Ralph Fabian's mistakes

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J^^May'S?

TO MY FRIENDS THE COLLEGE BOYS

AND

THEIR FATHERS.

CONTENTS*

CHAPTER I. PAGE.
A Pen Picture of the Fabian Family i

CHAPTER II.
Alicia's Audacity and Its Reward ll

CHAPTER III.
Off for the Mountains 21

CHAPTER IV.
Some Incidents of the Trip 30

CHAPTER V.
Friends in Need 41

CHAPTER VI.
Off for College 52

CHAPTER VII.
Shadows Cast Before 62

CHAPTER VIII.
A Rift in the Clouds 72»

CHAPTER IX.
A Crisis 81

CHAPTER X,
The First Mistake 91

ti Contents.

CHAPTER XI. PAGE

Consequences loi

CHAPTER XII.
Daddy Ben's Practical Sympathj'^ iii

CHAPTER XIII.
Ralph's Struggles 120

CHAPTER XIV.
Another Mistake 128

CHAPTER XV.
A Refuge in the Mountains 138

CHAPTER XVI.
The Mountain Missionary's Work 148

CHAPTER XVII.
The Conversion of Mr. Fabian 158

CHAPTER XVIII.
At Eventide — Light 167

'Earth hears no halsam for mistakes.

Men crown the knave and scourge the tool

That did their will; hut thou, 0 Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool."

—From "The Fool's Prayer," by Edward
Rowland Sill.

RALPH FABIAN'S MISTAKES

CHAPTER I.

A PEN PICTURE OF THE FABIAN FAMILY.

In the suburbs of one of the prettiest old
towns in the South was Elnihiirst, the home of
Kalph Fabian. It was set l)ack on a lawn that
sloped gradually to the road and was built in a
stvle almost universal in that part of the coun-
try forty years ago, with a broad piazza, which
was supported by handsome columns, and
which extended across the front of the house
and on the south side. The rooms were spa-
cious and the ceilings high, the windows large
and many-paned, giving a cheerful aspect to
the home.

Standing wide open most of the time, they
seemed to be continually oifering the generous
hospitality for which the Fabian family had
long been noted.

The family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Fa-
bian, two daughters, one of whom was married
and living in another state, and Ralph, who

3 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

bore his father's name, and whose career we are
to follow in this story. The first born son had
died in his early childhood,

Ralph Fabian, St., was not a man of wealth
as wealth is estimated nowadays, but he had
ample means to satisfy the simple demands of
a family trained to a conscientious valuation of
money.

He w^as a man of really deep affections. He
loved his wife, his children, his home, his
church, loyally, but — alas, that a qualifying
''but" is necessary — but he did not realize how
necessary it is to give expression to love. He
was kind, oh, yes ; he gave his children, as he
gave his wife, every material proof of his affec-
tion that was consistent with what he believed
was right, and he not only praised his wife to
others, but even occasionally suggested to her
that she had been all that he could have wished
in the way of a wife !

As to his children, he practiced what he
firmly believed, namely, that children should,
above all things, respect their parents ; that too
much praise was likely to interfere with that
respect.

"Familiarity breeds contempt," Avas a favor-
ite quotation of his when his wife gently sug-
gested that he might pet them more. Perhaps,
too, in his heart he was afraid of loving his
children too well. At any rate, while not an

Ealph Fabian's Mistakes 3

austere man, Mr. Fabian did not manifest his
ajOFection in his home.

When he talked of anjthinj^ besides the triv-
ial events and concerns of the family, he gen-
erally sjjoke with vehemence as to business in-
tegrity, and the observance of the Sabbath, on
both of which subjects he held very positive
opinions.

Mrs. Fabian was a pretty woman still, with
a pleading, reverent expression in her soft,
brown eyes. Possessed of a certain mild sense
of humor, she was disposed to be cheerful and
social, but above everything else, including her
children, she adored her husband, and he was
not fond of what is known as society.

Alicia, the one daughter at home, was an
attractive young woman now in her nineteenth
year, and happily for her, possessed more of her
mother's impulsiveness than of her father's re-
serve, and she possessed also the audacity be-
longing to youth and health, consequently she
often said things to her father, and caressed
him, too, as the others would have feared to do,
80 that if Mr. Fabian was ever caught in any
exhibition of affection, it was Alicia who was
the recipient.

One word more as to the family. Among
the servants who clung to "Marse Ealph" with
the old-time devotion, Daddy Ben and Mauni
'Liza were still with them. They had occupied
respectively the positions of valet and maid

6 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

a fortnight before our boy goes to college ? I
think so, I'm sure, and I verily believe that I
voice the sentiments of the whole family." She
took her father's hand as she finished, and
rubbed it against her soft cheek in a caressing
way that Mr. Fabian rarely could resist.

''What's that?" he asked, in the affected tone
of gruffness with w'hich he generally greeted
Alicia's audacity. "Go away from the comforts
and the coolness of home, to be shut up in small,
stuffy rooms, and fed on tough, cold meats and
sour bread and to sleep on hard beds ? ]^onsense !
Little girl, don't you catch the restless spirit of
the age."

Mr. Fabian put his hands on either side of
her face, and raising it, looked down into her
eyes with a twinkle in his that was not consistent
with his words.

Alicia saw her advantage.

"But, papa, there are compensations for sur-
rendered comforts. The difference in tempera-
ture you must acknowledge, and the very dis-
comforts, only serve to make home seem nicer
when we return ; and then there are the pleas-
ant people one always meets — the new friends
made — Oh, let's go, papa, dear!"

Her mother looked up just a little uneasily
from her rocker in the shady corner of the
piazza. She would scarcely have ventured to be
so persistent with her husband — she lacked Ali-
cia's audacity.

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 7

Mr. Fabian turned to her and said : ''What do
you say, Marie ? Are you discontented with the
comforts of old Ehnhurst, too ?"

Mrs. Fabian smiled as she replied : "'JSTo, not
discontented, papa, but not unwilling to grant
our daughter's request if you say so. She has
been at home without a break since Christmas,
excepting the week she spent with Lubella, and
I do not know another girl in her set who can
say the same."

If Alicia w^as afraid of her father she never
allowed him to suspect it, and this was another
proof of her diplomacy, for however much Mr.
Fabian desired to be reverenced he was too good
a man to enjoy being feared.

He smiled into her upturned face, fanning
himself with a huge palm leaf fan, as he said :

"Ah, you ought to have been a boy, you would
make a good lawyer, my daughter. And, pray,
what has Ralph to say about it? He is sup-
posed to be busy getting coached for his exami-
nation, early in September!"

*'0h, I have never asked Ral. The fact is that
the heat of the last few days hatched out this
plan in my brain, and this is the first time that
it has seen daylight. But you know, papa,
Ralph will have finished his study with Profes-
sor Prentiss to-morrow evening, and I'm sure
that he will be perfectly willing to get cooled
off before he goes through that dreadful ex-
amination. Just think of sitting on a mossy

8 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

rock, overhung bj cool hemlock and rhododen-
dron boughs, by the side of one of those clear
mountain pools, and fishing for trout on such
an afternoon as this, with business cares and
heat and sultriness all left behind !"

Alicia waxed more eloquent as she noted the
impression her words were making, and she was
growing more earnest in her desire for the trip
the longer she talked of it.

Now if Mr. Fabian had a taste for anvthing
that took him away from home it was for fish-
ing— ilnd Alicia knew it !

Her father laughed as she finished her appeal,
and said :

^'Shall M'e leave to-morrow, Missy ?"

Alicia's face flushed when she heard her
father's only pet name for her. It was the
name she was known by to the old servants, and
from his lips carried a subtle surrender to her
request.

"i^o, no, dear papa, but let's be ready to go
next week. Here's Ral coming now," she added,
as she glanced towards the gate, and saw her
brother dragging himself along and mopping his
face as he came slowly up the winding driveway.
As he drew near the house he saw that something
of interest was being discussed suflBcient to ex-
cite Alicia, despite the intense heat, and he
would probably have interrogated his sister from
half-way across the lawn if his father had not
been there, but Ralph Fabian was rarely at his

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 9

ease in his father's presence ; so that he only
seated himself on the upper step, throwing down
his books and umbrella and fanning with his
broad-brimmed hat.

Mrs. Fabian, whose heart was always reach-
ina: out for the affection of her husband and
ehildi*en, — that is, for the expression of it; she
never doubted that they loved her, — rose and,
corning to his side, stooped and pushed the damp
hair back from his brow, listening and hoping
for some word of endearment from her boy, but,
what with the heat, and hunger, and his father's
presence, Ralph made no response, and his
mother turned away with that dull throb of the
heart kno^Ti only to those who are thirsty for
the stimulant of expressed love.

Alicia Fabian was a tactful girl. She went
into the hall and brought out a large fan, and
pushing a low wicker rocker towards Ralph,
said:

"Sit here and cool off, Ralph, while I get you
a drink of fresh water. By the time I come
back you will be ready for it."

Ralph took the fan, with scarcely a smile, and
rose and stretched himself in the chair. The
bov did not mean to be discourteous; he loved
his mother and his sister deeply, but, poor fel-
low ! somewhere back in his ancestry there had
been somebody who had introduced that most un-
desirable of all qualities — reticence — into the
Fabian family, and said ancestor had become

10 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

the packhorse for all the sins of omission in the
family ! Whenever any one was deficient in that
direction, you would hear the complacent excuse
offered: "Oh, that's the Fabian reticence, you
know!"

Kalph Fabian's Mistakes 11

CHAPTER II.
Alicia's audacity and its eeward.

After having provided her father with the
morning paper and the last Review, Alicia
seated herself beside her brother, nothing
daunted bj his apparent indisposition to talk.

''How's that Latin Exercise coming on ? and
how about your Greek ? The very thought of a
boy being expected to provide ideas of any kind
on any subject excepting mountain tops, or sea-
breezes, on such an afternoon as this dissolves
my s}Tnpathy into perspiration, not tears !"

The expression of Alicia's face was so comi-
cally sympathetic that Ralph responded at last
with a smile — nay, a good laugh, and he patted
his sister's hand, for he loved her, oh, how he
loved her, and approved of her too !

"Oh, I'm all right on both, I think. Prentiss
really complimented me to-day," he answered.

"He only did his duty! One needs all the
encouragement he can get to work such weather
as this, and if I did not cherish the most bril-
liant hopes for your future, and dream the wild-
est dreams of your career, I would never have

12 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

given my consent to this August coaching !" Tlie
air with which Alicia said this made it sound so
droll to both of them that there was a merry
burst of laughter, and another of Ralph's moody
spells was a thing of the past.

Mr. Fabian, looking over the top of his paper
at the sound of the laughter, smiled at them,
and there came a softened expression into his
eyes. He was very proud of Alicia, and he
wanted to be proud of Ralph, too, but he was so
afraid of loving the boy too much ! How many
kinsmen he has among the best Christian men in
this Christian land.

''Come, buddy boy," said Alicia, catching
hold of her brother's sleeve; "you are rested
now. Come, go down to Mammy's house; I
want to get a piece of lace she was to wash for

me."

The truth was that Alicia's mind was full of
the hope she had of a mountain trip, and while
she had been audacious enough to propose it to
her father, she had too much tact to say any-
thing more about it to Ralph in his presence.

Slie made a sign which he quickly interpreted
and, rising slowly, he stretched himself, took up
his hat, and, putting his arm about his sister's
waist, they went down the steps together, fol-
lowed by their father's admiring though furtive
glance.

Mammy's house was as favorite a resort for
these young people as when they were children,

Ealpii Fabian's Mistakes 13

although, of course, thej did uot spend so much
time there.

Beyond the large vegetable garden, and built
under the protecting shade of two giant elms,
that had strayed from the grove, as if for tlie
very purpose of aiding in the comfort of tJicee
old people, the cabin of Daddy Ben and Maum
Jane was a cozy and tndy comfortable home for
them. It was built of logs and filled in with
mortar, a four-roomed cottage with glazed win-
dows, and a porch in front, and a piazza across
the back of the house, and altogether wearing
the air of home — not always to be found in the
habitations of the negroes to-day.

Mr. Fabian would have had a framed and
weather-boarded house for them, but Daddy Ben
was stout in his refusal.

"'No, Marse Ralph, no suh, I t'ank you ! I
been bawn in a log-house, I growed up in a log-
house, I marry en' brung up our chillen in a
log-house, en', please de Lawd, I gwine die in
a log-house. I likes comfut same lak udder
folks, but, Marse Ralph, le' me tell you! Dia
yere freedom's gwine ter be a mighty dang'ous
t'ing fur culled folks, seems lak. Dey's a gwine
ter git mighty 'sumptions, you watch 'em! I
ain't got dese yere grey hairs fuh nuttin', no
suh! I don' want nuttin' ter dam up de good
Lawd's blessin' f'um me en' Jane, no suh ! How
kin I pray, 'Lead us not into tem'tation,' den
g'long en' let you gib me a w'ite folks' house ter

14 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

lib in ? 'No, sub ; miicb obleeged all de same,
but dis jer' niggah got ter fight 'nough any wars
to keep humble en' ter serbe de Lawd. Jes' bull'
me a good niggah log cabin w'at doan' leak, dat's
all we need."

^'You are very foolish, Ben," said Mr. Fa-
bian, in reply. "Don't you want glass windows,
either ?"

Daddy Ben bowed his head, and a cloud
passed over his smiling face for a moment.
There was evidently a conflict going on in the
old man's mind. Suddenly his face lighted, and
he said:

"Well, Marse Ralph, culled folks don' gin'ally
hab glass windows, dat's so, but it's jes' dis-a-
way. Me en' Jane's a-gwine doMm hill now, en'
seems lak we don' see so good es we nsen' ter
dese cloudy days, 'specially in de winter, en'
mebby ef you sho' you kin' do it convenient wid
out too much trouble, well, me en' Jane would
suttenlv bress de Lawd ef you avus ter be so
good.""'

While this dialogue was going on, Maum Jane
was standing inside of the doorway listening,
and the old woman was very uncomfortable until
she heard her husband give his consent to have
glass windows.

