The Tomahawk., 1917-05-03

| READY IOl MI. SlliclOo, Dul NOI " cl'S-A
or read any letters unless called upon
to do so. Two letters addressed in a
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 1T,
supposing he took it for 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 it. But
Jean had q strong sense Of honor. TO
read another persons letter was to 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 soph;s-
try, but it got the better Of her. She
looked again at the letter, drew it out,
and read it.
"Dear father" it said, II have re-
ceived no answer to any of my letters.
At first I thought you might not have
gotten them, but I am forced now to
think otherwise. Still I am making
one more appeal, for it seems incred-
ible you should 60 on believing me
what you said. It has come nearer
to breaking my heart, and making
a wreck of my life than anything else
in the whole bitter experience. II
you will not listen to me or see me, at
least let me know if you are well. l
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 daughter, and her
future seemed assured.
II am we'll punished for my curios'
ity," she thought. IF had let that
letter alone, I would not have to he
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-
wise him further.s He answered, ex-
pressing his gratitude for her kind
ness.
One day in the parlor of her board
ing house she faced man of about
thirty, with clear-cut features, a good
pair of shoulders, and the bearing OF a
gentleman. 1t was Nathaniel Shields.
He told her something of his story. A
woman whom he had found out to be
an adventures, had managed to gain
the affections Of his father some three
or four years after his mothers death,
and when he had finally succeeded IN
unmasking her to his father, so that
the engagement had been broken Off,
her revenge had not rested till she
had succeeded by the help of one Of
her pals in throwing the guilt of the
forged note on him. After his convic-
ton she had written his father that he
meant to give the money to her, as
he had been giving her large sums to
buy her silence, since he was deter
mined she should not marry him, and
that all his stories were lies.
Jean believed him. The more she
saw Of him, the more was her conti-
dence enlisted in his behalf. One day
she said to him: II can see but one
thing to do. will bring you to him. If
he sends me from the house never to
enter it again, it must be tried"
II can't let you do it," he said.
"You must" she answered. 1T will
be kinder to me to do as ask than to
refuse"
The next day she took him with her
to the house. She put him in tn"
drawing room, knowing that Shields
would not be likely to go in there. In
the library she found the elder man.
'"There is someone waiting for you"
she said. Someone you ought to
see"
"Now he broke in seeming at once
to divine who it was.
EYES," she said. "By the eternal