Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-09-28
The Sins Of
The Fathers
ey FLORENCE A. LOPEZ
r HE woman folded and sealed the

the pile before her, then dropped ner
head YEARLY on the table, :.
"Oh, | am so tired" she moaned'
$50 terribly, terribly tired!"
The man opposite laid down MS
newspaper and looked at her anx-
iously.
"Poor little woman!" he said. ten
derby.
Il fear I have been very rude, How
ard | forgot you we're here" she an
swered, drearily. Won't you forgive
mel"
Forgive you, Helen? Why, dear, It
breaks my heart to see you look 30
faded and dispirited. Is 1t fair to your
self, or fair to me?
There is no fairness about It," the
woman replied dejectedly. '"The law
Is old enough to be inevitable. The
sins Of the fathers, you know"
In the silence that followed, the man
rose and began to pace the floor rest
lessly.
The room was small and plain al
most to baroness, without even a pic
ture to detract from the dingy monot-
ony of the colorless wall paper. The
floor was uncovered, the little folding
bed shamelessly bare Of Disgusting
curtains-and the table at which
Helen worked was only Of plain pine,
small and unvarnished.
The man ceased his aimless walk
and paused irresolutely by the mo-
tionless figure. g."
Helen, how long have you lived
here like this?" with q glance at the
empty ROOM "toiling. shaving away
the best years of your life? How long
has 1t been?"
Ever since he died, 15 years ago
Fifteen long, bitter years, In which
often wondered why my strength held
out day by day. Why never sickened
and died under the strain; why my
brain even, did not fail. | suppose Il
was meant for me to finish my task
and when that is done, then"
Then what?" asked the man
grimly.
"Oh, then l can rest in peace! Res
with an easy conscience! Then, How
ard, maybe can even die like othe
people, and rest forever in my grave.
"Hush!" the man cried, hoarsely
"Hush, Helen; l cannot bear to hea
you talk like that. You are younI
yet"
"Young?" the woman echoed. Eyes
as people reckon years, perhaps In
young-five and thirty is not old-an'
yet ever since that night, Is. year
ago, I've felt old, so old, Howard, tina
wonder my hair did not turn gra
to correspond with the awful weigh
of years I've carried in my heart"
Howard did not answer; he stoo
by her chair and stroked the bowe
head with loving tenderness.
Helen" he said at last. Il wan
to talk to you tonight about some
thing important. Will 1t tire you to
, much to listen?"
mo, dear, your voice will rest me,
she answered, quietly.
81 want to tell you story" he sait
"Shall l begin 1t like the old fair
, tales: once upon q timer"
| She smiled family, and still stand
ing by her side, he began:
Once upon time, then, there wa
: a young girl-the sweetest, loveliei
girl in all the world. She had neve
| known a sorrow, for, though mother
less. the devotion of her father we
30 complete that she never missed
wanted mothers care.
Into this girls life there came
man who stole her heart away. n
matter how, unworthy"
Never unworthy, Howard" Il
woman interrupted, lovingly.
mo one could be worthy OF her
the man replied, emphadcally. "bu
i as said, no matter how unworthy, Il
girl gave him her love trustingly an
completely, and on her twenuet
birthday they were betrothed.
happy were they in their YOUTH
: paradise that they never dream'
: aught could come to change the
3 bliss. Hand in hand In the dir
: lighted parlor they waited for her I
Their whose consent and blessing on
were needed to crown their hapI
. ness"
: Howard, Howard, you mustn't Il
j that storyl" the woman cried, 81
!. denly. 81 cannot bear It"
|. In all these years, dear, we ma
: never touched on that night, but l b
/. you TO listen to me now. l will spa
q you all can"
! The woman hid her face in b
\ hands a. he continued:
> "They we're waiting for q living
I Their to bring his blessing-and tn
= brought his body home; they we
trusting in q heritage Of honor, a
they found a legacy Of shame; tn
were living in q paradise which y
8 tumbIed down about them by the m
/ who lay dead Of his own act, too 90
% ardly to live and face the punishme
It his crimes deserved"
T. The woman began to sob softly, q
> the mans eyes were moist and
D. voice was husky a. he once more to