The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-07-29
When Carolyn Game Home.
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BY NELLIE e. G. SCOTT.

Of u.s." remarked Carolyn Mason W
her sister. She bent over a vase
one Of the wedding presents.
Franks wife gave me that was
MT 1t a shame, Caddie, that you had 10
go and be sick just at the time OF lhe
wedding?"
81 know it. dear. 1t did seem al
most too much for human endurance
But if it hadn't happened | snoulon
now be here for this splendid little VS.
II. having the fun of taking inventory
of your possessions. Is this the emu
of the wedding presents? isn't tnere
a single one more?"
Something in her sisters Tone
caused the bride to glance up quickly.
What do you mean by one more!
she asked.
81 was wondering if there WASH
anything from-father," replied caro-
Ign. Her voice faltered slightly over
the last word.
"Oh. that was it, was it? Well, my
dear, you may save your eyeslght'
There is nothing from f!ther'
I'm SO sorry!" said Carolyn.
didn't like to write and ask you, ana
had hoped you forgot to mention IT,
Kate laughed unpleasantly. On l
should not have forgotten it,! sne
said mo, he served me as he ala
the boys-and you; let me go without
a kind word or one of regret Ana
why? Just because Bert didn't SUIT
him. AS if there's man on eartn, OF
a woman, either, who could do that!
81 thought he'd surely like JESSIE
wien Frank married her." Carolyn
hazarded.
Eyes; where could you find nicer
girl? And Dicks wife, too But De-
cause they were not his own particular
choice! And what was your unpar-
donable sin? Just because you
Don't, Xiii" cried the girl, in DIS
tress. What's the use OF going all
over the ground again?"
Your voice was your one great tai
ent. And he shut his door against his
own child because he chose to cultl-
vate it when the opportunity came!
Kate, bes of you'll" cried Carolyn.
How does he get along?" she proKe
off, suddenly.
"He is all alone. Dick told me ne
called there the other evening. Fatn'
err was eating his supper-a poor
picked-up meal-but his grim splrlt
would allow him to make no conces-
sions. He permitted himself neither
apology nor comment in asking DICK
to join him.
did tell you that Bert and asked
father to make his home with us when
we were married? We did; but he re-
fused in such a contemptuous way thai
made up my mind right there thai
he not l. should make the next adj
yances. Well, the other night DlcR
said it made him positively ache tt
see the state of the house. But wha1
could he do? What can anybody doT
and Hates voice softened a little.
"That's the pity of it. Fathers get
ting old. and to be there all alone witt
no care whatever! He's still our tath
err. and | miss the care I've taken O
him for nearly twenty years"
A long silence fell in the room
which Carolyn broke when she coul(
trust her voice:
I'm going up there tomorrow
Kate"
you're going up there! What goo
will it do? You'll just bring away un
pleasant memory, and we Masons hav
enough of those"
"Oh, do you think I'd let him Sc
me, after what he said when wen
away at work. You know Bert sal
this morning that father was cuttln
bushes off in the alder meadow. II
clean up the house and get one goo
supper ready for him, poor old man!
It was with anything but a ligh
heart that Carolyn found herself tra'
elling the familiar way that led t.
ward "home"-what a mockery tn
word seemed to her! Not a bush D
the wayside, not a stone in the pat
Int had been familiar to her eve
since the happy day when her mothe
had watched her from the doorwa
the first time she went to scool.
And now She drew the fioatin
veil down over her face as she a.
pr6ached the neighboring farmhouse
partly to hide the tears that droppe
partly in the hope of keeping her idel
tity from prying eyes.
But just as she passed the lane TIL
led to the house of Miss ]. Abiga
Hemingway, and saw that sharp-eyt
and shrill-voiced spinster at the wi