She was not reconstructed in many respects.
She still called herself proudly by the Fabian
name, and asserted that she belong-ed to the fam-
ily, but there were two aspirations deeply im-

Ralph FABiivN's Mistakes 15

planted in her heart — one was to ovm a black
silk dress and the other was to have glass win-
dows with muslin curtains. To her mind these
were pre-eminently the marks of "quality."

She muttered to herself, as she hung her
clothes, after Mr. Fabian had left :

"Dat fool niggah, he ain't got right good
eb'ryday sense — 'ee ain't ! Marse Ralph want
ter mek we uns comfor'ble en' 'spectable in we
ol' age, en' yere come Ben talkin' 'bout niggahs
gittin' too 'sumptions ef dey libs comfor'ble !"

But for all her contempt of Ben's lack of
sense, she kept it to herself. Hers was one
house w^here the man was *'the boss" !

But let us return to Alicia and Ralph. They
sauntered around the house towards a well-worn
path that led beside tlie garden fence and on
down to Mammie's house.

As soon as they were out of hearing of their
father, Alicia said:

"Oh, Ilal, I really believe we are going to
have a trip somewhere next week! I begged
papa, and he called me 'Missy,' and petted me,
and joked in that rare, delightful way he has
when I have conquered him !"

"Oh, you conceited creature !" exclaimed
Ralph; "but how ever did you begin? I
wouldn't dare to ask papa a favor, excepting
through mamma, or maybe you !"

"Well, my dear, I just went audaciously
fthead and did it, that is howl This weather

16 Ralph Fabix\.n's [Mistakes

makes people desperate, and, besides, when we
are sure people love us, behind all their reserve ;
when we know it is in their power to grant
what we Avant, why, courage is not lacking. I
do wish, my dear, tliat you would try this way
with papa. I believe that it would please him,
and draw you nearer together."

"No, I thank you. It takes a pretty auda-
cious girl to do that."

"Which word do you mean to emphasize, and
where is your comma ? It depends on your an-
swer whether I feel complimented or not!"

"Take it just the way it pleases you," was the
laughing reply; then he asked:

"But where did you ask him to take us ?"

"Where would you rather go ? That is the
question w^hich I want answered this very min-
ute!" was the eager reply.

"I asked papa if he did not think it would be
lovely for the whole Fabian family to hie to the
mountains or the sea-shore before you left for
college."

Ralph laughed heartily. He was thinking of
Alicia's audacity. In a moment he said : "You
know, Allie, I share your love for the moun-
ts i us. jNIy choice would be to go there. But
what did mamma say?"

"Oh, she did not commit herself. Don't vou
know dear mamma well enough to know that
wherever the rest of us want to go is just the

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 17

place for her ? She is the most self-effaced,
agreeable person I ever knew."

Here they both laughed, for both knew that
Alicia really meant acquiescent, though she cer-
tainly believed licr mother to be charming every
way.

They had stopped for a few moments, not
far from their mother's bedroom window, but
now they hurried on.

"We will want to know what Maum Jane
and Uncle Ben say, Ral."

"Yes, and they Avill not disappoint you; they
always have something to say about every tiling
that concerns us."

Maum Jane had seen them coming — indeed,
she was looking for them, for it was a rare
thing for both of them to miss a day in their vis-
its to the cabin.

She had set two of her best chairs on the
porch, and was standing in the doorway fan-
ning herself vigorously with a huge palm leaf
fan.

"Yer come dem bressed chillen ! You must
ha' mos' melted to-djiy. s^-^fiv. oc/^in' to>< f^— -i
en' w^alkin' at dat. Marse Ralph he mean well,
but I 'clare he's es 'fraid o' sp«aiiU ^uu ciii^^v^.i
es I is ob touchln' p'ison oak ! Sit yeh, missy,
en', sonny, you set yere."

"No, mauma, you take the big rocker. Didn't
we give it to you to sit in yourself ?"

The old woman stiffened up and pointed to

18 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

the chair just as she would have done when
they were little children.

''Yon'se a-gwine to sit right dere, sonnv. You
forgit you ain't no baby now, you'se young Mr.
Fabian en' a-gittin' ready full colledge."

Ralph shrugged his shoulders, and laughed, —
she made him mind even if he was ''young Mr.
Fabian, an' gittin' ready fuh eollidge/'

"Maumy, what do you think ? I asked papa
just noAv to take us off for a trip somewhere be-
fore Ral goes to college."

"Well, I s'pose lie's gwine to take you ? He's
got de money en' de time en' you alls want ter
go, en' fuh dem w'at t'iiiks it pays ter go w'ere
dat awful ol' ocean look like 'e gwine ter swaller
you right away, er ter go up dem a\vful moun-
tains w'ere it look like eb'ry minit you gwine
tu'n ober en' ober en' go down fureber — w'y, let
dem folks go. Es fuh me, — bress de Lawd, — I
ain't got no call fuh go! I wouldn't tu'n my
back on my good home fuh no onsartainty like
dat — but, honey, T ain' makin' no deflexions on
you. Wat my missy want ter do's all right fuh
her. 'Sides dat you got ter stay dress up w'en
you goin' 'roun' 'mongst strangers — 'cause you
boun' ter let 'em see how 'spectable you is."

The young people lauglied heartily here, for
Maumer Jane had no superfl.nous garments on,
and lier face shone in the evening light like pol-
ished leather \

"You' mamma willin' V'

Ealph Fabian's Mistakes 19

"Oh, yes, of course ! Mamma is always will-
ing to do what we propose."

'"Well, dat's de muddah, honey. Dere ain'
no right-minded woman libbin' dat don' want
ter please her chillen, but it takes de Lawd's
gif ob sense to know w'en ter say 'no.' Miss
Marie kin do dat, too."

"That she can, eh, Ral?" asked Alicia,

"I should think so! I ought to know, ^.lau-
ma. You remember just after I put on pants,
when she told me I mustn't go up town bare-
footed, and I ran off one day, and you came
after me, and brought me home yelling, and
mamma made you put a dross on me, and I had
to wear it for two days ? Papa wanted to
thrash me and be done with it, but she said:
'No, let me try my plan first.' It worked out,
too, didn't it, mammy?"

They all laughed together, and then, as Alicia
rose to go, she put her hand on Mauma Jane's
arm, and said, in a low tone :

"Mauma, pray that papa may consent to take
us; we all need a change, Eal especially."

"You' ol' mamma'll be sho' to do dat. De'
ain't nuttin' wut liabbin' dat ain't wut askin'
de Lawd fuh. You' maumer know dat, ef she
know anyt'ing."

Alicia's eyes filled; Ralph looked off with
the shadow of a frown on his face. The child-
like simplicity of their old nurse's faith had
not left the same impress upon his mind and

20 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

heart that it had on his sisters, — alas, that it
was so! He didn't love what he called "Mau-
mer's preaching." This faith in prayer was
all very well for old people, for women, even
for young women, but young men did not need
it. Poor bov ! if only he could have dreamed
of the need he would have in tlie years to come
of faith in a Covenant keeping God, he would
have given himself no rest until, like these
simple souls, he had learned to look to God for
everything !

Kalph Fabian's Mistakes 21

CHAPTER III.

OFF FOR THE MOUNTAINS.

At breakfast table the next morning Mr, Fa-
bian said to Alicia as she stooped to give him
his good morning kiss:

"And so, my danghter, you think that the
Fabian family need a trip somewhere before
Ralph goes off to college ?"

"Oh, papa !" exclaimed Alicia, clapping her
hands and bestowing an extra kiss ; "you are
going to take us somewhere, you dear, good
father ! Where, papa, and when ?"

"Not so fast, Missy, not so fast! One ques-
tion at a time, if you please !"

!Mr. Fabian held up his hands, palms out-
ward, as if to ward off the questions, then said :

"Where do you want to go? I think you
are entitled to the first choice, as you were first
to propose the trip."

With a pretty deference Alicia turned to her
mother :

"Where would you like best to go. Mamma.
You must always have first choice."

Both father and mother were pleased by this

22 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

appeal, though Mrs. Fabian was always non-
committal when her children's pleasure was con-
cerned. It was just as natural to her to yield
to their preferences as it is — to you, dear
mother-reader ! It is a way most mothers have,
you know.

"Oh, I can be happy anywhere when you are
all with me," she replied.

"Yes, but somebody must choose, -or at least
express a preference, for us to start with.

Mrs, Fabian said quickly:

"Then I think it would be lovely to go to the
Korth Carolina mountains for the next two or
three weeks." She did not think it necessary
to add that she had overheard Alicia and Ralph
declaring their preference just under her win-
dow the evening before !

"Oh, papa, and I believe you love the moun-
tains, too, so to the mountains we will go, for
both Ralph and I prefer them to the sea-shore."

"Well, the next question is. When can we
start? Women always have so much prepara-
tion to make !"

"We will make the exception that proves
your rule then. We are sensible people, and
know how cool it is in the mountains, and will
need serge walking suits, which we can order
to-day, and stout shoes, which we can get this
afternoon or to-morrow. Ralph will need
knickerbockers, as all the sensible young men

Ealpii Fabian's Mistakes 23

find wlio are going for the fishing and the
tramps that make the joy of the tourist.

''I'm glad that ni}' daughter has not men-
tioned the need of elaborate evening dresses.
Elaborate dressing is out of place in the young,
and in older women is too suggestive of 'stage
make-ups' and too suggestive of the ravages of
time."

Having delivered himself of this preach-
ment, which did not fit, Mr. Fabian turned his
attention to his beefsteak and hominy, and left
the feminine mind to deal with the preparations
for their trip.

By the middle of the next week the family,
with the addition of Alicia's best friend, Mabel
Greenaway, were en route for one of the most
popular of the mountain resorts of North Caro-
lina at that time. This selection of Alicia's was
no disloyalty to the attractions of her own state,
and as the reason which she gave her father
throws light on the girl's character, we give it:

"Do let us get away from our immediate sur-
roundings, papa. Let us get into touch with
people who live and think, too, differently. I
think it is educating and broadens our views.
Don't you, papa ?"

Mr. Fabian's reply was something between
a grunt and a throat-clearing. He probably
differed from his daughter, and Alicia, who was
a very clever young woman, knew this. She

24 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

was as anxious to get her father out of his ruts
as she was to widen her own horizon.

Mr. Fabian was one of those men who cling
tenaciously to opinions and judgments, either
handed down from remote generations or formed
for himself long ago, and not always depesndent
on a careful study of the matter. This did not
prevent his opinions being very positive or his
judgments being very severe. This quality, like
his "reticence, he claimed was an inheritance,
and he always ended by saying, with a proud
uplift of his chin:

'That is the way we Fabians always think,"
and the assertion was always made in a tone of
absolute conviction, wdiich allowed of no further
discussion. But Mr. Fabian was to live to see
the day when he called his narrowness and his
stubbornness by the right names, and w^as willing
to acknov.-ledge that he had erred therein.

The route which they had selected was a
roundabout one from Hazleton, but Mr. Fabian
had long wished to travel over the famous West-
ern N. C. Railroad, from Salisbury, K C, to
Morristown, Tennessee, and he found his party
all Avilling to take that route.

There was but little to attract attention out-
side, as they steamed swiftly through the thickly
settled country near the boundary of the Caro-
linas, but the }0ung people were easily enter-
tained, and the hours sped rapidly.

"I wdsh we could have laid over in Charlotte

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 25

for a few hours," said Mabel. '^'You rempmber
tlioso two pleasant men ^ve met at the Grimbals
last fall — they were from Charlotte, were they
not, Allie?"

''Yes, and I met some very pleasant girls from
there. There was quite a party of Charlotte
people at the coast last summer."

"Say, Miss ]\label," whispered Ralph, "that
fellow across the aisle seems to be struck with
you. He just keeps looking."

"He has a very poor way of expressing his
admiration," replied Mabel with a deepening
flush on her cheeks. "I can't think of any-
thing more odious than staring at people and I
am sure that I could never like any one who
began an acquaintance in that way." Her blue
e^-es flashed and the matter was not improved,
we fear.

Passing through the thriving city of Char-
lotte, with but a short stop, a rapid ride brought
them to Salisbury, where they made their first
change of cars. After a good deal of pushing
and rushing they found themselves at last under
way, and prepared for the enjoyment before
them. The conductor had promised to tell them
wlien to take seats in the observation car. It
was too warm and too sunny now, and besides
the all-important lunch time had come, and Mrs.
Fabian was beginning to unpack the lunch so
substantial and yet so dainty in all its appoint-
ments, as at once to attract attention.

26 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

The party had already been noticed and com-
mented on. They were unmistakably above tlie
ordinary — people with well-bred air that one
discovers so qnickly in travelling, — sometimes
conspicuous by its absence, and by no means in-
variably found W'ith handsome travelling suits,
by the way !

And this party was so happy ! Mrs. Fabian,
chiefly because her husband had turned his back
on his office, and because the young people were
so happy ; and as for the young people, — ^well,
what a network of reasons for being happy, —
was wrapped about them !

Ralph had forgotten his moods, — or, all but
the merriest of them,— forgotten the bug-bear of
entering college as a freshman which had pur-
sued him by day and night since his school had
closed.

Mr. Fabian was happy, too, though in a very
quiet and controlled way. Perhaps it was the
result of his absorption in business, perhaps a
false idea that a Christian man should not be
too contented — something lurked in his heart
that kept away that sunshiny abandon that
ANTcathes the other faces in smiles. What a pity,
for there is surely no better way to recommend
the religion which we profess than by allowing
its peace and its joy to illumine our faces. If a
man be a living epistle of God's loving kindness
it would seem better to read it in lines of joy
and of innocent mirth, than even in words — at

liALPir Fabian's Mistakes 27

least more people can understand our message
written there.

Bj two o'clock they were conscious that their
train, like some long, jointed creature, was
crawling steadily upward, puffing as it went.
\'istas of pale blue mountains thirty or forty
miles away gleamed through the nearer wooded
hills.

They had already passed Morganton, wliere
the magnificent buildings of the State Hospital
for the Insane shine like a great necklace of coral
on the green foothills.

They took their places in the observation car,
— all but Mrs. Fabian, who declared that "some-
body must stay by the stuff," though they all
knew she wished to avoid seeing the high tressles
and embankments, of which she had heard.

