The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-10-18
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XXII
Mary went to plead with David for
her uncle. He was IN the deserted farm
yard of Berry, with its tumble-down
buildings. He leaned against the gate,
thinking always Of the fields he had lost,
and the way in which they had been
taken from him. OF course his first
thought was to get out Of her way.
Don't run away. David" she said;
II came to talk with you"
"Wel! come through the gate then,
Mary. VIII you talk in the cottage, or
will you talk here?"
LET us stay outside-here in the
shade, David. When will you cease to
worry your unclef"
ibid he tell you that I worry him?
Has he been complaininy?"
mo. He even denies that you have
any share In the new trouble that seems
to have fallen upon him. But | know
that 1t Is caused by you. After every
one OF your morning visits he Is miser-
able. Every day he grows more nervous
and more irritable. He sheds tears when
he is alone. am quite sure that you are
the cause Of his trouble"
"Well, Mary, perhaps you are right.
may be the cause of it, Perhaps
may be the cause Of good deal more
trouble than l have DONE
"Oh. David, think-he is an old man;
he is afflicted with paralysis; you are
fastening his end. What good will 1t
do to you IL you worry him into his
gravef Will that restore the past? viii
that make you what you used to be?"
NAY. that it will not do. But when
| see him Mt my mercy, crying for pity,
| think Of the day when I came to ask
him to lend ne a poor City pounds. with
which to try my luck in Canada and he
laughed me in the face"
well, then. David. does it do you
any good to remember that day? Let
the past be dead. David, and live for the
future"
You don't know what yon are saying.
Mary. What should you know about it :?
You are only a girl''--he spoke roughly
and rudely, but not unkindly --"what do
you knowt Let the past be dead. Why.
all the world is crying because the past
won't die. | only wish the past would
die Here. 1t seems to me. David hit
upon profound truth; for very nearly
all the world-not quite-it would be.
unhapPily, far better II the past would
die. eff the past should die. Mary, |
should forget that was once a substan-
tial man, who sat respected at the mar
ket ordinary. rode my own horse, and
farmed my own land. l should forget
that ! had to go away from my native
place and take ship with the lowest emf
grants. | should forget--Mary." he
whispered, II can trust you'll have told
no one else--I should forget that had
been in prison--yes, in prison.
David" She shrank from him, but
recovered. and laid her hand softly upon
his.
longer tit to sit and talk with George
aud you. But ! am fit to talk with my
uncle, because. bad as ! am, he is worse"
But il he is. David. forgive him."
II will worry him." said David, "as
long as ! can. | will never spare him.
I've got another But never mind
Oh. when you are gone, Mary, he shall
have life that he little dreams of now.'
David. 1t is terrible. Can nothing
move your"
Nothing. Mary; not even you. And
mind you. don't try to put yourself be-
tween him and me, because he won't
stand 1t. 1t isn't me that won't stand it,
because | don't greatly care who knows
hut it's him. He likes me to come; he
watches for me and waits for me.
though he knows that when / am gon.
he will turn and wriggle in his chair,
and cry and curse. Yet he wants mo
back. Say no more about it. Mary"
1t was indeed useless to try further
persnasions. Mary was silent. Her
cousin. worked up by his wrath. stood
before her with purple cheeks and fam
ing eyes.
II must go away soon" she said. II
cannot let George go out into the world
without any one. And then must leave
him-alone."
Yes: but he will have me-" said Da-
vid grmly
well. | have said what I came TO say,
David, and nave done no good. II you
would only forget"
Il cannot forget, Stay, Mary: one
thing | must say, Remember afterward
that said il in time. Then, perhaps,
you'll think that if it hadn't been for
him | might have been Il different man."
What is IT, DavidI"
II; is this" His face softened the
moment he ceased to think upon his
wrongs. 1t was but the wreck of A face
which had once been handsome and fn,l
of hope, but 1t was better and heaithisr
to look upon than the face black with
revenge. "WiIl tells me that YOU are
going to marry George without your I'm.
cle's consentY''
YES"
You know that he must then give me
the whole of my aunt's money!"
Yes"