The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-04-19

"Amen!" quietly. "I'H say amen to
that, Caroline, any time. Only want
you to be sure those you call friends
are real ones and that the truths they
tell amt like bait on fishhook. put
on for bait and just thick enough to
cover the barb"
"Do you mean to insinuate'--
screamed the irrepressible nephew,
wild at being SO completely ignored
His uncle again paid not the slightest
attention.
"But that amt neither here nor there
now" he went on. Caroline, Mr.. Pear
son just told you that his coming to
this house without tellin' you fust of
his quarrel with Bite was his fault.
That amt so. The fault was mine al.
together. He told me the whole story;
! told me that he han't called since it
happened, on that very account. And
took the whole responsibility and ask
| ed him to come. did Do you know
why?"
If he expected an answer none was
given. Caroline's lids dropped disdain.
fully. "Steve,' she said, "let's CO."
"Stop! You'll stay here until I fin
ish. / want to say that I didn't tell
you about the trolley fuss because I
wanted you to learn some things for
1 yourself. wanted you to know Mr..
Pearson-to find out what sort Of man
he was afore you judged him. Then,
when you had known him long enough
to understand he wasn't liar and q
BLACKBOARD, and all that Steve has CALI
ed him, I was goin' to tell you the
whole truth, not part of it. And
after that, was goin' to let you de-
i eide for yourself what to do. I'm a
lot older than you are. I've mixed
with all sorts Of folks. I'm past the
stage where / can be fooled-by false
| hair or soft soap. You can't pour
sweet oil over herrin' and make me
believe it's a sardine. I know the
Pearson stock. I've sailed over heap
of salt water with one of the family.
And I've kept my eyes open since I've
run acrost this particular member.
And knew your father, too, Caroline
Warren. And I say to you now that,
KNOWN Jim Pearson and Bile War
Ten-yes, and KNOWN the rights and
wrongs Of that trolley business quite
as well as Malcolm Dunn or anybody
else-I say to you that, although Bile
was my brother, I'll bet my life that
Jim had all the right ON his side.
Therel That's the truth, and no hook
underneath it. And some day you'll
realize it too"
He had spoken with great vehemence.
Now he took handkerchief from his
pocket and wiped his forehead. When
he again looked at his niece no found
her staring intently at him, and her
eyes blazed.
'Have you quite finished-now?" she
demanded. "Steve, be quiet!"
"Why, yes guess SO, pretty nigh.
w s'pose there amt much use to say
d more. II was to tell you that I've
tried to do for you and Steve in this
same as in everything else since took
this job-as If you were my own chill.
dren you wouldn't believe it. If !
was to tell you, Caroline, that I'd come
to think an awful lot Of you you
wouldn't believe that either. did hope
that since our other misunderstanding
was cleared up and you found want
what you thought was you'd come to
me and ask questions afore passjn'
| judgment, but perhaps
| And now she interrupted, Bursting
out at him in blast Of scorn which
| took his breath away.
"Oh, stop, stopv' she cried. "Don't
| say any more. You have insulted Ia.
TIERS memory and defended the man
who slandered him. Isn't that enough4
Why must you go on to prove yourself
a greater hypocrite? We learned, my
brother and I, today more than the
truth concerning your friend. We
learned that you have Hedges, lied,
and
"Steady, Caroline! Be careful. I
wouldn't say what might be sorry for
later"
Sorry, Captain Warren. You spoke
of my misjudging you. / thought I
had, and was sorry. Today learned
that your attitude in that affair was
lie like the rest. You did not pay for
Mr.. Moriarty's accident. Mr.. Dumas
money paid those bills. And you al
lowed the fa2aily-and me-to thank
you for your generosity. Oh, I'm
ashamed to be near you"
"There, there! Caroline, be still. r.
IT shall not be still. I have been
still altogether too long. You are our
guardian. We can't help that, l sup
pose. Father asked you to be that for
some reason, but did he ask you to
live here, where you are not wanted,
to shame us before our friends, ladies
and gentlemen so far above you In
every way and to try to poison OUT
minds against them and sheer at Them
when they are kind to us and even try
to be kind to you? No, he did not
Oh, I'm sick of it all-your deceit and
your hypocritical speeches and your
pretended love for usl Love! Oh, II
] could say something that woulS
make you understand how thoroughly
we despise you and how your presence,
ever since you forced it upon Steve