At last they passed "Round Knob," and w'ere
about to enter a tunnel.

With a long-drawn breath of sheer delight
Alicia Fabian and her friend rose to go back to
their seats in the parlor car and in a few mo-
ments more, with lamps lit and windows down,
they were having their first experience in a
tunnel.

It was a beautiful afternoon, and as they
emerged into the sunlight on the other side of
the Blue Ridge, with the beauty of near hill-
sides, fertile fields, and the gleam of water
through tl:e fringes of willows, and dim blue
mountains in the distance, it seemed to them

28

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

that the landscape was stretching away into a
beautiful infinity!

The haze of an August day softened all out-
lines, and as the train dashed dovm with a rush
and a roar into the beautiful valley of the
Swannanoa, even Mrs. Fabian broke into an ex-
clamation of delight.

"This is fine, indeed ! I'm certainly glad that
we took this route."

That was what Mr. Fabian said. "What he
was thinking was: "All thy works praise thee,
O Lord !" And a devout sense of God's power
and goodness filled his heart."

At the last station before they reached Ashe-
ville, — this was before Biltmore existed, — the
train was delayed some minutes and while they
were looking around for something to while
away the time Mrs. Fabian said :

"Girls, look at that boy's face ! If I were an
artist I would certainlv sketch him."

The little fellow, probably about nine, had a
basket of peaches to sell. He was neatly though
plainly dressed, and his large gray eyes, his
ruddy complexion, and his curly brown hair,
crowned with a large, rough straw hat, gave him
a very picturesque air.

"Let's get some peaches, papa, and hear him
talk!"

So far the child had just stood under their
window with a look of pleading in his fine eyes

Halph Fabian's Mistakes 29

that suggested Sir Joshua Reynolds's ^'Straw-
berry Girl."

"What do you ask for your peaches, little
man ?" asked Alicia. The flush on the boy's
cheeks deepened.

''Ten cents a dozen, but oh lady, won't you
please buy 'em all ? I want a Second Reader so
bad, an' Granny said how I might buy it ef I
sold all these yer' peaches. There's five dozen
heah, en' I've got ten cents at home."

The tones were so eager — and after he began
to speak he gathered courage, and looked so
pleadingly from one to another that involun-
tarily every hearer's hand sought his pocket,
but, alas, none of the gi'oup had the change, and
when Mr. Fabian was appealed to he put his
hand into his pocket, only to find that his pock-
etbook was gone!

30 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

CHAPTER IV.

SOME INCIDENTS OF THE TEIP.

lie rose to his feet, ran his hand into hh
inside vest pocket, then looked on the floor and
nnder the seat. They were again in the obser-
vation ear, and soon every member of the party
was assisting in the search.

"Ralph, go back to our seats in the parlor
car and search carefully. I may have dropped

it there." .

"Did you have much money m it, papa?

asked Alicia anxiously.

"No, nothing higher than ten dollars, but
our tickets were there." ^

^'Oh! Oh! — Oh!" came from Mrs. Fabian

and the girls, and the tones were so full of
woe that Mr. Fabian smiled in spite of hi9

annoyance.

By this time all the passengers were listening
and 'interested, excepting one young man, who
seemed to be absorbed in reading.

"Does it mean that our trip must be spoiled i
asked Alicia in a sorrowful tone.

Just as she asked the question the whistle

Halph Fabian's Mistakes 31

blew, there was a jar and the train began to
move slowly off.

''Oh, the little bov and his peaches!'' cried
Mabel.

Alicia had a silver dollar iu her hand, and,
leaning out, she threw it to him, saying :

"Buy your Second Reader and keep the
change 'till I come back."

The little fellow's face beamed, and he called
out:

"Take the peaches to her, porter !" And the
porter snatched the basket from the lower step
and brought them in.

In the meanwhile Ralph had searched vainly
for his father's w'allet, and the news of the loss
was spreading.

The conductor came up and advised Mr.
Fabian to telegraph to the agent at home and
get duplicate tickets addressed to him at Ashe-
ville.

"I can testify that I have torn off my part
of the tickets, and you are known at home, I
guess, sir," he added with a pleasant smile that
carried a subtle flattery with it.

"This means that we lay over in Asheville
for at least a day," said Mr. Fabian in a tone
of annoyance.

"Papa, don't you remember taking it out of
your pocket at all ?"

"Only when the conductor called for our
tickets just after we left Salisbury. Once just

32 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

before we left liome I let my wallet slip past my
pocket and it fell to the fioor. I was in the
office, Ben saw it and picked it np. I mnst
have dropped it in the same way, — but who
picked it up ?"

At once some gentleman suggested that the
porter be called and interrogated. lialph Avent
immediately to the conductor and mentioned
the suggestion.

"I've always found him strictly honest. I
can't believe that he took it, but 1 will call him
at once."

He moved awav and soon returned with the
jDorter. The fellow was evidently innocent and
at once went back to make a thorough search
for it in the coach.

A lady who had been lying, apparently
asleep, rose up and asked what the matter was ?

Her face paled perceptibly when it was ex-
plained to her that a gentleman had lost his
wallet containing the tickets of his party. She
immediately laid down and apparently fell
asleep again.

On reachinc; Aslieville thev were driven to a
hotel and Mr. Fabian went immediately to the
telegTaph office to carry oiit the conductor's sug-
gestion, and returning to the hotel made ar-
rangements for a drive to points of interest the
next day.

They had been in their rooms but a little
while, when there was a knock at the door, and

Ralph Fabian's ^Mistakes 33

Mr. Fabian was informed that a lady wished
to see him in the reception room. Somewhat
surprised he went do\^Ti and foimd a lady
closely veiled, who rose and asked in a low and
tremulons voice if this was Mr. Ealph Fabian
of Hazelton, S. C.

"It is, madam, can I do anything for you ?"
Mr. Fabian asked courteouslv.

The woman was trembling perceptibly.
"Yes," she said faintly, "very much; but close
the door first, if you please."

She was trying to open a small grip that
hung on her arm, with hands that shook nerv-
ously.

"Mr. Fabian," she asked in scarcely more
than a whisper, "are you a Christian? Are
you a father ?"

Bowing his head, Mr. Fabian answered rev-
erently :

"I am, madam." And he was more than
ever curious to know the object of her visit.

She burst into a passion of tears, and after
a moment's struggle to control herself, said :

"You lost your wallet on the train to-day,
and I have come to return it to you intact, — in-
tact," she repeated, lifting her head proudly.
She opened her gTip as she spoke, and taking
out the wallet handed it to the astonished
owner !

Mr. Fabian was too much surprised to speak
at first, but with a glance of his eye he took in

34 Ralph FABIA^''s Mistakes

the general appearance of his visitor. She waa
elegantly dressed, her voice was that of a refined
lady. On her shapely hands were elegant jew-
els. What did it mean ? Her emotion, her sin-
gular question ? All of these thoughts flashed
through his brain, then he spoke:

"I am certainly indebted to you, madam,"
he said as he took the Avallet from her hand with
a bow. "It was fortunate that it was found by
a lady, and very kind of you to return it so
promptly. May I ask where you found it ?"

"In my son's pocket," she answered in a
whisper, broken by a sob.

Tears of profound pity rose to Mr. Fabian's
eyes, and he told his wife afterwards that he
scarcely ever remembered to have been more
touched by anything. He could not speak.
What could he say ?

She sank into a seat, and said:

"Will you open it and see that it is intact, as
I said ? And will you let me tell you a sorrow-
ful story?"

Mr. Fabian saw that it would be wise to ac-
cede her request, and he opened it and found
the tickets and money just as they were when
he had closed the pockctbook on the train.

"Certainly, madam," he said kindly, "I shall
be interested to hear what you have to say."

"Five vears ago niv onlv son was struck on
the head by a ball, and he lay unconscious for
several days. After some time he recovered his

Ralph FABIA^''s Mistakes 35

health, but he has never been quite right racn-
talljj and is not responsible for what he does, — •
he is not!" she repeated firmly. '"T am taking
him now to a sanitarium for treatment. I be-
lieve that jou dropped your wallet near our
seat as you were going into the observation car,
that he picked it up and put it immediately in
his pocket. I found it there after he had re-
tired. I always search his pockets after he is
asleep," she added with a sob. "And now, sir,
I will detain you no longer."

From away down in Mr. Fabian's really ten-
der heart there welled up the profoundest pity
for this unfortunate mother, and for her son.

''Madam," he stammered, "you have my
deepest syanpathy. I pray God to comfort you,
and to send your poor boy relief. Have faith
in your God. Rest assured that I shall respect
your confidence; all that the public shall know
will be that the wallet was found and returned
to me by a lady."

And Mr. Fabian kept his word. Curiously
enough, he never even knew her name, nor did
he ever hear of her again.

As he went slowly back to his room he found
himself saying : "What if it had been my boy ?
It was, therefore, with a more than ordinary
gratitude that he invoked God's blessing on
his boy that night.

Mrs. Fabian was waiting with no littlei curi-
osity to know who the late visitor was, and her

36 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

errand, and her mother heart was touched by
the pitiful story, and she agreed with her hus-
band that it would be best, at least at present,
to tell the young people no more than they pro-
posed to give out publicly.

A day of sight-seeing was enough, the whole
party agreed, for Asheville. What they wanted
was not fashionable summer tourists, but the
crisp, free mountain air, and people who came
for rest and true recreation.

A ride down the beautiful French Broad
river and over into Tennessee and then by the
curious narrow-gauge Cranberry Railway, and
they found themselves at the quaint little vil-
lage of Banner's Elk.

This village, now the home of one of the
noblest missions of the Southern Presbyterian
Church — the Lees-MacRae Institute, — was but
a hamlet and comparatively unknown as a
health resort, at the time of the Fabians' visit,
although now well known and patronized by
neurasthenic patients.

Its chief recommendation to Mr. Fabian and
other followers of old Isaac Walton was the fine
trout fishing on the Elk and its tributaries.
Mrs. Fabian and the girls had left home in that
happy frame of mind in which one expects
pleasant things; accordingly they accepted the
situation quite as a matter of course when they
found a pleasant company of people in the lit-

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 37

tie hotel from Nashville, ^Memphis and other
parts of the South.

Mrs. Fabian was glad to find yonng people,
for she judged Alicia and Mabel by herself.
When she was young something more than a
family party, however happy, would have been
required to make enjoyment for her away from
home ; and the girls were not sorry.

Mr. Fabian found the trout fishing all that it
had been represented, especially on the Shon-
nyhaw, the limpid tributary of the Elk, and
had also found congenial company, while
Ralph was developing an incipient fondness for
fishing that was gi-atifying to his father.

The week of their stay was prolonged to ten
days, and those who believe in the strong and
faithful Hand behind what are called the
casual events of life, must note the outcome of
what at the time threatened to be a dire acci-
dent.

Mr. Fabian and Ralph, in company with two
gentlemen from Alabama, decided to climb
Beech Mountain, which stands guard over the
broken valley in which Banner Elk is situated.
The distance to the top of the rugged cliff tliat
marks the summit is alx)ut four miles, and not
only is the path very rough, but it is criss-
crossed by a number of others leading to as
many points. These expert climbers declined
the assistance of a guide, and started off after
an early dinner, trusting to their supposed

38

Balph Fabian's Mistakes

woodcraft — ''to common sense, and last, and
perhaps chiefly, to the horse sense of the ani-
mnls on which they were mounted."

The very natural consequence of their hardi-
hood was that at sundown they found them-
selves without the slightest idea as to which
path led down to Banner's Elk, without over-
coats, without matches to light a fire, without
food, and without a sign of a human habitation
within sight or sound !

''Here's a pretty kettle of fish !" exclaimed
Mr. Fabian, as he buttoned up his coat to keep
out the crisp, cold air that was blowing, as the
sun sank out of sight.

The younger men thought it rather exciting
and funny, — this perplexity that confronted
them, — but the older ones knew that it was no
laughing matter. They were cold already,
they had no way to protect themselves. The air
had made them ravenously hungry and there
was nothing to eat. The after-glow which had
been a marvel of beauty, was fast fading and
the night was coming on.

By the aid of the strong field-glass which
they had brought they could see the gleaming
lights down in the little village. The soft halo
of blue smoke that rested above the houses only
made them shiver, because it suggested fire.

"I'm afraid our people will begin to feel
anxious, too," remarked Mr. Wilkinson.

''Well, let's start back at once," said Fred

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 39

Wilmore resolutely. "Surely we can trust the
horses to find their way back to feed and sta-
bles." He turned towards the horses that were
grazing quietly.

"Stop !" said Mr. Fabian, "do you remem-
ber the number of places where the path lies on
the very verge of deep ravines and of preci-
pices, where one misstep would hurl us down
with the possibility of broken limbs, if no
worse ? No, sir ! I am in favor of remaining
where we are until daylight."

"We'll freeze, Mr. Fabian!" exclaimed
young Wilmore, shivering as he spoke.

"Hardly; but I would rather risk that than
to be lying at the bottom of some ravine with a
broken leg. Wouldn't you ? I move that we
go down to the shelter of that clump of laurels,"
he added, "and commit ourselves to God's care
and there resign ourselves to our fate."

The wind was now blowing so that it was
with difficulty they could keep their hats on,
and following Mr. Fabian's suggestion they
moved down to the shelter of the laurels, car-
rying their saddles and blankets to aid in mak-
ing their seats more comfortable.

The older men really took the situation more
cheerfully than the younger. Old men have
learned to wait, have learned when one must
needs trust and do nothing, and these men could
look back to the rough experiences of camp life

40 Ralph Fabia:n's Mistakes

durmg the Civil War, and they were growing
reminiscent, when Ralph said suddenly:

"Listen, father! isn't that somebody call-
ing?" He sprang to his feet, followed quickly
by young Wilmore, and they would have moved
away in the darkness had not Mr. Fabian called
sternly :

"Boys, do not move. You may plunge down
to your death. Call if you choose, but do not
move ten steps."

Hello ! He-l-l-o ! He-l-l-o !" they both shouted.
The cliff near by echoed the sound, but no
human voice responded.

