The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-05-10
at did not come TO me-"
"Yes-it did"
aRif-r rrl,nf rrna IL a ahofIf 90

But-what was IL aOoutF
"It was signed" she said; "it was
signed She paused and turned half
away. not lifting the downcast lashes.
Her hand. resting upon the back Of the
bench, was shaking. She put II behind
her. Then her eyes were lifted a little,
and. though they did not meet his, he
saw them, and u glory sprang into be-
ing In his heart. Her voice fell still
lower, and two heavy tears rolled down
her cheeks. "It was signed" she whis-
pered. 1T was signed-'H. Fisbee.'"
He began to tremble from head to
foot. There was a long silence. She
had turned full away from him. When
he spoke his voice was as low as hers.
and he spoke as slowly as she had.
"You mean-then-then 1t was-your'
"Yes"
"Youw
"Yes."
"And you-you have-you have been
here all the timer"
"All-all except the week-you were
hurt"
The bright veil that wrapped them
was drawn away. and they stood in the
quiet. gathering dusk. He tried to
loosen his neckband; It seemed to be
choking him. I'll can't-I don't COM
prehend 1t. I am trying to realize
what II all means"
1T means nothing" she answered.
'Thers was an editorial yesterday"
he said. IAN editorial that I thought
was about Rodney McCune. Did you
write itT
"Yes."
at was about-me-wasn't itr'
"Yes."
ut said-it said that-that I had won
the-the-love Of every person In Car
low county"
Suddenly she found her voice. "Do
not misunderstood me-" she said rapid
ly. 81 have done the little that I have
done out Of gratitude" She faced him
now, but without meeting his eyes. "I
owed you more gratitude than a wom-
an ever owed a man before, I think.
and l would have died to pay q part
Of it."
what gratitude did you owe mef
"What gratitude? For what you did
| for my father"
Il have never seen your father in my
life"
Listen. My father is q gentle old
man with white hair and kind eyes.
My name is my uncle's. He and my
aunt have been good to me as a father
and mother since l was seven years
old, and they gave me their name by
law. and / lived with them. Ny ia
ther came to see me once a year; / new.
er came to see him. He always told me
everything was well with him, that his
life was happy. and I thought 1t was
easier for him not having me to take
care Of, he has been so poor ever since
was a chile Once he lost the little
he had left to him in the world. his
only way Of making his living. He had
no friends; he was hungry and desper.
ate, and he wandered. was dancing
and going about wearing jewels-only
did not know. All the time the brave
heart wrote me happy letters. I should
have known. for there was one who
did and who saved him. When at las,
I came to see my father he told me-ht
had written Of his idol before, but Il
was not till I came that he told II al
to me. Do you know what I felt.
While his daughter was dancing co
tillons a stranger had taken his hand
and-and'- A sob rose in her throat
and checked her utterance for a mo
ment, but she threw up her head proud
ly. Gratitude, Mr.. Harklessw sht
cried. 81 am James Fisbee's daugh
terw
He fell back from the bench with 9
sharp exclamation and stared at he
through the gray twilight She wen
on hurriedly. still not looking at him
II wanted to do something to show 70,
that l could be ashamed OF my viii
neglect Of him-something to show yo'
his daughter could be grateful-and i
has been such dear, happy work. tn
little have done. that 1t seems. afte
all, that have done It for love Of my
self It is what had always wantet
to do-to earn a living for myself. t
live with my father. When / cam
here, my aunt and uncle were terribl.
afraid I would stay with him. 1t wa
. to prevent this that they determined +
60 abroad, and my father said mus
90 back to them. Then you were
were hurt. and he needed me so mucl
he let ma stay. When .xou-Hhel
Tou told me"-she broke on with
strange, nutterins, half inarticulate III
tie laugh that was half tears and the
resumed in another tone-"when yo
told me you cared that night-tha
night Of the storm-how could 1 b
sure? 1t had been only two days, 20
see, and oven IL could have been sur
of myself-why, I couldn't have toll
you. oh, had so brazenly thrown my
self at your head time and again thos
two days In my-my worship Of you
goodness to my father and my excite
ment in recognizing In his friend th
hero of my girlhood that you had e'
cry right to think / cared; but if-bu
IL had-if had-loved you with m
whole soul l could not have-why. n
woman could have-I mean the sort @
girl / am-couldn't have admitted it
must have denied It. Do you think this
then I could have answered Yes eve
II had wanted to-even IL had bee
sure of myself? And now he
voice sank again to a whisper. "An
now
"And now7" he said tremulously. St
gave a hurried glance from right to LEI
and from left to right. like one In te
ror seeking a way of escape: she gait
cred her skirts in her hand as IL to ru
Z into the garden. but suddenly she turl
ed and ran to him. She threw her arm
about his neck and kissed him on Il
forehead.
When they heard the judge callir
from the orchard they went bat
10 through the garden toward the hous