"I should have refused, but I--my wife--that is--she was--very pressing--
in her last hours, and they all seemed to feel that I ought to make
amends--all except the little girl herself, I should say, for she
possessed, even as an infant, an exceptional affection for her father. I
had nothing; my salary was gone, and I was discomfited by the combined
actions of the trustees and my relatives, so--I--I gave her up to them,
and my wife passed away in a more cheerful frame of mind, I think. That is
about all. One of the instructors obtained the position here for me, which
I--I finally--lost, and I went to See the little girl every New Year's
day. This year she declared her intention of visiting me, but she was
persuaded by friends who were conversant with the circumstances to stay
with them, where I could be with her almost as much as at my apartment at
Mr. Tibbs's. She had long since declared her intention of some day
returning to live with me, and when she came she was strenuous in
insisting that the day had come." The old man's voice broke suddenly as he
observed: "She has--a very--beautiful--character, Mr. Parker."
The foreman nodded with warm confirmation. "I believe you, sir. Yes, sir;
I saw her, and I guess she looks it. You take that kind of a lady usually,
and catch her in a crowd like the one show-day, and she can't help doing
the Grand Duchess, giving the tenants a treat--but not her; she didn't
seem to separate herself from 'em, some way."
"She is a fine lady," said the other simply. "I did not accept her
renunciation, though I acknowledge I forbade it with a very poignant envy.
I could not be the cause of her giving up for my sake her state of ease
and luxury--for my relatives are more than well-to-do, and they made it
plain she must choose between them and me, with the design, I think, of
making it more difficult to choose me. And, also, it seemed to me, as it
did to her, that she owed them nearly everything, but she declared I had
lived alone so long that she owed me everything, also. She is a--
beautiful--character, Mr. Parker."
"Well," said Parker, after a pause, "the town will be upside down over
this; and folks will be mighty glad to have it explained about your being
out there so much, and at the deepo, and all this and that. Everybody in
the place has been wondering what in--that is--" he finished in some
confusion--"that is--what I started to say was that it won't be so bad as
it might be, having a lady in the office here. I don't cuss to speak of,
and Ross can lay off on his till the boss comes back. Besides, it's our
only chance. If she can't make the 'Herald' hum, we go to the wall."