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 41

CHAPTER V.

FRIENDS IN NEED.

While a group of guests were standing at tlie
end of the gallery and watching the glory of the
sunset pale behind Beech Mountain, Mrs. Fa-
bian said anxiously:

''Ought they not to have been back by this
time 'i They told us the trip would take about
three hours, and they left here at half-past
two."

Alicia, more anxious than she was willing to
acknowledge to her mother, replied lightly:

"They will be here soon, mamma. Supper
always brings men home, and they will all be
himgry as cats," she added with a laugh.

Mrs. Fabian smiled very faintly as she drew
her shawl about her and shivered. Already the
air seemed frosty. Directly she said in still
more anxious tones:

"Your father would not take his overcoat;
Qeither did Mr. Wilkinson, and Mrs. Wilkin-
son tells me he is just recovering from a long
illness with typhoid fever."

"Oh, well, Mrs. Fabian, they say nobody
ever takes cold here, and I would think a climb

42 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

to the top of Beech Mountain would be equal to
several overcoats," said Mabel Greenaway.

''Yes, but they did not walk," replied Mrs.
Fabian, refusing to be comforted, "and if they
should miss their way "

An old gentleman sitting at the end of the
piazza came forward and said pleasantly:

''Oh, they are probably walking, madam, and
that is what causes the delay."

Mrs. Fabian controlled her anxiety as best
she could and went in to the supper table, but
none of the party ate heartily, and they were
soon on the long gallery again with wistful eyes
turned towards old Beech, though they could
scarcely discern his outline by this time.

Mrs. Fabian's beautiful profile looked as if
carved of marble as she passed back and forth
before the lighted window. She recalled all of
the disasters she had read of as having occurred
to travellers lost in the mountains, and had
worked herself into a perfect agony of anxiety
by nine o'clock. It was ^vell for her that
iVlicia was of a different temperament, and
able to say cheery words and to hide her own
anxiety, for which there really began to be
some excuse.

There had been an arrival while they were
out walking in the afternoon, and in the circle
of men gathered at what was known as the
"Smokers' Corner," a young man sat and
watched the Fabians with interest. He had

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 43

first been attracted by Alicia's beautiful head,
had overheard her cheery words to her mother,
and especially noted the soft Southern voices
and their peculiar accents. Then he began to
listen with growing interest to the questions of
Mrs. Wilkinson, and Mrs. Fabian, now standing
near the group of gentlemen and sharing the
anxiety of the occasion.

At last, to the infinite relief of the anxious
wives, the men decided that it would be best to
"go and look 'em up," as some one expressed it.
By this time quite a number of the villagers
had gathered, ready with generous sympathy
and glad, too, for something to get excited over.

In a little while they were ready with torches
and with stout sticks to start off on the search.
Several of the gentlemen on the porch stepped
off and joined the company, among them the
young man so newly arrived.

''Gen'elmen," said the guide, "ef you have
the sinews of a b'ar, the patience of Job, en
the eyes of an owl, come on ! We will be pleased
to have the acquisition of your society in this
labor of love !"

''As to the sinews of a bear or the patience
of Job, I'm not sure. I make no pretensions of
that kind," said Mr. Covington, the newly ar-
rived guest, ''but as to my eyes, I flatter myself
they are better than an owl's, for I see pretty
well by night and by day, and as I have had
some experience in climbing both in the West

44

Ealph Fabian's Mistakes

and in the Swiss raountainsj if you let me, I
will join yon."

His quiet statement of his previous experi-
ences had filled the guide with such profound
admiration that the departure of the party was
delayed for a few moments, while he stepped
forward and said:

"Give us a shake, stranger, and forgive me if
the envious thought of your extensive travels
should add a little vinegar to the dressing of
speech."

Mr. Covington shook hands cordially with
this eccentric guide, and they moved forward.

For two anxious hours the women waited,
and watched, and prayed, for they were terribly
wrought up by this time, some one having in-
judiciously told of a guest who had been lost
for a day and a half, and who was nearly dead
with cold and fright when they found him.

About eleven some one called out:

*'Look there !" pointing to the side of Beech
Mountain near the top, and there distinctly in
sight was the procession of torchlights ! A few
moments later they could be seen waving, which,
of course, meant that the lost were found.

''How long will it take them to come down ?"
asked Alicia.

"Well, it's about a good hour's walk by day-
light, but I 'low it'll take 'em some longer by
night."

"Another hour and a half, at least, of sus-

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 45

pense!" exclaimed Mrs. Fabian, beginning
already to feel the reaction after a mental
strain.

''Oh, this will pass quickly, madam, with the
aid of cheerful patience," said a pleasant-faced
old gentleman who was one of the afternoon's
arrivals. Somehow his remark stimulated Mrs.
Fabian. There was something of the cheer
born of faith in what he said, and she moved
away with a quick step, to arrange for supper,
for Air. Fabian and Ralph, and a good fire, for
the niglit had grown quite chilly.

About half-past twelve there was a noise way
down the steep hill up which the street climbed
to the hotel. Then there was a flare of light
beyond the houses along the way, and then the
sound of singing and laughing, and Alicia,
witiiout v^'aiting for company, sprang down the
steps and rushed half way down the hill to
meet them.

The straying tourists had been found about
se'.eral hun<]red yards from the summit on the
other side of the cliff, completely desorieiites,
as the French have it, and, like Mr. Micawber,
quietly waiting for something to turn up !

They were all tired and very hungry and, we
will hope, wiser men for this experience.

The party made quite a picturesque appear-
ance as they drew near the hotel. First came
the guide, Mr. Ruggles, waving his torch and
giuging ; behind came Mr. Fabian mounted, and

46 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

by his side walked Alicia with one hand on his
knee and the other around Ralph's shoulder, for
he was walking. Unconsciously she added very
much to the picture, for the lights flashed on
her crimson shawl, and on her smiling up-
turned face. Mounted on Ralph's horse was an
old man of the searching party, and straggling
along after were the other heroes of the ad-
venture and their rescuers. So ended the dav's
adventure, of which the older men were some-
what ashamed, as it proved that old men are not
alwavs wise.

The next day the Fabians went over to Lin-
ville, as Mr. Fabian was anxious to fish on the
Linville river. The gentlemen enjoyed the
days spent there more than Mrs. Fabian and
the girls, for though the beautiful little Eseeola
Inn was a charming place, the people were not
especially congenial, being very gay; besides,
they were impatient to go on to Blowing Rock,
where they expected to join friends. It was
with very great pleasure, then, that they heard
Mr. Fabian giving orders for a surrey to take
them over the now famous Yonahlossee road the
next day.

It was a wonderful drive, doubtless one of
the most beautiful on the American continent,
winding along for twenty miles at an elevation
of over four thousand feet above the sea level,
and so perfectly graded that at no time was
one conscious of either climbing or jolting —

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 47

and the view, or series of views, who can fitly
describe ?

On their right hand stretched the Blue Ridge,
as some one has said:

"A very sea of billowy mountains under skies.
Where summer's golden sunlight reigns su-
preme."

The day was a perfect mountain summer day.
The blue of an August sky overhead, with soft
cloud-boats drifting lazily and dropping their
purple shadows on the mountains as they
passed.

Alicia Fabian was not consciously a poet, but
deep into her soul sank the wondrous beauty of
that scene, and long years after, when her heart
was torn with sorrow she remembered that
drive, and the enjoyment that fairly beamed in
Ralph's face.

"Papa," she said softly, "look at that great
mountain of clouds heaped in the west, how
dazzlingly white. What does it suggest to
you ?"

Mr. Fabian turned and saw the rapt look
in her face and was touched by it.

"I don't know, my daughter. It is more
beautiful than anything I have ever seen, I be-
lieve. What does it remind you of ?"

"Of the description of the Transfiguration,"
she said reverently, "and of the raiment shining

48

IIalph Fabian's Mistakes

exrecdiug white as snow. The cloud that over-
shadoM'eJ the disciples oil the Mount must have
been like that."

^Iv. Fabian smiled a grave smile, but said
nothing, although in his heart he was thanking
God for his daughter.

At one of the abrupt curves in the road where
a drinking trough had been placed for the com-
fort of the horses, Kalph exclaimed:

"Look there, father, that's Mr. Covington;
that stranger who was in the searching party
the other night."

"Sure enough!" said Mr. Fabian; "I wonder
what he is doing here, and walking, too !"

xlhead of them they saw a tall, stalwart figure
clad in knickerbockers, with his knapsack hung
on his alpenstock. When he heard the surrey
approaching he turned and, recognizing Mr.
Fabian as they drew near, he touched his hat
and said, "Good afternoon !"

^Ir. Fabian, though fully possessed of the
Southern caution about introducing strangers
to his family, had not only a sense of obligation
to this man, as one of the party of searchers,
but had recognized a certain air of refinement,
perliaps even of distinction about him, that
made him turn without hesitation and say to
his wife :

"IMarie, this is Mr. Covington, wdio so kindly
assisted in the search for your straying hus-
band; and this," he said, turning towards

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 49

Alicia, "is my daughter, Miss Fabian, and her
friend, Miss Greenaway. Ralph, I believe, you
know."

After the introductions had been made, Mr.
Fabian said:

"You are a good walker, Mr. Covington. We
are eight miles from Linville."

Mr. Covington smiled and said : "Yes, I am
fond of walking, but if I was not this air and
this road would inspire me. There can be
nothing finer in America. I am on my way
to Blowing Rock to see what the accommoda-
tions are for an invalid. My sister would like
to spend the rest of the summer there if I can
find her a pleasant boarding place."

"Are you really expecting to walk the whole
way ?" asked Mrs. Fabian, whose accomplish-
ments in that direction were not remarkable.

"Yes, madam, and I hope to sleep there to-
night."

Ralph listened, ardently wishing for an in-
vitation to join him, for at least a part of the
way, and his wish was gratified, for in a few
moments Mr. Covington, looking at his watch,
said :

"Well, this is very pleasant, but if I am to
fulfill my expectation of sleeping at Blowing
Rock to-night I must be 'up and doing.' Fa-
bian," he added, turning to Ralph, "will you
not join me, — at least for a part of the way ?"

Ralph glanced towards his father, and see-

50 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

ing an acquiescent look on his face, sprang out
of the surrey, saying eagerly:

"I'll be delighted to join you, though I am
not sure that I can do the whole thing."

In a few moments they had passed out of
sight.

"That seems to be a gentlemanly fellow, and
yet I am surprised that I let Ealph go with
him so readily."

"I am surprised, too," said Mrs. Fabian,
with a smile; "a stranger and a Hoosier, too!
But he certainly has gentleman written on his
brow!"

"Yes, but I will tell you why I am not
afraid to trust our boy with him. As we came
down the mountain the other night some of
the crowd were quite hilarious, and one man
uttered an oath. Mr. Covington was walking
near him and he stopped a moment and, look-
ing the fellow steadily in the eye, said pleas-
antly but firmly:

" 'Suppose you leave those words off. They
are neither pleasant nor sensible."

"The crowd was evidently surprised, and in
another minute the man asked :

" 'Be you a preacher ?'
_ " 'Xo, I am no preacher, but I am a Chris-
tian, and it was my God's name you were tak-
ing in vain.'

"The man walked on in silence. Some may

Ralph FABIA^'*s Mistakes 51

say that Coviugton's being so much the larger
man of the two had to do with the effect of his
speech, but as the torch light fell upon him I
saw that he wore a Y. M. C. A. badge, and
realized that Christian courage always tells."

. y»_ . _ , _

62 ItALPH Fabian's Mistakes

CHAPTER VI.

OFF FOR COLLEGE.

While the happy fortnight spent at Blowing
Rock may well deserve a chapter, we must give
it but a few paragraphs.

The entire Fabian party were captivated by
the climatic, scenic, and social charms of this
justly famous resort, and perhaps we should
say in passing that Ralph was not the only
member of the party who was indebted to Har-
old Covington for much of the pleasure of that
fortnight.

Mr. Covington had been so fortunate as to
engage a most desirable boarding place for his
sister and himself, and by the end of the week
they were comfortably fixed at one of the most
beautiful situations on the mountain.

Then came walks and mountain scrambles,
fishing parties, tenuis jiarties, drives and horse-
back rides, in all of which Mr. Covington
proved a most agi'eeable escort. His sister, some
years his senior, and an invalid who had come
South for entire change of climate, was a win-

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 63

some and cultivated woman. They were evi-
dently people of wealth, thongli simple and un-
pretentious, yet their hands were ever open to
dispense not only generosity to the needy, but
kindly attentions to everybody, and withal,
with a very ardent desire to study Southern
people and their ways for themselves, and the
Fabians seemed to furnish suthcient object les-
sons, at least to Harold Covington !

At last the evening came when J\Ir. Fabian
said :

"Marie, thanks to Alicia, we have had the
most delightful outing that w^as possible, but
day after to-morrow we must start for home,
not only because my business requires my pres-
ence, but because it is time for Ealph to make
all necessary preparation for college, which,
you remember, opens on the 16th of Sept/smber,
and he must be there in advance to stand his
examinations."

The shadow of the regret with which the
young people heard this announcement rested
on their faces as long as they were at Blowing
Rock, but there was no word of murmuring,
and no appeal from Mr, Fabiai^'s decision.

Mrs. Fabian, with the strong love of home
embedded in her heart, and the equally strong
desire to do whatever her husband thought best,
was probably more willing to go, although, as
an expression of her sympathy with the young
people, she said:

54: Ealpii Fabian's Mistakes

"Well, papa, the king's edict is irrevocable,
but we are certainly sorry to leave this charm-
ing place, and hope to come back some day!"

"Yes indeed, papa," exclaimed Alicia fer-
vently; "come early and stay late. They tell
me that no season is so beautiful here as the
fall !"

"Oh, some one said only this morning that we
ought to be here in June to see the rhododen-
drons and azalias in all their glory!" said
Mabel.

"Yes, and that is why I said: 'Come early
and stay late.' Don't forget that, dear papa!"

Of course most of the next day was spent by
the ladies in packing, but in the afternoon there
were last visits to be paid to Sunset View and
other points, and Mr. Covington was on hand
to escort Alicia.

