The San Francisco call., 1904-02-07


part WERE" he answered quickly, but
with a dogged Tightening of the lips
which convinced Miss Betty that he
knew very well.
Nelson, what was the rest of it?"
Please. Missy, 1 got pack yo' pa
trunk; an 1t time long ago fer me to be
at my wu'k." He was half out of the
door.
What was the rest Of it?" she re-
peated quietly.
Now, honey" he returned with de-
predatory shake of his head, Il got my
wu'k tend to; an amt nevah ak no
body what twas, an l amt goin' ak
'em. An lemme jass beg you foller de
ole mans advice; you do de same, case
nobody amt goin' tell you. All 1 know
is dat it come later and were somep'n
bout dat riprarin Crailey Gray. Yo'
pa he sent a channelge to Mist Van
Fevel, an Mist Vanrevel fuse to fight
him case he say he don b'lieve shootin'
yo' pa goin' do yo' pa any good, an he
still got hope mekkin' good citizen
outer him. Dat brung de laff on yo'
pa ag'in: an he clare to God eff he
ketch Vanrevel on any groun' er hisn
he shoot him like mad dog. Pom my
livin' soul he means dem wuds, Missy!
Dey had hard 'nough time las night
keepin' him FUN teahin' dat man to
pieces at de fab. You mus keep dat
young gelmun way fun heahr'
He came home with me last night,
Nelson; 1 told father So"
"Yes'm. Yo' pa tole me you say dat,
but he reckon you done it to mex him
madden. case you mad, too. He say
he done see dat Crailey Gray comm
long de hedge wild you.'
He was mistaken, IT was Mr.. Van
revel."
Nelson rolled his eyes fervently to
heaven. Den dat young man run
pintedly on he DEATH Eff you want
keep us all dis side er de Jawdan
Rivuh, don let him set foot in dis
neighbo hood when yo' pa come back!
An, honey" his voice sank to a pene-
trating whisper-"fo' l do a lick er
wu'k I goin' out in de stable an git
down on my knees an retu'n thanks
giving to de good God case he hole
Carewe street in de darkness las
night"
This was the speech he chose for his
exit. but, after closing the door behind
him. he opened 1t again, and said,
cheerfully:
"Soon's I git de trunk fix e yo' pa,
bring 'roun' dat bay colt wild de side
saddle. You better set bout gittin on
yo' ridin'- habit, Missy De roads is
mighty good dis sunshiny wedduh."
'Nelson?"
"Yes'm."
do you think such an attack as
father had this NOTWITHSTANDING
ous?"
He had hoped for another chance to
laugh violently before he left her, and
this completely fitted his desire. "Ho,
no. bol" he shouted Nom, no, no,
honey! He jass git so mad it mex him
sick. YOU couldn' kill dat man wild a
broad-ax. Missy"
And he went down the hall leaving
the reverberations Of his hilarity be-
hind him. The purpose of his visit had
been effected, for, when Miss Betty ap-
peared upon the horse block in her
green habit and gauntlets. she was
smiling; so that only a wonan-or a
wise old man-could have guessed that
she had wept bitterly that morning.
She cantered out to the fiat open
country to the east, where she found
soft dirt roads that were good for the
bay colts feet, and she reached cross
road several miles from town before
she was overcome by the conviction
that she was a wicked and ungrateful
girl She could not place the exact
spot of her guilt, but she knew it was
there, somewhere, since she felt herself
a guilty thing.
For the picture which Nelson had
drawn rose before her; the one man
standing alone in his rage on the plat
form, overwhelmed by his calm young
adversary, beaten and made the butt
Of laughter for a thousand. Her father
had been in the wrong in that quarrel,
and somehow she was sure, too, he
must have been wrong in the per
sonaP' one as well; the mysterious diff
Guilty over Fanchon's Mr.. Gray, who
had looked so ashamed last night.
What feud could they make over him,
Of all people in the world? He looked
strong enough to take care Of his own
quarrels, even If he was so vigorously
bound by Fanchon's apron-strings
when it came to a word with another
girl.
But the conclusion that her father
had been in error did not lessen the
pathetic appeal Of the solitary figure
facing the ridicule Of the crowd. She
felt that he always honestly believed
himself in the right; she knew that he
was vain; that he had an almost mon
strous conception OF his dignity; and,
realizing the bitterness of that public
humiliation which he had undergone,
she understood the wrath, the unspeak-
able pain and sense of outrage, which
must have possessed him.
And now she was letting him go forth
upon a journey-his way beset with the
chances of illness and accident
whence he might never return; she was
letting him go without seeing him
again: letting him go with no word of
farewell from his daughter. In brief,
she was a wicked girl. She turned the
colts head abruptly to the west and
touched his flanks with her whip.
So IL fell out that as the packet
foamed it's passage backward from Ca
rewe's wharf into the current, the own