The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-05-17

of former years.
Jean had been instructed to slit the
ends of envelopes and lay the mail
! ready for Mr. Shields, but not to open
or read any letters unless called upon
20 do so. Two letters addressed in n
masculine hand she had noticed he had
tossed into the wastebasket without
even taking them from the envelope. At
first she thought not much about II,
supposing he took it for a begging let
ter or some inconsequential matter
about which he did not wish TO be both
cred. But she noticed that after each
of these letters he seemed irritable.
When the third one came, and met
with the same reception, Jeans won
derment and curiosity reached the
boiling point. Among other wild sur
misses one suddenly struck her with
force. Suppose these letters were
from the son trying to see or speak
with this father?
She could see the corner OF the let
ter sticking out between others. She
was entirely alone with that letter. No
one would ever know If she read 1t. But
Jean had strong sense of honor. TO
read another persons letter was 10 her
about the same as putting her hand in
his pocket and taking something; still,
she reasoned, perhaps she could help
this man in some way, If she only knew
how. She was aware this was sophis-
try, but 1t got the better of her. She
looked again at the letter, drew 1t out,
and read It,
Dear father" 1t said, 81 have re-
ceived no answer to any of my letters.
At first / thought you might not have
gotten them, but / am forced now to
think otherwise. Still / am making
one more appeal, for 1t seems incred-
ible you should go on believing me
what you said. 1t has come nearer
to breaking my heart. and making
wreck of my life than anything else
in the whole bitter experience. If
you will not listen to me or see me, at
least let me know If you are well.
have been out of prison for over six
months, but have found it hard to get
anything to do. The faint follows me.
At present am working on railroad
with day laborers, but this job will
not last very long"
Jean copied the address, and put the
letter back in the basket.
Her thoughts played havoc with her
work. The appeal and pathos Of
the letter haunted her. 1t seemed
tragic to her that this father and
son should be so far apart. But
even suppose she could bring them to-
gether, what would she be doing for
herself? She had begun almost to
know that Shields felt toward her as
though she were a daughter, and her
future seemed assured.
II am well punished for my curios-
ity," she thought. "If / had let that
letter alone, l would not have to be
fighting this battle with myself"
Day after day she put off doing any
thing, till only short time intervened
before the two weeks would be up.
There was only one right, one just thing
TO do, and that was to try to bring this
man into his own. She wrote to him,
explaining who she was, and telling
him his father had never opened his
letters. She asked him to have con-
fidence in her, and to let her know any
change in his address till she could ad
pressing his gratitude for her kind
ness.
One day in the parlor of her board
4 ing house she faced a man of about
thirty, with clear-cut features, good
\ pair of shoulders, and the bearing of a
g gentleman. 1t was Nathaniel Shields
. lie told her something of his story. A
;. woman whom he had found out to be
r an adventures, had managed to gain
. the affections of his father some three
: or four years after his mothers death
a and when he had finally succeeded in
1 unmasking her TO his father, so that
the engagement had been broken Off
\ her revenge had not rested till sh,
: had succeeded by the help of one OF
Y her pals in throwing the guilt of the
d forged note ON him. After his convic
: tion she had written his father that he
Q meant to give the money to her, as
g he had been giving her large sums tC
!. buy her silence, since he was deter
/ mined she should not marry him, ant
q that all his stories were lies.
Jean believed him. The more she
4 saw of him, the more was her conf
[ dence enlisted in his behalf. One day
she said to- him: IL can see but one
v thing TO do. ! will bring you to him. II
he sends me from the house never t
3 enter 1t again, 1t must be tried"
a 81 can't let you do It," he said.
d "You must" she answered. at viii
d be kinder to me to do as ask than tC
$ refuse"
r The next day she took him with hel
{ 10 the house. She put him in the
e drawing room, knowing that Shield.
+ would not be likely TO go in there. In