The next afternoon found them not only two
tliousand feet nearer the sea level, but en route
by rail for home.

At last the eventful day came when Ealph
Fabian left home for college,

A manly boy of sixteen is very particular not
to show any emotion on such occasions, and
Ealph was a manly boy, but there was a queer
lump in his throat as he kissed his mother
good-bye that, somehow, interfered with speech,
and when his sister, who had insisted on riding
to the station, that she might see the last of

r-?i>-j>>

Halph Faijtam*s Mistakes 55

him, attempted to get out of the carriage with
him, Ralph said quicklv:

"Oh, Aliie, let's say good-bye here."

Alicia seated herself again, then, putting her
arm aroimd her brother's shoulder, and looking
at him with tearful e^^es, she said :

•'Ral, we've always been ehums. Don't let
any boy come between us. I always expect to
be interested in everything that concerns you, —
baseball, golf and tennis, as well as your lessons.
It will be bad enough to have your wife take
first place, — when you get one, — but I could not
stand a boy's being ahead of me in your confi-
dence."

Ralph was glad to have a humorous turn
given to the conversation, for the tears were
coming, and that mysterious lump was choking
him again.

"Nobody '11 ever be Allie to me, not even my
wnfe," he said, throwing his arms about her and
kissing her again and again. Then he sprang
out of the carriage with a combination sob and
laugh, which did not escape his sister's ear.

How often in the long years that were to
come did Ralph recall those words of Alicia,
and how sacredly the picture of that parting
scene was treasured in Alicia's memory !

Mr. Fabian handed him his ticket and checks
as he reached the door of the station room, and
as they walked to the train he laid his hand on
Ralph's shoulder and said:

56 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

''Well, my boy, your fatjier does not expect
you to take a brilliaiit stand at college, although
he would not object, but he does expect you to
be an honest, earnest student and a gentleman."

He grasped both the boy's hands, the whistle
blew, Ralph stepped up into the coach and the
train moved off.

The boy's thoughts, as he aped rapidly to his
destination, were divided between the two fears
that haunt most boys entering college, — the fear
of his examination and the fear of hazing, —
which every freshman possesses deep down in
his heart, whether he is honest enough to ac-
knowledge it or not.

It is no indication of cowardice to be afraid
of either, so let no college boy, whose eye may
rest on this page, smile derisively at Ralph's
imeasiness.

"I'm not afraid to fight any boy if he wants
to test my courage, but I despise all this fool-
ishness, ducking a fellow in ice-water, making
him walk round the room on his hands, or stand
on his head and sing, or any other new piece of
foolishness. It's beneath the dignity of a col-
lege boy, even of a freshman."

This was Ralph's opinion, and he was right.
What a pity that more boys did not agree with
him ! He had been consistent, too, and never
helped to haze any boy at the High School, nor
did he during his brief college life ever waver.
He simply and positively declined, giving the

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 67

same reason to liis college males that he had
given to his sister.

The student body of B College subse-
quently took that high stand themselves, and if
at any time there was an attempt to subject
freshmen to any of the indignities passing
under the vague term ''hazing," it was so
frowned down by the majority of the student
body that the institution has won the title of
the "College of Gentlemen."

As to Ralpli's own fate as a freshman, let us
look at the two first letters received from him
after he entered :

My Dear Mamma : I passed a fair exam.,
I think, and am entered as a full Fresh. I was
not as much frightened as I expected. The
Profs, are all — at least those I have to do with
— pleasant and friendly. The boys say that
Prof. X. is awfully cross, and that he will
"peek" on a fellow, but I have not forgott^en
what papa said about "taking boys' opinions."

I think I got off pretty well in hazing. I'll
write Allie about it. I have to go to studying
now. Love to all. Please write often.

Your loving son,

Ralph ]\r. Fabiax.

The second letter is to his sister, and gives a
little more insight into his life.

5S Kali'ii Fabian's Mistakes

My Deak Allie: I'm hH riglit! I did not
have a very gay trip tliough. You see I had
both Exams, and II a /Jug ou the brain, but I
can tell you now that they are both like old Vix
— their bark is, worse than their bite. Of course
you understand that 1 mean that I got off easier
from both than I expected. This is a beautiful
place. Tlie Campus is oue of the finest groves
of oaks I almost ever saw, and there are a few
elms and two tall pines, and the grass is very
green, as they have had good rains.

^ij room is in a double cottage, and my
room-mate, named Curtis, seems to be a nice
fellow, but we don't talk much yet, because we
don't know what to talk about. He says his
father used to have a friend named Fabian.

Well, vou will want to know about mv haz-
ing. They came to my door the second night
after I came. I opened the door and said: "If
any boy wants to fight me because I've just
come, and he has been here a session, let him
come on. I'm ready, but if you try any fool
tricks on me, I'll get even with you some day
vet."

Just then somebody seized me from behind
and tied my arms, and somebody else blind-
folded me, and they started to lift me, but
don't you remember that trick Mr. Covington
taught me last summer ? Well, I simply stif-
fened myself and fell backwards on them, and
just as we were scuffling together Curtis blew

Kalph Fabia^-'s Mistakes 59

out the light, and I rolled over near the wall.

Professor X was outside the door, heard

the fuss, and suddenly appeared with a lighted
match in hand, which illmuinated his cadaver-
ous visage, ajid gave Curtis light enough to see
where my wrists were tied. As soon as he cut
the cord, I stepped forward towards Professor
X and the boys all ran. 1 laughed, be-
cause I thought they were the worst hazed.

Professor X looked down at me over

his glasses (I forgot to say Curtis had lit the
lamp again), and he said:

"You are a Freshman, I believe ?"

"Yes, sir," I said, trying not to laugh, for
he looked as if he was performing a funeral
service.

"They have been hazing you. Do you know
who your assailants were '^"

It was all I could do to keep from laughing,
but I managed to say in tones nearly as solemn
as his: "They were Sophomores, sir, but I am
not personally acquainted and do not care to
know their names." To which he replied, "Awh
— awh," and took his departure, and so ended
the first attempt to haze.

Your loving brother,

Ralph.

If Mr. Fabian had been a demonstrative man
he would have expressed his pleasure and pride
in Kalph just now, for he was both pleased and

60 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

proud. Pleased that his boy had passed his
examination creditably, and prond of his cour-
age in meeting the attempt to haze him, and his
sense of honor in declining to give the names of
the boys, some of whom were kuo\\Ti by name.
But ]\fr. Fabian, though he acknowledged to
himself, and even to his wife at times, that he
ought to praise his children more, did not mend
his ways in this respect, and Ralph never sus-
pected that his father approved of him in any
way.

The fall months passed rapidly. Ralph
seemed to be doing well, and yet there was a
tone of restlessness and depression which his
sister had tried vainly to get him to explain.
Mr. Fabian suspected what the matter was, for
he had received several bills for Ralph's inci-
dental expenses which were larger than he had
expected.

Mr. Fabian was making a mistake only too
common with parents who, bent on teaching
their children economy, fall into the very grave
mistake of mortifying their pride in the pro-
cess. Surely there must be some proper me-
dium between the over-indulgence which makes
reckless extravagance and that prudence which
passes for parsimony !

College boys do not argue much outside the
society halls — they are apt to settle questions
more as women do !

The small monthly allowance which Mr. Fa-

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 61

bian had given Ralph for incidental expenses,
in which he included hooks, stationery and
washing, often proved insufficient for the de-
mands, and more than once his face had hurnod
with mortification because he had had to de-
cline joining in some frolic, simply because he
had not the money in his pocket to spend. lie
dared not borrow, and was afraid to write to his
father for more. He could easily have appealed
to Alicia, but he knew tliat this would be as dis-
pleasing to his father as to apply to him. Con-
sequently he began to decline invitations to
oyster suppers and other festivities, thus get-
ting more and more out of touch with his col-
lege mates.

This condition of things he ventured to speak
of to his sister on his return home for the
Christmas holidays.

"If papa was a poor man, it would be dif-
ferent, Allie," said Ralph, as he sat gazing
moodily into the fire ; "as it is, it is gaining me
the reputation that I despise, — of being closej-.
fisted."

G2 Ealph Fabiax's Mistakes

CHAPTER VII.

SHADOWS CAST BEFOEE.

Tliej were sitting toirether in Alicia's eo7:y-
room the morning after Ralph's retnrn.

Always sympathetic, always affectionate to
her only brother, Alicia strove to be loyal to her
father, too. She fonnd it harder than ever be-
fore to comfort the boy. She knew her father
loved Ralph ; she knew that he did not mean to
be close, but she saw very plainly that he had
forgotten his own yonng manhood, the lavish
expenditures of his own college days, of which
she had so often heard him speak. She saw
with real uneasiness that he was fanning into a
flame a little spark of bitterness in Ralph's
heart. She would gladly have divided her own
allowance with her brotlier, for though she was
by no means indifferent to dress, nor to those
little pleasures that cost money, she wanted
Ralph's college life to be happy.

Mrs. Fabian had ventured a mild protest
when her husband told her what he proposed
to give Ralph as a monthly allowance.

"Don't you think that you ought to give hiin

Ealph Fabian's Mistakes 63

more, Ralph ?" she asked. "It seems to me that
leaves him very little marii;in for spendin!^:
money. College boys like some things besides
books, you know."

"iS'ow, Marie/' Mr. Fabian had i'C])lied, "yov.
are not acting the part of a true helpmeet in the
moulding of our boy's character. 1 want to
teach him to be simple in his habits, and to
learn economy. I hope that you have not becni
saying anything to him about it f he added
quickly.

"1 have never spoken a word to Ralph. I
never let my children think that I disapprove
of anything you do. You did not have this
kind of training," she added boldly, ''and your
character does not seem to have suffered for it."

Mr. Fabian passed by the graceful compli-
ment with which Mrs. Fabian had flavored her
complaint and said, with some temper;

"Yes, but my father was a much wealthier
man than I am ; and, besides, times have
changed. The tendency of the age is to ex-
travagance and luxurious living. I am re-
sponsible for my son's character, and do not
"want him to become enervated by self-indul-
gence."

Mrs. Fabian knew that her husband was
right, and yet not altogether so, and she also
knew that he was not generally amenable to her
arg-uments; or, that was the way she tried to

61- Ralph Fabian's ]\Iistakes

exclude herself Avhen she realized that she had
let slip one of the oj^portunities of a lifetime.

It is not to be wondered at that she listened
with nneasiness when Alicia told her at Christ-
mas of Ealph's trouble. If the boy had been
one of the outspoken, gaj-hearted sort she would
not have been so apprehensive, but he was un-
usually reticent, and she feared he would lock
this grievance in his heart and brood over it
nntil the root of the bitterness would bear the
evil fruit of a grudge against his father!

The second morning after Ralph's return
his father said to him at breakfast table :

"Come up to the office some time this morn-
ing, Ralph."

Ralph glanced quickly at his sister, but an-
swered promptly:

"All right, sfr."

When his father had gone and he found him-
self alone with Alicia, he said :

''Allie, papa is going to get after me about
my college expenses. I wish you'd go to the
otHce with me !"

"The very idea ! Why, Ral, you are really
not afraid of papa ? Just be frank and gentle,
dear. There's a great warm heart of love beat-
ing in that bosom of his."

Ralph, who was too sore from the mortifica-
tions of the last month, and too bitter just now
to recognize an affection that never expressed
itself approvingly, only shrugged his shoulders

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 65

"with a restless movement of disconteiit and
gazed out of the window,

Alicia lifted a swift prayer for tact and wis-
dom. She was more anxious to bring her father
and Ralph into free and affectionate relations
than to accomplish anything else in the world.
Some dim foreboding seemed to haunt her,
something, — she could not have told you what,
— made her feel that this affair was not trivial,
— that this present attitude did matter. She was
not taking it too seriously ; she was sure of that.
And what she wanted to do was to say some-
thing, and to say it right now, that would quiet
Ralph's irritable excitement about his allow-
ance. All that she could do was to pray, — and
what better could she do ?

She was resolved, too, to speak to her father
some time before Ralph returned to college.

''Ral, dear, don't you think you had better go
Tip to the office now ?" said Alicia, glancing at
the clock. "Just be straightforward with papa,
and show him that it was not from extrava-
gance or carelessness that your allowance
proved not enough, but that a boy must spend
money for something more than books or
clothes, if he would make friends. Tell him
that it is affecting your standing with your
college mates. Talk to him as if you were sure
of his love. Papa loves us to treat him that
way."

Ralph rose from his seat reluctantly,

66 IvALPH Fabian's Mistakes

stretched himself, and at last went out, followed
by his sister's wistful eyes.

What a nice place this world would be, Alicia
thought, if everybody we loved loved each
other, and if we all did just the right thing at
the right time! She smiled at the idle wish.
''There would be no need of another heaven
then," she sighed.

In the meanwhile Ralph had walked briskly
to his father's office, for however much he might
dread the interview, being late would not help
matters.

He opened the office door with as much ease
of manner as he could command, and said :

"Here I am, papa."

Mr. Fabian looked up from his writing and,
seeing who it was, took out from a pigeon-hole
two letters, opened them, smoothed them out
on the desk Avith the same deliberation, and at
last said slowly :

"Ralph, I have tAvo l>ills here, one for eight-
seA-entv-fivc, tlje otlier for six-fifty, from the

Bookseller at B College. How is that ?

Can you explain it ?"

Xow, that sentence looks harmless enough
written, and even spoken might convey nothing
very disagreeable. It would depend very much
on the tone of voice in which it Avas spoken, and
also on the frame of mind in Avhich it found the
person addressed.

We know that Ralph Fabian was very sore

Ealph Fabian's Mistakes 67

in refei'ence to these bills or because of tliem.
What a pity his father could not have known
that ! What a lamentable pity when perfect love
does not cast out fear in a child's heart !

Kalph looked down, and his face flushed
deeply, but he did not speak. He was really
very much afraid of being reproved.

"Did you not understand that I did not wish
you to get anything on credit ? Why did you
not pay these bills V

The tones of his voice were hard and his
manner more impatient.

Tlie questions opened the closed mouth at
last.

