. We had not seen the APP
Piles upon the branches. But we had
not looked for them. The tree was
not in plain sight from the beaten
| path.
I looked at my wife and she. looked
at me and we were silent for long
time. At length 1 spoke.
"My DEAR" said I, ''you led me
straight to the spot where those ap-
pies were. How did you happen to do
SOP"
81 knew they were there" she re-
piled frankly, "although 1 thought
they were upon the tree. Robbie
| told me-"
"Ah-h-h!" exclaimed.
1 am not certain that my tone was
of the curdling sort. but am certain
| that for an instant went sour. There
| came over me in that instant a glare
of light, making all things plain. Rob-
| ert Wilkins had been up to his jokes
again. His humorous instinct had
led him to despoil the bellfiower tree
of the boaster johnson that the
| cravings for first premiums in our
meek and lowly hearts might be APP
peased. He had, to use an idiom of
| the mining country, sailed our poor,
old, barren bellflower tree, and VIC
timized not only his father and his
mother, but the whole of Rasher
county.
1t is fortunate that Robert Wilkins
was not within reach of my arm as
this revelation poured in upon me
| fortunate for Robert Wilkins and for
US. 1 very much fear that, had such
been the case, punishment of the sort
from which cometh red spots and
smarting would have been meted out
| to him with the liberality which ever
betokens an absence of elaboration.
And my wife, as each blow fell, would
seen again the vision of a tiny white
faced child lying upon bed with
| the lights and shadows of the other
world playing over his wasted little
| frame. Robert Wilkins will never
know-not, at least, until he has chill
dren of his own--how many times
| that vision has come between him
and unthinking vengeance. How bles-
sings cluster upon the cross of sor-
row!
'My DEAR said I, "to put it plain
ly, we are in fix. Robert Wilkins
put those apples beneath that tree.
1 doubt not that he filched them from
Johnson's orchard"
81 will never believe it," returned
my wife. And she never will, though
the evidence be piled before her
mountain high. 1t is her idea of be-
ing faithful, and 1 would not have
her otherwise. There is a comfort
not to be valued lightly in the
consciousness that one person among
| the millions will ever refuse to be-
lieve ones accusers. I did not pur-
sue the subject.
She went about her household du-
ties and 1 sat quietly bordering. 1t
was vexatious question. I could not
see plainly the way out. To clear my
self would incriminate Robert Will
kins, and [ did not wish to incrim-
mate Robert Wilkins. I understood
perfectly that Robert Wilkins had
been actuated in the matter by
spirit of pure fun. I hold to the
theory that boy should be punished
only for his bad intentions; but that
he should be forced to a wholesome
realization of the consequences accru-
ing from his act. 1 hold that indis-
criminate punishment produces liars.
l abhor liars above thieves. Robert
Wilkins, in this instance, had no bad
Intentions. 1 satisfied myself fully up
| on, @,,,+ L