The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1910-11-24


the direction " my gaze to the work
bench. where Sam stood with his back
to IT, his worn hands folded quietly
before him He seemed little whittier
than usual. thought. and perhaps II
was onl, my fancy thai made him ap.
pear TO trrmble ever so slightly. for he
was quite calm and self posscssed-so
much 40 that realized for the first
time there was another man in Rad.
Vile besides myself who did not fear
old Colourl Rohun.
TN mere colonel" be said quietly
"What Is II Won wishr
The coluuel swung on him. shaking
with passion Hni NJ held his tongue
until he had mastered himself some
what. feat of self restraint on his
part over which | marvel to this day.
you know well. Graham" he said
presently. You got my letter-the let
ter | wrote you week agop
YES" said Sam, with a start of COM
prehension. Yes. got it,"
Then why the devil. man. don't
you answer it,
Sans Apologize smile sweetened his
face Why" he said haltingly. 'Tm
sure ! meant no offense; but. you see,
I'm a very busy man. | forgot it."
"rhe devil you forgot It! Dye ex-
pect me to believe that manT
I'm afraid you'll have to-"
Bohun was speechless for a moment.
stricken dumb by second seizure of
fury Bul again he calmed himself.
Very well; I'll swallow that inso-
lence for the present
1T wasn't meant ns such. ASSURE
Don't interrupt met D'you hear?
I've come for my answer. Yes, I've
come down to that Graham II you
cant accord me the common courtesy
Of written reply I've come to hear 1t
from your mouth"
Sam nodded thnughtfully. "Mebbe." 4"
he said. you forget you have failed
to accord me the common courtesy of
any sort of communication whatever
for twenty years. Colonel Bohun.
Even when my wife. your daughter.
died you ignored my message asking
you 10 neT I luHeTul.
"Be silentr screamed the colonel.
do you think I'm here to handy
words with you, fool2 demand my
answer"
"And as for that" continued Sam as
evenly as II he had not been inter-
rupted. your proposition was so pre-
posterous that II could have come only
from you and deserved no answer
But since you want It formally, sir,
it's no."
For moment feared Bohun
would have stroke. The back of the
chair ] had just vacated and his stick
alone supported him through that
dumb, terrible transport. He shook so
violently that l looked momentarily
10 see the chair break beneath him.
There was insanity in his eyes. when
finally he was able to articulate Il
was in broken gasps.
81 don't believe It," he stammered.
TITS a lie! l don't believe 1t. It's
madness The girl wouldn't be so
mad"
"What is It, father"
/ don't know which of us three was
the most startled by that simple ques-
ton in Betty Graham's voice. Sam.
at all events. showed the least sur
prise. The old colonel wheeled to-
ward the back Of the store. his jaw
dropping and his eyes protruding as
though he were confronted with a
ghost-as. In way. he was. Even
l had been struck by that strange,
heartrendlng similarity TO her moth
er's tone, and even trembled little
to hear that voice, as it seemed, from
beyond the grave.
Betty stood at the foot Of the stair
case. Alarmed by the noise Of the
oolonel's raging. she had stolen down.
unheard by any of us. And In that
moment / realized as never before