''Yes, I did understand you to say so, sir,
and you surely must know that I would have
paid them if I had the money. You must know
that T could not pay for my books and all the
incidental expenses a boy is obliged to meet on
the allowance you give me. If a boy wants to
have friends at college he has to bear his share
of the expenses for treats and, — but, papa, you
know all this, you have been to college."

It was years after this conversation that Mr.
Fabian realized that his boy had reached a cri-
sis in his life that morning, and that he had
precipitated it.

"If" is a little word, but it suggests power.
If Mr. Fabian could have remembered his own
boyish ideas of propriety; if he could have

68 Ealph Fabian's Mistakes

shown that tolerance that is born of loving sym-
pathy ; if he could only have said pleasantly :

''Well, my son, your father did what he
thought was right, but he may have been mis-
taken, and so will increase the amount, Ralph
would, in all probability, have said : ''I'm sorry
I did not write and tell you how it w^as, but, — •
instead of this, Mr. Fabian looked at him
sternly and said:

"There is no excuse for your disobedience,
and the matter is aggravated by the fact that
you did not write me at once about it. Of
course I shall pay the bills, but it must not oc-
cur again. I will not pay another bill."

"Then," said Ralph, stung by a cruel sense
of his father's harshness that burst all barriers
of diffidence or reserve, "then, papa, I had bet-
ter leave college and go to work. I cannot live
on that allowance and keep my position in the
class or fraternity. Already some of the boys
have given me the cold shoulder, and twice I
have heard a boy speak of stinginess, with such
a significant glance as to make sure that it was
meant for me."

Ralph was pale and trembling. Mr. Fabian
was astonished ; he had never heard Ralph
speak this way before. Still he did not recog-
nize the danger signal, — this really good Chris-
tian father!

"No, sir," he said, very positively, "you will
go back to college and learn to live within your

RALni Fabian's Mistakes 69

income, as hundreds of others have had to

learn. How many bojs at B College have

as much as that, or, indeed, any monthly allow-
ance at all ?"

Ralph was silent. The boy's heart was hot
with despair of his father's sympathy. What
more could he say ?

'^Yoii have not answered my question," said
his father in a gentler tone, for he was fright-
ened by the look in the boy's face.

"There are a number of boys in college who
have no allowance, but they are either support-
ing themselves b}'^ hard work or they are bor-
rowing money and getting hopelessly into debt.
Are you willing that I should work? People
know that I am not the son of a poor man."

Mr. Fabian could not detect any sarcasm in
Ralph's tone, but the question galled him, — per-
haps his conscience gave him a twinge. Be
that as it may, he was not ready to acknowledge
himself in the wrong, and said coldly;

"Ralph, you are losing your temper. I think
that you had better go home, only remember I
shall expect you to do just as I have said. Go
back resolved to deny yourself if necessary, to
live within your allowance. T hope that I shall
not have to allude to this matter again."

Ralph took his hat and left the office, a tu-
mult of wounded pride and disappointed affec-
tion raging within his breast.

His father did not speak as if he had one

70 Kalph Fabian's Mistakes

spark of love for him, lie thought, and he had
treated him as if he were a child and lackijic;
iu honesty and obedience. He wanted to fly
from the town, — he might have done so but for
the fact that he did not have one dollar in his
possession. A blessed thing it was for him that,
as he tramped homeward, saying over and over,
"I nmst go away! I can't go back to college
and live this way!" his sister's face rose before
his mental eye, and he seemed to hear her gen-
tle, pleading voice saying: "Trust father,
Ralph. He loves j'ou, I know. Don't stop
loving him," and unconsciously he quickened
his step and comforted himself with the
thought :

"Allie will understand. Allie will be sorry
for me !"

Blame him not, mother-reader, that his heart
turned to his sister rather than to his mother.
Alicia was young, was sympathetic, — they had
always, as she had told him, — "been chums."

There are mothers who readily understand
young hearts, who are quick to sympathize
wnth tliem, and to stand in the beautiful posi-
tion, if necessary, of mediator between father
and child, but Mrs. Fabian was more wife than
mother. She loved her children truly, but she
loved her husband more. She lacked that inde-
pendence of character, which no wife need sur-
render, however devoted, — that courage which
enables her to be the helpmeet God intended

Ralph Fabian^s Mistakes 71

licr to be. She blindly obeyed and a«^veed with
ber husband, even when she believed him mis-
taken, and ollrs. Kalph Fabian is not the only
mother who errs this vray !

The saddest thing about it was that her chil-
dren saw this weakness, and it lessened her in-
fluence with them.

When Ralph reached home, Alicia was
watching for him at the sitting-room -window.
She had vaiidy tried to occupy herself with
book or embroidery, and now, when she saw
him coming slowly towards the house, she went
out quickly and met him in the hall.

One glance at his face was suflicient to show
her that the interview had been painful. She
placed a finger on her lips for a moment, then
pointed up stairs.

"I'm coming directly," she whispered, and
then went back into the sitting-room.

72 Ralph Fabiak's Mistakes

CHAPTER VIII.

A RIFT IN THE CLOUD.

What transpired during the time that Ralph
spent with his sister no one else knew. Alicia
told her mother so much of Ralph's trouble as
he was willing for her to know, and this with-
holding was not from a desire to conceal things
so much as to spare her the pain of a divided
sympathy, for neither of them doubted that
their mother would lament Mr. Fabian's sever-
ity.

"Xo good will come of telling mamma, Allie.
She never differs from papa, or, at least, would
never tell him so."

Alicia knew that this was so; she knew that
her mother's courage would not be equal to re-
monstrating with or even endeavoring to per-
suade her father to be more tolerant. For her
own part, she certainly intended to make a gen-
tle and respectful protest on the first oppor-
tunity.

Christmas would have passed gloomily at
Elmhurst, with this cloud hanging over it, but
for the very unexpected appearance of their ac-

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes T3

quaintance of the previous summer, Mr. Cov-
ington, of ^Milwaukee, -whose card was handed
iu the day before Christmas.

On her knees that night Alicia Fabian
thanked God, — not so much on her own account
as Ralph's, — for this timely diversion. There
are some people who seem to divine the very best
that is in us and draw it out. Mr. Covington
was one of this class. Ralph not only began to
like him at once, but he seemed to find no trou-
ble in talking to him, and now that he was a
visitor in llazelton the boy seemed to tlirow off
his trouble and to enjoy assisting in his enter-
tainment.

This only made the days seem to pass more
swiftly, and on the second day of January
Ralph found himself with face turned once

more towards B College, and with what

shrinking and forbidding not even Alicia knew.

The evening before he left, as his sister
walked with him down, to mammy's cabin to
say good-bye, she laid her hand tenderly on his
arm and said:

"Ral, whatever comes, love me and trust me.
Xever doubt my sympathy. I want to know
just what happens, and I want to beseech you,
dear, to accept papa's judgment and to be brave
enough to tell the boys frankly why you cannot
join in the suppers and other frolics that cost.
Boys are surely reasonable enough to under-
stand the situation; besides, I have not a doubt

74: Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

that there are others whose fathers are as anx-
ious as papa to train their sons in economy.
You just can't help this, it is your cross. Don't
let it make you feel bitterly to papa. Oh, I
wish you were a Christian! You could bear
vour troubles and annoyances so much better."

Ralph did not reply, but took it without any
show of irritation, nor did he ever forget that
talk.

Alicia had reason to believe, as the months
passed, that he was trying to become reconciled
to his restrictions, for the tone of his letters was
more clieerful, and only once during the long
session did he allude to the fact that he was
obliged to deny himself.

"The boys are nearly all going over to G

at Easter to see a big game of ball between the
U. N. C.'s and our team, but, of course, I can't
go. I had two expensive books to buy last
month."

A few days after that Alicia enclosed a five
dollar bill in her letter and wrote that it was an
''Easter gift." She was a little nervous about
sending it, but satisfied her conscience by say-
ing: '"Surely papa would not mind my making
Ral a present of money occasionally," but
though Ralph thanked her he did not go to the
ball game nor did he spend that money. His
allowance generally came to him at the first of
the month and was promptly paid out for his in-
cidental expenses.

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 75

Although Ralph was too moody to be popular
with his classmates, most of whom were pretty
wild fellows, yet they evidently respected him,
for he was elected Secretary and Treasurer of
the class.

Mr. Fabian in his heart was really gratified
not only at the good reports that had been sent
in, but to know that Ralph had been elected to
this office, which indicated, — satisfactorily, he
thought, — that Ralph's small allowance had not
interfered with his gaining the respect of his
fellow students.

If he could only have expressed that gratifi-
cation to Ralph! If he could only have mani-
fested his sympathy with his boy, how much it
would have helped to blot out the bitter recollec-
tion of that interview in his office ; but Mr. Fa-
bian's letters were concise, business communica-
tions, always signed, "Your affectionate father,"
— nothing more.

He knew he loved his son, but he con-
sidered what he called his "faithful and un-
compromising adherence" to his parental obli-
gations as the best proof of that love, and so
he let chance after chance slip.

The boy's mother and sister would "do the
demonstrative." The old Fabian reticence
came bobbing up again ! He knew in his soul
that he had erred in speaking to Ralph as he
had done, but he could not acknowledge this,

•76 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

he thought, without endangering his authority
in the family.

It is scarcely to be wondered at that Ralph
looked forward to his return home for the long
vacation with feelings not wholly unmixed with
dread.

What would his father expect him to do?
He had studied hard; he was ready for a rest,
for sleeping and for loafing.

Alicia had been throwing out delicious sug-
gestions of a mouth in the mountains — but may-
be his father would not want him to go. These
were the thoughts that filled his mind as he was
borne swiftly homeward.

He reached Hazelton just about sundown,
and found his sister waiting for him in a pretty
phaeton which her father had recently given
her, and of which she had not written because
she wanted to surprise him.

It was a joyous, loving greeting that he re-
ceived, and it warmed the boy's heart into a
responsive gladness.

''This is fine, Allie, fine! Your coming for
me."

He had shrunk from a possible drive home
wnth his father.

"Yes, it is nice. The phaeton is lovely, and
the pony is a dear, but your being here is the
best of all! You know this is my very own,
and what splendid times we will have together !
There's so much to say, I hardly know where

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 77

to begin." Slie patted his hand and gave it a
little squeeze, and inch by inch the boy's reserve
was thawed, until at last he actually said :

"I didn't know how much I wanted to see
you and to hear you talk till now."

Alicia turned her eyes, shining with love and
appreciation, and said:

''Me too!" at which they both laughed, for it
had been Ralph's favorite way of expressing ap-
proval when he was a tiny fellow.

"Ral," Alicia said, when they had driven
beyond the limits of paved streets and noisy
traffic, ''be the same bright, glad fellow you
are now when we get to the house. Mamma is
all excitement over your home-coming; papa is
glad, too, and I believe that your uncomplain-
ing behavior this year, and your fine reports

have added respect to love. President S has

written most kindly of you as a 'good student,'
and papa is proud of his boy, I'm sure." Ralph
looked off, — his face overshadowed for a mo-
ment,— then, turning towards her, he said:

"Allie, I would like to believe all you say, but
do you know that I can't remember that papa
has ever either caressed me or praised me for
anything since I was a small child ? Do you
know that I have often wondered why he could
not love me, his only son ?"

Alicia knew that the facts which Ralph had
stated could not be disputed, but she felt sure
that her father loved Ralph and was as proud

78 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

of him as his righteous sonl would allow, and
she deplored more deeply than ever that reti-
cence which, but for her loving audacity, she
might have interpreted as Ralph had done.
This was what Alicia thought; what she said
was :

"Oh, what a naughty, uncharitable 'think'
that is ! Spit it out quickly, Ral, and never
have another like it! If you could see papa's
amused interest in some of the jokes you have
^^Titten me, and the pleased expression on his
face when mamma or I have praised your epis-
tolary improvement, "

'■^Yes — if — but I tell you, Allie, I under-
stand better than I ever did why you preach, —
and I can say practice too, expressing affec-
tion."

"Well, dear," said his sister, pleased to hear
him say so, "if you are convinced, live up to
your convictions. When you get home, show
mamma you are glad to see her, and kiss papa
and tell him you are glad to be at home again.
Oh, let's all be loving and happy together once
more."

Ralph's face flushed, he was scarcely pre-
pared to demonstrate his convictions so prac-
tically, or so promptly, but when they reached
the gate he sprang out to open it for Alicia,
then ran across the lawn to the house, where
his father and mother were waiting to greet
him, and kissed them both. His mother's heart

Ealph Fabian's Mistakes T9

was full of joy and pride, and Ralph had but
little idea of how much that warm greeting had
to do with it.

Mr. Fabiau was as demonstrative as it was
possible for him to be, but this grace of affection-
ateness requiring as constant exercise as the
muscles, — it is not to be wondered at that he
foimd it rather hard work to move easily in this
matter !

The Fabians spent a month at Blowing Rock
in the midsummer, to the great satisfaction of
the whole family, and by a singular coinci-
dence (?) found Mr, Covington there, who, by
the way, was now Mr. Covington of Carolina,
having invested largely in some Carolina min-
ing stock and having removed with his sister to a
Southern home.

- It was no longer a secret that he was a suitor
of the lovely and popular Miss Fabian. Some
old-fashioned woman said of him that he was
"a gentleman-lover." She probably did not in-
tend to reflect on others in the same situation !

Desperately in earnest, he yet bore himself
with dignity, and with deference to all women.
Attentive and considerate to all, yet never los-
ing sight of the chief desire of his life, namely,
to win Alicia Fabian for his wife. He had al-
ready found out that he would have to contend
with the strong sectional prejudices which clung
to Mr. Fabian like barnacles, but with a large-
hearted charity and the patience born of sincere

80 Ralph Fabian's ^Mistakes

love, be hoped to ^vin Mr. Fabian, as he hoped
to win Alicia.

If tliis was to be the love-story of Eeginald
Covington, it wonld make interesting reading,
at least for some of onr readers, with its lights
and shadows and its happy ending, but we set
out to tell the story of Ealph Fabian, and,
Avhile we have given a good deal of family his-
tory, it has only been in order that the reader
might better nnderstand the formative influ-
ences in the boy's life.

