The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-04-12

| 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 Bile 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, "lets CO."
"Stop! You'll stay here until fin
fish. I want to say that / didn't tell
you about the trolley fuss because ]
wanted you to learn some things for
yourself. I 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 d
blackguard, and all that Steve has cali.
ed him, I was goin' to tell you ting
whole truth, not part Of it. And
after that, I was goin' to let you de-
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 I can be focled-by false
hair or soft soap. You can't pour
sweet oil over herrin' and make me
believe it's sardine. / 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 say to you now that,
KNOWN Jim Pearson and Bile War
ren-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.
There! 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 quietr'
"Why, yes; guess so, pretty nigh.
I spose there amt much use to say
more. If vas to tell you that rye
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 j
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 passin'
judgment, but perhaps
And now she interrupted, bursting
out at him in a blast of SCOTIA which
took his breath away.
"Oh, stop, stopr' she cried. Don't
say any more. You have insulted ia
theirs memory and defended the man
who slandered him. Isn't that enough?
Why must you go on to prove yourself
greater hypocrite? We learned, my
brother and I, today more than the
truth concerning your friend. we
learned that you have lied-yes, 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 I was sorry. Today I learned
that your attitude in that affair was
lie like the rest. You did not pay for
Mr.. Moriarty's accident. Mr.. Dunn's
money paid those bills. And you al
lowed the fsaily-and me-to thank
you for your generosity. Oh, I'm
ashamed to be near your
There, there! Caroline, be still. r.
II shall not be still. I have been
still altogether too long. You are our
guardian. We can't help that, / sup
pose. Father asked you to be that fos
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 ia
every way, and to try to poison OUT
minds against them and sneer at chem
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 us! Love! Oh, IL
could say something that woulS
make you understand how thoroughly