Part 4 (2/2)
”Thank you, dear, I felt I could trust you,” he said si what had to co else could have done
”What is it you want me to know?” she asked, for he had lain for some minutes without speech, as if the task he had set himself was harder than he could perfor I did Selincourt,” the sick ht hihter, yet even now he shrank fro to lower himself in her eyes ”We were clerks in one business house, only Selincourt was abovehappened to move him, I knew that his desk would be offered to me I was poor, but he in a sense was poorer still, because he had an invalid father and young sisters dependent on him”
”Father, surely there is no need to tell me of this dead-and-buried action, unless you wish it, for the telling can do no good now,” burst out Katherine, who could not bear to see the pain in her father's face
”A wrong is never dead and buried while the man lives who did it,” 'Duke Radford answered with a wan s on him when he least expects it, and then there is trouble, at least that is how it has been with ed with our business chiefs that one of the clerks had been gaambler in fact I was not the one, and I was not suspected, but I knew very hich one it was; but when suspicion fell on Selincourt, I just kept silent For some reason he could not clear himself, was disood; the fir year, and I was adrift myself”
”What became of Selincourt?” asked Katherine, and was instantly sorry she had spoken, because of the pain in her father's face
”I don't know I never heard of hi-house until Astor M'Kree read his naood bit It is hard enough for a man to do ith an unblemished character, but to be thrown out of a situation branded as a ga short of it”
”What becaambler?” asked Katherine
”I don't know He remained with the firreat i after Selincourt's dise that he could not clear hi really, as well as the other one?” Katherine said quickly
”I am sure he had not,” replied 'Duke Radford ”He was not that sort at all But the thing that bowled him over was that he was known to have money in his possession, a considerable amount, for which he could not or would not account”
”Still, I don't see that you were so ly ”If the man was accused and could not clear hi soue; it was not as if you had stolen anything, letting the blame fall on hiuments hich I comforted myself when I kept silent and profited by the downfall of a h there may be a sort of truth in the the price ever since of that guilty silence of mine”
”Father, why do you tell ly Never in her heart would she have quite so ht keen suffering with it
He drew a long breath that was like a sobbing sigh; only too well did he understand what he had done, but he had counted the cost, and was not going to shi+rk the consequences
”Because I've got the feeling that you will be able in soht I don't kno, and I can't see what can be done, only sorown to a certainty in my mind, and now I can rest about it,” he replied slowly
”Has this troublethat his burden of rown beyond his powers of endurance since he had been keeping his bed
”I suppose it may have helped I have suffered horribly, but since I s have seemed easier, and I have been able to sleep,” he answered with a heavy sigh
”Will you tell an, but broke off abruptly, for she could not put in words the dread which had coht be dead before the summer, when Mr Selincourt was expected in Keewatin
”If I am alive and hen the su; I shall be able to face the consequences ofBut if not, I leave it to you to do the very best you can You can't make up for all the man may have had to suffer, but at least you can tell him that I was sorry”
Katherine shuddered It was bad enough to be couilty of such ht profit by the downfall of an innocent man; but when, in addition to this, she was expected to tell that man of how her father had acted, and, as it were, ask pardon for it, the ordeal appeared beyond her strength to face Not a word of this did she say, however, for it was quite plain to her that the invalid had already over-excited himself, and she rather dreaded what Mrs Burton would say presently
”You ain another day,” she said firain, for it is not a pleasant subject for discussion,” he replied ”Only tell me that you will take my burden and bear it for me as best you can, if I am not able to bear it myself, and then I can be at peace”
Katherine bent over hi his feeble hands in a close clasp, and the steadfast light in her eyes was beautiful to see ”Dear Father, I will do ht as it can be et better as fast as you can”
He s better speedily, then to her great relief he shut his eyes and went to sleep The burden had fallen from him upon her, and it had fallen so heavily that just at first she was stunned by the blow There was no sound in the quiet roo of the sleeper Outside the brief winter day ht; the stars ca with frosty brilliancy, but Katherine sat by the bedside, and never once did her gaze wander to theMrs Burton ca softly because the room was in darkness But when she sa quietly her father was sleeping, her gentle co turned into murmurs of pleased satisfaction
”Really, Katherine, you are a better nurse than I thought I was so afraid of the restlessness coain, as it has done about this ti most beautifully, so I feel sure he has taken a turn, and that we shall pull hih”