Henceforth we will follow him through very
different scenes, and as he walks beneath the
shadow of bitter experiences, where all that
seemed left to him of joy and gladness was the
memory of his sister's love and her abiding
faith in him.

! Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 81

CHAPTER IX.

A CRISIS.

Ralph Fabian sat cowering over a poor fire
in his room in the dusk of a dreary evening in
January; and although he had a book in his
hands, he was gazing gloomily across it i'.iCo the
coals.

He had just come in from the Post Office
without the letter from his father, wliich he
had been expecting for over a week.

'^If Allie had been at home," he thought,
"this would not have occurred. I can see now
why papa managed to remem])er so well the
first two years ; she reminded him. He brags
on his integrity, but he is testing mine; he is
keeping me from settling an honest debt by his
forgetfulness."

A year had passed since that happy vacation
of which we read in chapter eight, a year that
had proved an eventful one in the homo of the
Fabians, for in that time j\Ir. Fabian had given
liis somewhat reluctant consent, and Alicia now
wrote her name Covington instead of Fabian,
and Elmhurst seemed lonely enough, save when

82 Ealph Fabian's Mistakes

she came over on a flyiug visit and let a part
of her sunniness diffuse itself through its quiet
rooms.

What made matters worse for Ralph was
that, without intending it, he had gone beyond
his usual monthly allowance, and the knowl-
edge of his father's particularity made this very
galling. While he sat chafiug under the dis-
appointment, there was a knock at his door.
He straightened up and tried to say ^'Come in"
cheerfully, but the visit proved to be the straw
that was to break the camel's back.

It was the custom at B College to have

special exercises, including an elaborate ban-
quet, on what was known as Founder's Day,
and that was just one month off.

The two men who entered the room in re-
sponse to Ralph's invitation were members of
his class, though not personal friends. They
were on the Committee of Arrangements for the
Banquet.

Ralph offered them chairs and rej^lenished
the smouldering fire.

"No, we cannot sit down," said Langston,
the chairman of the committee, "we have come
to get your subscription to the Banquet. We
are behind in collecting, and hope you can give
liberally."

K'ow, if they had tried, as we know, they
could hardly have found a more inopportune
time to have called on Ralph, and the hope

Ralph Fabians 's jMistakes 83

that he would ffive liherallv made him wince
as if stmck with a lash. In an nnhappy mood
at the best, approached by boys who had not
only spent money freely, but who had again
and again insinuated in his presence that there
were sting}' men in the class, Ralph conld
stand it no longer, — he rose to his feet, pale,
and trembling with anger, and said :

"I want to say to you fellows, for the last
time, I hope, that I expect to pay wdiat I con-
sider proper as my share of the expenses of the
banquet, and I Mall bring the money when I
get ready. I do not need to be dunned for it,
and I hope you will remember this."

"That's courtesy for you, Davis," said
Langston, with a rude laugh, to his companion.
"I think we had better get out of this."

"I think so, too," said Ralph, "and when you
come here again, gentlemen" — with an empha-
sis on the last word — "don't forget to bring
your own courtesy along." ■

The boys w^ent out, and had been probably
gone a half hour, when there was a low, timid
knock on the door. Ralph, who was trying to
blot out the last interview by studying, called
out, a little impatiently, "Come in!" but there
was no response, and he opened the door and
found there a small colored boy, whom he rec-
ognized as the son of his washerwoman. '
"Mamma says couldn't you sen' her the

84 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

money for your wasliin' ? She's jes' 'bleeged
to have it to-night to go on her rent,"

''Wait out here awhile," he replied, and ther
went back and studied the fire. He had not
more than a quarter in his pocket, which he
kept there as a mascot, and he owed her really
for two weeks' washing. Locked in his trunk was
a five dollar bill which Alicia had enclosed in
a recent letter, but which, with the boy's mor-
bid sense of honor, he felt that he ought not to
use. He had taken his father literally when
he said: "Your allowance I think quite suflS-
cient for your reasonable expenses, and there
will be no excuse for your borrowing money."
He imagined that his father would think his
sister was aiding him in disobedience if he ac-
cepted her gift, and expected to return it. Still,
goaded as he was by the insinuations, or fancied
insinuations of Langston and Davis, if his
room-mate and friend, Curtis, had been pres-
ent he would doubtless have borrowed from
him, but he was away on business, and there
was not another boy with whom Ralph Fabian
felt sufficiently free to have borrowed fifty
cents !

As he sat perplexed and pondering how to re-
lieve the situation, his eye rested upon the desk
across the room where the class money was de-
posited. He remembered that at the last meet-
ing some one had brought change to the amount
of fifty cents.

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 85

"My letter will surely come to-morrow," he
muttered. "I can't let that poor woman
^ suffer. I cannot break the bill Allie sent

f me. I can return the fifty cents before another

class meeting," he thought, and without hesi-
tating longer, he crossed the room, unlocked
the drawer, took out the fifty cents, locked the
drawer, and, walking with a quick step, lie
crossed the room and went to the door.

"Tell your mother that I'll pay her tlie rest
to-morrow, I hope."

At heart Ralph Fabian was as tenacious of
his integrity and honesty as his father. It was
a pity that Mr. Fabian could not have known
and have trusted the boy not to be extravagant.
If he could have looked down the years and
have seen how far-reaching in their effect his
strictures were to be, even his stern purpose of
rectitude might have been changed.

Ralph finished the last of his studies, and by
eleven o'clock was asleep and dreaming of the
relief that, with the hopefulness of youth, he
would surely get in the morning! Little did
he suspect that tliere were stealthy steps under
his window at the very time that he took out
the money from the class treasury !

Months before this words had passed between
Ralph and Benton Ciscoe in the settlement of
some class dues, and the fellow had treasured
the affront to be revenged some day, and so,
while Ralph was falling into a troubled sleep,

8G Ralph Fabiaa^'s Mistakes

Ciscoe was recounting in mysterious whispers
the incident we liave related — and had chosen
Fred Langston as his confidant!

As Fabian crossed the Campus to the chapel
the next mornin<T; he was too absorbed in his
own thoughts to notice the manner of the boys
he met.

While inclined from childhood to moods and
whims, — the sunnincss of Alicia had been his
preserver, — and suuniness just now would have
saved this fellow years of misery — if only some
one had known it. This morning, as he but-
toned his overcoat closer to keep out a bitter
north wind that Avas blowing, his heart was
filled with anything but sunniness and peace.
Well formed, with a shapely head, a strong
face, apparently in perfect health, he ought to
have been a gay-hearted, jovial fellow. Alas,
for us that the sound body does not always
carry a sound mind and a sweet spirit !

When the boys repaired to the various class
rooms, Ralph joined Phil Marston, the Presi-
dent of his class, and a man to whom he had
always been partial, and he spoke to Marston
in tones of unwonted cheerfulness, but Mars-
ton, usually inclined to be friendly, responded
stiffly, and Ral]di, as keenly susceptible to
slight changes of manner as a barometer to sub-
tle atmospheric changes, walked the rest of the
^x&y to the class room in silence.

There was much that was noble, and even

Kalph Fabian's Mistakes

87

that was lovable, in this boy — but it needed to
l)e drawn out. If his mother liad, even by se-
vere measures if needs be, conquered his moodi-
ness when he was a child, — if his father had
taught him to love him and to speak frankly to
him, — rather than to fear him — If ! If !

Happily the moulding of his character,
though it required sharp instruments, was in
the hands of the Great Sculptor who never for-
gets to love us while He moulds us !

All through that day, Kalph was made to
feel that "something was up," as he would have
expressed it. He could scarcely have explained
why this impression gained in strength as the
day passed; indeed, he could not, for we must
remember that he had no idea that he had been
seen when he borrowed the money. What he
inclined to think was that Langston and Davis
had repeated what had passed between them.

As evening drew near he had worked himself
up to such a pitch of nervous irritability that
he could not fix his attention on his books; he
found himself continually composing the letter
he would send his father by the next mail if
by any possibility the check should not come.

A half -hour before train time he went down
to the station. He was not in the habit of loaf-
ing there, for it was the favorite rendezvous of
the noisier boys, especially the Freshmen, who
gathered there and were ready to board the

88 Kalpii Fabia:n's Mistakes

train and to shake hands with and to claim kin
■with the passengers.

Ralph found a few boys, who, like himself,
were eagerly awaiting their mail, and with
them he walked rapidly to the Post OiSce as
soon as the carrier started from the station.

Even with the two hundred students of

B College included, the distribution of

the village mail was soon finished, and Ralph,
on receiving his mail, saw with almost passion-
ate annoyance, that a letter from his sister and
a paper was all that the box contained for him.
lie loved Alicia devotedly, but just now he
could have torn her letter to shreds. Well for
him that he did not, as the next twenty-four
hours proved.

It w^as nearly dark. He did not care to read
his letter in the noisy crowd congregated in the
Post Office, and walked quickly towards his
boarding-house, for the supper-bells were ring-
ing all over the village.

On the bulletin board which hung by the
front door of the boarding-house he saw a no-
tice posted, and as the light from the hanging
lamp shone full upon it, he read:

''There will be a called meeting of tlie Jun-
ior class at eight o'clock sharp at the Hall of
the Phi Society.

"By order of the President,

"P. Marston."

He read it over and then said ma^'be it is an

Raxph Fabian's Mistakes 89

old notice or a trick. A mooting called, and
he, the Secretary and Treasurer, by whom the
notices were usually posted, reading of it on
the bulletin-board for the first time. He was
stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered
himself, and going in to the table made a feint
at eating his supper, but there was a choking
sensation that made it impossible.

He said something — he scarcely knew what,
to the boy next to him, who happened to be a
Sophomore, and a friend of Curtis, his room-
mate. It was a relief to find somebody who
would talk pleasantly about trifles, but he was
beginning to feel curious about Alicia's letter;
perhaps, he thought, it may explain papa's si-
lence. As the majority of the boys had left
table, he opened the letter at last, and as he did
so a five dollar bill opened out.

"I wish Allie would not send me any more
of Covington's money," he muttered, and his
face burned — poor, proud boy ! He might have
comforted himself by remembering that his
father still gave to Alicia her usual allowance,
but Ralph was in no condition to be comforted
in any way.

He had expected to writ^ to his father and to
mail the letter on his way to the meeting. It
was now a few minutes of seven, and he hurried
to his room, kindled his fire, lighted his lamp,
and wrote:

90 Ealph Fabian's Mistakes

Deae Papa : It is now twelve days* past the
time vou usually send my check, and I have
never heard from yon. I am sure you cannot
imagine how annoying this is — all the more
since you do not allow me to borrow even for a
few days.

I had an insultinsj call for mv share of the
expenses of our banquet last night, and not a
dollar to pay it. I shall be compelled to bor-
row if I do not hear from you by to-morrow's
mail. Yours respectfully,

Ralph M. Fabian.

He put the letter into his pocket to mail on
his way to the hall, for, of course, he was going,
though he shrank from doing so unutterabh\
As he glanced up at the mantel-piece his eye
was arrested by an envelope addressed to him.

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 91

CHAPTER X.

THE FIEST MISTAKE.

He snatched the letter, and tearing it open,
found it to be a formal notitication that there
would be an important meeting of his class in
the Phi Hall, and all were earnestly requested
to attend. This, without a word of explanation,
was signed by the president of the class.

What did it all mean ? This business of no-
tifying the class of a meeting was the Secre-
tary's, by order of the President.

Ralph glanced up at the clock, more impa-
tient tlian ever, and more curious to have the
mystery explained. It was a few minutes of
eight, and with his excitement at white heat,
and his nerves tingling as no healthy boy's
should, he walked rapidly to the hall.

When he entered, with his Report book and
his cash-box in hand, the room was well filled,
and every eye was fixed on him. He took his
seat with an outward calmness that gave but
little indication of the excitement burning
witliin.

The president called the meeting to order as

92 Ralph Fabian^s Mistakes

soon as Ralph was seated, tlien, with hesitation
and evident embarrassment, he said that before
he proceeded to business he wished to say that
his relations to the other officers of the class
had always been pleasant, that he could say that
with "malice towards none, with charity to all,"
he had sought only the best interests of the
class. "But," — he hesitated, — "it becomes my
painful duty and is the cause of this called
meeting, to ask the resignation of the Secretary
and Treasurer."

The words were scarcely out of his mouth be-
fore Ealpli Fabian was on his feet, his face
white, his eves burning like fires.

"I gladly resign the office which I never
sought, but I demand of you the reason for ask-
ing my resignation."

A smile passed over the faces of the majority
of the men present, and there was some whisper-
ing in the rear.

Ralph, goaded by the air of mystery that
liimg over the room, repeated his demand.

In reply, the president said in very signifi-
cant tones :

"We would like to examine your books."

In a moment the object of the meeting be-
came apparent to the boy, and an agony of
shame overwhelmed him. He saw now the
evil consequence of what at the time had
seemed a perfectly innocent act, and there
flashed into his mind the thought that it would

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 93

have been far better to have used the money
Alicia had sent him, for it was really his own,
though his pride had kept him from owning it.

He handed the books over to the president,
and then rising and facing the class, said :

''Gentlemen," — with an emphasis on the
word which made more than one man lower his
eyes, — "at our last meeting, you will remember,
there was seven dollars and fifty cents ; if you
will have the money counted, you will find seven
dollars in the box, and now let me make a
statement of facts. Two nights ago my washer
sent me a pitiful request for fifty cents due
her. My usual monthly allowance had not
come, I had but a quarter in my pocket-book,
the woman's need was urgent. If Curtis had
been here I would have borrowed from him. I
remembered that there was fifty cents in the
treasury, and I borrowed that in the confident
expectation of returning it the next day. My
check has not come yet, or the fifty cents would
not be missing."

There was some hissing and scraping of feet
as he said "borrowed," which the president
promptly and sternly rebul^ed.

"Who saw me take that money," continued
Ralph. "I do not know. I was in my room
and supposed myself alone. He doubtless calls
himself a gentleman. I call him a low, sneak-
ing scoundrel, and I ask him to stand up."

9i Ealph FABIA^''s ]\Iistakes

His eyes flashed, his face burned, he was tho
livini? embodiiiient of indignant honesty.

