New-York tribune., 1910-06-12
CHAPTER XIX.

CHAPTER XIX.
TN the dim light of the candle Dick open the letter
l. with the big red seal and read:
"MY DEAR BOY.-I'm calling you that still, and that
YOU re going be as long you 1ve as long as live,
and if you outast me- you probably Will, you IL know
it after I'm dead because I've lived for years with
ideas but for you and the little girl and MADE money loI
one as well as the other. I'm telling you this because
want you to know that what We got to write don
come easy. haven't done nothing in my life that hurt
as badly this I've got to do. I've worked at 1t ana
tried for most of the time you and the kald pulled
out to find words make it easier and so you under
stand. l amt much of a letter writer, nohow You
know that and knowing it will understand what tough
lob it's been for but there ain no use IN hddlng
around with sore TOOTH because it's better to have
it yanked out, even if it hurts little harder Tor an
instant, and so I'm going to write and hurt you to
save YOU from being hurt worse.
Dick, boy, you can marry our little Charhe' one
don't love you that way
Last night after you and the Kad left we was all
mighty lonesome and Margaret had bad headache and
went to bed and didn't see her more that evening
So me and Charlie the front porch all alone and
feeling pretty sober like Somehow another get
older see some things always little palner and some
things always little dark, like lights and shadows over
our own hills, away out home This night found out
I'd been a fool for not seeing some things sooner
"Chare sitting by herself, and my cigar had
qone out The cigars YOU get here this cssed country
are always going out and you always hate yourself Tor
lighting them up again threw this one away and as
sat there thinking about most everything had unCh
all of a sudden that she feeling bad. | saw her
white handkerchief going up to her tace and suspected
she was CRYING about something. called her over ana
held her in my lap and pated her, Just the way used to
do when she was right small child, without Saying any
thing and somehow another 1t felt as II she was 1uSt
little girl again. running around IN her little plnny-
fores and telling me everything she knew. thought
maybe she was lonely because you gone; put; DICK II
wasn't that The alphabet by which read other folks
feelings is a mighty small one, after ALL even though
most of its letters very PLAN.
"Bv and by when she d quit sObbing so hard SAID
to her WHY what's the matter, little girl? You amt
lost no dolls nor nothing like that, have you, and you
amt so old that you can't tell your old dad about 1t
"She snugged up into my arms mite closer and put
her face up against neck until could feel the breath
of her sobs dying out; but for long time she dldn talk
/ felt if she'd grown away from me somehow or as II
thered been something come between us which l
couldn't bust through 1t like I'd fallen down
someway-Ine that tried to take her mother 5 place
with her to know all her baby thoughts and teach her
to open her heart wide up on all things! say felt like
I'd been going it the blind, after ALL an ignorant, self
satisfied old fool that couldn't understand. When
she talked knew it, Dick and the whole trouble been
my fault
You and she grew up together, and you do love each
other OF that I'm When you went away 1t was
aIwavs the same She was Charlie to you and you was
Dick to her 1t got kind of natural to think you were
going to be together all your lives natural for her and
You and me TO think and lay all our stakes that
wav | told you when you came back, beng always
fool and not thinking for a minute that you was
nothing but a boy and she nothing but girl after all
That was a long time ago | don't suppose you've
changed any. You act Just the way you always did;
but Charles been out in the world and she met other
men and she's matured and now she knows the dier-
ence in loves. 1t dream then to have you two
Continued NJ -