Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-12-24
S. Barring GOULD
An hour later Barbara came in.
What, papa-without a light?'

as without. The black spots have
run one into another and filled me. It
will be better soon. When Jasper
Babb shows his face again, he shall
be given up
o papa, let him escape this time.
All we now want is to get him away
from this place, away from Eve
All we now want!' repeated Mr..
Jordan. Let the man off who has
beggared Evei'
Papa, Eve will be well provided
for
He has robbed her.
But, dear papa, consider. He has
been your guest. He has worked for
you, he has eaten at your table, par
taken of your salt. When you were
hurt, he carried you to your bed. He
has been a devoted servant to you
We are quits said Mr.. Jordan. He
was nursed when he was i'll. That
makes up for all the good he has done
me. Then there is that other &C
count which can never be made up
I am sure, papa, he repents.'
And tries to snatch away Eve, as
he snatched away her fortune?'
Papa. there I think he may be ex-
cused Consider how beautiful Eve
is. It is quite impossible for a man
to see her and not love her. do not
myself know what love is, but l have
read about it, and l have fancied to
myself what it is-a kind of madness
that comes on one, and Obscures the
Judgment. l do not believe that Mr..
Jasper had any thought of Eve at
first, but little by little she won him.
You know papa, how she has run
after him, like a kitten; and so she
has stolen his heart out of his breast
before he knew what she was about.
Then, after that, everything
duty went. l dare say it is very hard
for one who loves to think calmly and
act consciously! Would you like the
lights brought in, papa?'
He shook his head.
You must not remain up longer
than you can bear she said. She
took a seat on stool, and leaned
her head on her hand, her elbow rest
ing on her knee. Papa, whilst have
been waiting in the hall, l have turn
ed the whole matter over and over In
my mind. Papa, / suppose, that Ewes
mother was very, very beautiful
He sighed in the dark and put his
hands together. The pale twilight
through the window shone on them;
they were white and ghost-like.
Papa, dear, I suppose that you saw
her when she was Ill every day, and
got to IL re her. dare say you
struggled against the feeling, but
your heart was too strong for your
head and carried your resolutions
away, just as have seen food on
the lamar against the dam at Alb
botswear; it has burst through all OBJ
structions, and In a moment every
trace of the dam has disappeared.
You were under the same roof with
her. Then there came a great ache
here-she touched her heart-'allow-
ing you no rest. Well, dear papa,
think it must have been so with Mr..
Babb. He saw our dear, sweet Eve
daily, and love for her swelled in his
heart; he formed the strongest reso-
buttons, and plated them with the
toughest considerations, and stamped
and wedged them in with vigorous eff
ort, but all was of no avail-the flood
tod
away
Mr.. Jordan was touched by the al
fusion to his dead or lost wife, but not
in the manner Barbara intended.
I have heard, continued Barbara,
that Ewes mother was brought to
this house very i'll, and that you cared
for her till she was recovered. Was it
in this room? Was it in this bed?'
She heard low moan. and saw the
white hands raised in depreciation, or
in prayer.
Then you sat here and watched
her; and when she was in fever you
suffered: when her breath came so
faint that you thought she was dying,
your very soul stood on tiptoe, agon.
lied. When her eyes opened with
reason in them, your heart leaped.
When she slept, you sat here with
your eyes on her face and could not
withdraw them. Perhaps you took
her hand in the night, when she was
veXed with horrible dreams, and the
pulse of your heart sent it's waves
against her lot, tossing troubled
heart, and little by little cooled that
fire, and brought peace to that unrest.
Papa, l dare say that somehow thus
1t came about that Eve got interested
in Mr.. Jasper and grew to love him
| often let her take my place when he
was i'll. You must excuse dearest
Eve. 1t was my fault. l should have
been more cautious. But thought no
thing of it then. I knew nothing of
now love is sown, and throws up its
leaves, and spreads ard fills the
whole heart with tangle of roots
In this last half hour Barbara had
drawn nearer to her father than in
all her previous life For once she
had entered into his thoughts, reused
old recollections, both sweet and bit, |
ter-inexpressibly sweet, unutterably
bitter-and his heart was full of tears. |
Was Ewes mother as beautiful as
our darling?'
o yes, Barbara His voice shook, |
and he raised his white hands to
cover his eyes. Even more beautiful !