The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-12-02
CHAPTER XII

CHAPTER XXI.
Mary went to plead with David for
her uncle. He was IN the deserted farm
yard Of Berry. with It's tumbls-down
buildings He leaned against the gate.
thinking always Of the fields he Aad lost,
and the way in which they had been
taken from him. OF course his Arss
thought was to get out Of her way.
Dent run away. David" abe said;
Il came to talk with yea"
well. GENE through the gate then,
Mary. WIN ysu talk In the cottage. or
win ysu talk hsreT'
Let rs stay eutslds-hsrs In the
shade. David. when win you cease 10
VERY ySur unelsP'
"Did he tell you that worry hlm7
Has he been eOmplAininET'
Ne. He even denies that you have
any share In the new trouble that seems
to have fallen upon him. Bot | know
that 1t Is caused By ySu- After every
enc Of your morning visits no Is mlssr-
able. Every day he grows mere nervous
and more irritable. He sheds tears when
he is alone am quite Sare that you are
the cause Of his trouble"
Well Mary. perhaps you are right.
may be the cause Of IT, Perhaps |
I AAAy % lua cause OF q good deal more
| trouble than | have done"
oh. David, thlnk-he Is an old man:
be Is afflicted with paralysis; you are
Fastening bis end. What good will! Il
do to you II you worry him into his
graVs7 VIII that restore the past? VIII
that make you what yOu used to be?''
Nay, that It will not do. But when
| see him at nay mercy, crying for pity,
~ a z
| BIN TO lend ne poor 6fty pounds. with
which 10 try my luck IN Canada, and be
laughed me in the face
Well, then David. does Il DO You
any good 20 remember that day8 Let
! the past be dead. David, and live for the
| future"
You ioa't know what you are saving
Mary. What should you know about II?
You are only giri'-hs spoke roughly
aad Fudely, bat not unkiRdly-"what 10
you know? Let the past be dead Why.
all the world Is crying because the past
won't die. I only wish the past would
die" Here. 1t seems to me, David hlt
upon a profound truth; for very nearly
all the world-not quite-it would be.
unhappily, far better If the past would
die. IF the past should die, MARY.
should forget that | was once a substap-
tial man. who sat respected at the mar
ket ordinary. rode my own horse, and
farmed my own land. | should forget
that had 70 20 away from nay native
place and take ship with the lowest emf
grants. should forget-Mary." he
whispered, Il can trust you--I have told
no one else should forget that I had
been In prison-yes, in prison"
"DaVid. She shrank from him. but
recovered. and laid her hand softly upon
his.
Yes; In prison. And now am no
longer At 10 sit and talk with George
and you. But I am fit 10 talk with nv
uncle, because. bad as I am. he is worse,
But If be Is, David. forgive him"
Il 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 a 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 IL. II isn't me that won't stand il
because I don't greatly care who knows.
but It's him. He likes me 10 come. he
watches for me and waits for me
though he knows that when I am ggn.
he will turn and wrizgle In his chair
and cry and curse. Yet he wants me-
back. Say no more about il, Mary"
II was indeed useless to try further
persuasl0ns. Mary was silent. Her
cousin, worked up by his wrath. stood
before her with purple cheeks and fam.
Ing eyes
Il must 20 away soon." she said. II
cannot let George 20 out into the world |
without any one. And then must leave |
hiR-alogs,"
rid, grimly.
Well, have said what came to SAY.
David, and haze done no good. If you |
would only forget"
Il cannot forget Stay, Mary. one
thing I must shy. Remember aftsrvaFd
that | said il in time Then, perhaps.
you'll think that il it hadn't been for |
him ! might have been a different man"
What is il, DavidY"
III Il this" His face softpned the |
moment he ceased to think upon HE |
wrongs. Il was but the wreck Of face |
which had once been handsome and full |
u hope, but il was better aud healthisr
to look upon than the face black with /
revenge. viii tells me that you are |
going to marry George without your IN
cle'z cOusentT'
YES"
You know that he must then give me |
the whole Of my aunt's money!
Yea