The Weiser semi-weekly signal. (Weiser, Washington Co., Idaho) 1904-1911, 1905-01-28

} in ra1lrOading ana did not care TO rise
although he might have done so easily
, for he was a man so thoroughly re
liable by nature that not even strong
drink could destroy this quality in him
and, besides, he had the immense ad
} vantage of a splendid personality
which made him known and remember
ed by his superiors.
After he had been In Carlton about
six months he began to receive regular
letters from his father. His mother
was long since dead. / saw some OF
the letters. The earlier ones We're full
of stubborn pride and an offended
authority. They gave the boy an OPP
| ton of complete submission to the pa
ternal will and were more than vague
In regard to the rewards that would
follow. Then / began to detect an I'M
dercurrent Of anxiety and an old mans
longing for his son. The feeling was
sternly repressed. Only phrase here
quaint, almost laughable, hints of pecu-
MARY assistancejn case the young man
should be in difficulties, but no money
ever came.
Whitley always replied to these
epistles, but with distressing brevity.
The tone was always perfectly respect
full, but 1t must have been direful for
an anxious father to read those deadly
short sentences. Three or four Of them
penned in an enormous hand covered
half sheet of paper and conveyed as
little Information as ever saw in
letter.
BY and by the elder Bowen began to
hint at illness, and then indeed the son
showed an increasing anxiety, but 1t
did him no good. There was some
thing which he wanted his father to
say In one OF those letters, something
which would have called the boy home,
but 1t was not said, and I never found
out what It wa6-
1t became obvious to me otter a little
while that the Old karmer was really
failing toward his grave and that he
knew It right wen, 1 began 30 urge
Whitley" 10 go home, bat without sue
cess He could not reed between the
lines OF those letterS He was not old
enough to recognize that presentiment
which comes 10 man OF advanced |
years when the end Of the long Jour |
ney really draws mean
There was, howeves, one letter which |
moved Whitley more than the others
IT contained BIT OF Dews about Z Riri
IN the home town, and this news.
though Of no more consequence than a
new gown-so little, In fact that
have entirely forgotten what It was
had been expressed with crude and
simple tenderness The sentence was
one Of those which an experienced
writer OF romance would give much TO
be able to pen, yet the like Of It will
come to him only when be forgets his
art 1t showed that this girl was dear
to the father because he always
thought OF his son when he looked at
her. Then indeed had strong hope
of sending Whitley home. but Mrs.
Lorne appeared in Carlton and spoiled
the chance.
From the first meeting between them
this woman exerted strange and con-
Trajectory influenza Whatever she
said to him seemed to produce an ef-
rect exactly opposite to that which
would have been the ordinary sense OF
the words. She showed no great liking
for him and did not encourage him to
seek her society. Yet he was drawn TO
ner, not as man may be tantalized
INTO striving after that which is diff
1cult of attainment, but because he
'elt from the very beginning that she
was his friend.
Mrs. Lorne Is the most sympathetic
woman I've ever met" said he 30 me
lfter conversation to which we three
had been parties.
remember staring at him In amaze
nent, for of all the cold blooded, cyn.
cal talk that ever heard in this world
Mrs Lorne's upon that occasion was
asliy the chief What element of SYM
'athy with anybody or anything
Whitley had been able to find in it /
vas unable to discover. He felt her
he declared, and that was
he end of It
ought to say here that Mrs Lorne,s
onduct while in Carlton was severely
ircumspect For instance, she had n
rivate parlor at the hotel, but neither
Sowen nor any other man was re
eiyed In it. though there was nothing
o prevent. In the public parlor or
Ipon the veranda Mrs. Lorne enter.
aimed all her male acquaintance. and
hough she took the wrong side of
very moral question and applaudea
very sinner who was mentioned in he,
resence, she preserved a certain deli.
acy OF language and theme and re
uired 1t from all with whom she con.
ersed. Therefore her utterly wrong
earted view Of life was the more dan |
erous- An exuitant sympathy with |
vi may be expected OF a coarse and
oue uansgressor, and It's influence Is
lscounted; but when woman OF ex.
'rior refinement takes II upon herself \
be the devti's advocate she stands a II
lanee TO carry her case IN the courts E
this world Y