"I did wrong, — I see now, — but his act was
contemptible."

He sat down amid absolute silence, save for
the ticking of the large clock in the corner.

Moving forAvard to the President's table, he
unlocked the box and emptied its contents on
the table.

"Count the money, if you please."

The money was counted and proved to bo
just seven dollars.

Ralph drew off his watch, and placing it be-
side the cash-box, said:

"I pledge my watch, valued at twenty-five
dollars, to return the fifty cents I borrowed,
or, as the gentlemen of the class choose to put
it, stole !"

Saying this he turned and left the hall, and
Philip Marston — the other officers — indeed, the
whole class, were stunned into silence. But
only for aMhile, for first one and then another,
and then a third began to realize the outrage
that had been committed.

Carlisle, one of the most brilliant men in
the class, sprang to his feet.

"]\rr. President! — .AFarston!" he cried, "for
God's sake send after Fabian. Call him back !
I will go. You ought to go with me. This is
a cruel shame, and a blot on our class honor."

"Stop a minute," faltered ^farston, revealing

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 95

the "weakness of his character, "I did what I
thought best for the good of the class. I car-
ried out the will of the majority, I'm sure. Fa-
bian had no business to take the thing up so
hotly or to leave so abruptly."

Grey, another prominent member of the
class, rose:

"The class," he said quietly, "would like to
know more of the facts in the case. How did
you get hold of the information ? Who saw
Fabian take out the money ? And how did he
happen to see him ? Fabian says he was alone
in his room. How did the fellow happen to
see him? Fabian may not be socially inclined,
he may not belong to the jolly crowd, but he is
a gentleman and the son of a gentleman."

This speech was loudly applauded by at least
a part of his audience, but the hesitation of
Marston had strengthened those who had begun
the ungenerous attack, and the applause was
followed by a low growl of discontent, and the
opportunity for action was lost.

Marston rose to say:

"I don't know that I am called to say who
told me — the fact is so. Fabian did take, or
borrow, as he calls it, the fifty cents. He says
he did. You all know that it is a bad prece-
dent, and that such a man is not qualified for
the office of treasurer."

"All that is true, but you owed it to him to
interview him privately first. What he said

90 Ralph Fabiaa's Mistakes

before the class needed only to be said to you,
and," — he turned and looked into the faces of
the boys, — "and the man who peeked and told
on him is no more fitted to belong to a class of
gentlemen than you consider Fabian to be sec-
tary."

Carlisle sat dowTi amid some applause.

"Mr. President," said one of the most con-
servative men in the class, "I move that you
proceed to business or adjourn this meeting,"
and Marston followed the suggestion and ad-
journed the meeting.

In the meanwhile Ralph walked back to his
room with his mind in a chaotic state of per-
plexity. One thing only seemed clear to him, —

that he must leave B College, but where to

go ? What would his father say ? Where else
was there to go ? His heart cried out for Alicia,
the one person in the world who took him at
his best, but to throw himself on Mr. Covington'
would not meet with his father's approval, nor
would it accord with his own morbid pride. If
he waited to hear from his father, he must re-
main in a place now become odious to him.

If B College had possessed the corps of

professors when Ralph Fabian was a student
that it is so fortunate as to possess at present,
probably this sorrowful episode would not
have been possible, but it was fully twenty
years ago that Ralph was a student there. The
professors at that time were fine scholars, thor-

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 97

oiigh teachers, and courteous to the boys in the
class-room, but had never thouj:!jht of loving
them as individuals. No one, from the presi-
dent doAvn, had so interpreted his obligations
to the students. There was not one there who
would have thought of going to Ralph's room
and lovingly expostulating with him as to leav-
ing, and so, Curtis being away, the gossip, the
slander, being likely to spread, the poor fellow
acted for himself, and decided to leave the next
morning. Never once did he weaver, after he
began to pack; never once did ho realize how
much grander it is to stay and live down an
evil report.

''If papa thinks I did wrong and is angry, I
will put my pride in my pocket and go to Cov-
ington for advice — that is all !"

He had the ten dollars that his sister had sent
him, and it was more than euough to buy his
ticket home. After he had finished packing,
he sat down and wrote Alicia, telling her
frankly the wdiole story ; not extenuating either
his mistake or his morbid pride in not using
her gifts, and reiterating the one thing, that
he could not remain at B College, and add-
ing that he believed that Mr. Covington would
understand and pity him.

One other letter he forced himself to write
that night, rising after he had been in bed
some time to do it. It was to the president
of B College. It was to Ralph Eabian's

08 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

credit that he wrote it, and it made a very

favorable impression upon President T ,

who received it after Ralph had boarded the
train the next morning.

It was simply a confession of his mistake,
of his intention to leave, and why. He was
satisfied, he said, that he could not derive any
good from staying. For the story of the class
meeting and of the result he referred him to
Philip Marston.

Oh, you who are not morbid, you who are
grave and sensible or light-hearted and frank,
despise not our young hero. Morbidity is the
child of reserve and self-love, and the mother
of unnumbered ills, and is to be fought in
childhood as untiringly by the true mother as
dishonesty or untruthfulness.

Out of a troubled sleep, in which he was
haunted by his father's displeasure, he awoke
quite early, and dressing himself he went out
to find some one to take his trunks to the sta-
tion before the boys began to move about the
village, and this job finished he locked the door
of his room, taking the key to his boarding-
house. He expected that Curtis would return
by the end of the week at furthest, and, asking
his landlady to see her alone, he went into her
room and closed the door. Struck with his pal-
lor, kind-hearted IMrs. Brown said :

"You are ill, Mr. Fabian ! What is the mat-
ter? Why did you come out so soon? Sit

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 99

down," she added in such motherly tones as
quite to upset Ralph's composure. However,
he had no time to waste, and told her the story
of his trouble in a few words, and that he ex-
pected to leave on the eight-twenty train. "I
have not enough money to pay you now, but
you will trust me, I believe. You do not think
nie dishonest, Mrs. Brown?"

^'Certainly I do not, my poor boy, and I will
wait on you," she replied, her sympathetic eyes
filling with tears as she spoke; "but, my dear
boy, why do you go? Why not stay and live
down that contemptible slander ? If you do
not, it may give you trouble yet,"

"I can't! oh, I can't!" cried Ralph so vehe-
mently that Mrs. Brown wisely decided to say
no more.

"You will want breakfast at once," she said,
and bustled out to prepare it.

"I want you to tell Curtis what I told you,
and to give him this note and key. I do not
care whether anybody else understands or not."

He ate hurriedly, and walked hurriedly to
the station, going early to avoid meeting any
boys who might suspect his intention.

The agent was just opening up the dirty
waiting room. The fire in the rusty stove was
just begiiming to burn and the room was cold
and filled with the odor of pipes that had been
smoked there the previous evening.

The agent gave Ralph a prolonged stare; he

100 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

prided himself on knowing all the B Col-
lege boys by name. He stared because Ralph
carried a grip.

**Goin' off, Fabian?" he asked.

''Yes."

''Home?"

"Yes."

''How long'U you be gone ?"

"I don't know."

Ralph was beginning to feel very uneasy, but
fortunately some one came in and the agent's
attention was diverted.

His ticket bought, Ralph decided that he
"would be safer from the stares and questions
of the boys on the platform than in the room,
and he went out.

"Hello! there's Fabian!" exclaimed one of
the Freshmen.

"Say, Buddy," he began, but just then the
whistle blew, the train came steaming round
the curve, and in a minute more Ralph had
boarded it — making his first entirely independ-
ent move in the game of life.

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 101

CHAPTER XI.

COA' SEQUENCES.

The afternoon was raw and disagreeable, and
Mr. Fabian had ordered I^en to bring the
buggy for him qnite early. He went home op-
pressed by a cold, and depressed by a dread of
grip.

It was oije of those occasions when he missed
Alicia's sprightliness, for while his wife was
devoted and thoughtful of his comfort, she was
neitlier sprightly nor tactful.

She had prepared a hot lemonade when her
husband arrived, had his lounging robe and
slippers ready, and his large chair drawn near
a cheery fire, and her own rocker and work-
stand near by, prepared to wait on him, and to
be miserable witli him if he needed sympathy,
not realizing that there was a better kind of
medicine than this for grip !

While they sat silently by the fire, a step was
heard on the front piazza.

'*0h," murmured Mr. Fabian, "I'm not in
a condition to see anybody to-night, not even
Mr. Hardman." Mr. Hardman was his pastor
and warm friend.

102 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

But instead of the expected ring at the bell,
the hall door opened, and in a moment more
lialph entered the room.

"Why, Ralph!" exclaimed both parents at
once.

"What is tlie matter?" asked Mr. Fabian.

"Yon are sick !" cried Mrs. Fabian, whose
watchful mother-eye noted the boy's pallor and
evident distress.

Ralph stood silent for a moment, then burst
into tears ! He had fancied, on his weary
walk from the station, that he knew just what
he would say to his father, but now that he was
face to face with him words failed him utterly,
and the poor, hungry, tired boy, with his over-
wrought nerves, could only sink into a chair
and weep like a girl!

His mother rushed to him, and threw her
amis around him, and his father rose from his
chair with a face in which wonder and irrita-
tion were blended. He was always cross when
he had a cold, and he never could endure sus-
pense.

"Speak Ralph !" he said in a quick, hard
tone, which did not encourage the boy, who, rais-
ing his pale, wet face from his mother's shoul-
der, said in measured tones:

"'I have left B College."

"Left B College!" cried his father;

"and may I ask why and with whose permis-
sion?"

Ealph Fabian's Mistakes 103

"1^.

*^rapa/' replied Ralph, with something of
thiit dignity of manner which is born of trouble,
"papa," he repeated in a pleading voice, "you
must hear me through. Be patient, please, for
I need both advice and sympathy."

Then he told the whole story, — the failure
to receive his check on time, the unexpected
demands on his purse. He told the straight-
forward story, and his father listened with a
frown on his brow, but in silence, until the
poor fellow came to the borrowing of the fifty
cents from the class treasury. Here Mr. Fa-
bian sprang to his feet, and, standing on the
rug, looked down into Ralph's face, and said
bitterly:

"It was reserved for my son to be the first
Fabian who ever took money that did not be-
long to him — my son!"

Though Ralph's face flushed at the emphasis
on "my son," he continued his story; told of
the President's demand for his resignation, of
the hisses and groans of the boys; of his re-
solve to leave the place; of his confession be-
fore the class ; of his mistake, and of his letter
to the President of the college.

"And may I ask how you got money to re-
turn home ? Did you borrow again '?*'

"Oh, papa! papa!" cried Ealph, with his
eyes swimming in tears, ' don'V talk tA mc tliia
way! You may regret il fjfa^ da^\^

104 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

The boy sobbed and stood unsteadily, then
dropped again in his chair.

Mrs. Fabian was white and trembling, and
torn by divided sympathy.

Wiping his eyes, Ralph answered his father's
question, and told him that twice Alicia had
sent him five dollars as a gift.

"But I did not think it would be right for
me to use it, as you thought my allowance suf-
ficient, and I had put it away to return to Allie,
and would never have used it to come home if
I could have walked, but this affair has made
me sick. I will return the money to xillie yet,"
he added proudly.

"Well, sir," said Mr. Fabian, with a face
fairly quivering with anger, "you may prepare
to go back to-morrow, for I certainly intend
you to go if I am well enough to go with you !"

"Oh, Mr. Fabian— oh, Ralph!" cried Mrs.
Fabian, weeping and laying her hand on her
husband's arm, — "don't !*^don't !"

Mr. Fabian threw it off roughlv, his manner
rougher than she had ever known it.

"Marie, you are forgetting yourself," he
said coldly.

But at last the mother-love was aroused.
"!N"o," she replied, "T am not forgetting my-
self, but you are forgetting that you are a
father and a Christian."

Mr. Fabian stood astounded. Was his whole
family in a state of revolt? He had never

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

105

known his wife to express a difference of opin-
ion before in the management of the children.

"Do you understand nic, Ralph ?"

"Yes, papa, I understand you, but I cannot

go back to B College. You do not realize

how impossible it would be. I will go any-
where else that you say, or I will go to work —
anything but this. You would not go if you
had endured all that I have, and I must say
that when you remember that it was your fail-
ure in sending the check that brought on the
trouble, your words seem very hard."

"How am I to know that you did not re-
ceive the check?"

Ralph proved himself possessed of the Fa-
bian sense of honor, for with his face, wdiite as
a corpse, and his eyes blazing, he said : "You
think, then, that I am telling a falsehood.
Papa, this is more than I can bear." The poor
fellow turned and left the room.

"Ralph!" Mrs. Fabian was now standing
with flashing eyes before her husband. "You
have forgotten God's fatherly pity to you, — you
have forgotten yourself !"

Mr. Fabian sat down trembling. He was
frightened himself at the effect of his words on
Ralph, and on his wife.

Mrs. Fabian w^aited to hear the front door
shut, but no sound broke the stillness save the
ticking of the clock, and the whirr of the wind
around the corner of the house.

lOG Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

Perhaps he has gone to his room, she thought,
then remembering how cold the imused room
wonld be, and how hnngi'j the poor boy must
be, she rose and, wiping her eyes, said :

"Ealph has had no supper, I must find him
something to eat." She looked at her husband
for a word or a look of sympathy, but he sat
with his face covered by his hands and gave no
sign of having heard her.

She went to Ralph's room, but he was not
there ; she went to her own room, and then to
the dining-room and kitchen, but there was
silence everywhere ! Turning back to the sit-
ting room she said :

"Mr. Fabian, you have driven Ralph away
from home; may God forgive you!"

''Better that than my roof should shelter a
disobedient and dishonest son!" he replied as
he lifted his ashen face to hers.

The truth was that Ralph had gone out of
the front door without closing it after him —
indeed, without even noting that he had not
done so.

"I will go to Daddy Ben and Mammy, they
will believe me and help me," said the boy, now
almost beside himself with distress, and hun-
ger and cold; and he found his way down the
well-worn path beside the garden fence to
Daddy Ben's cabin.

The flickering firelight showed through the
window of the big room. The old people* had

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 107

probably been asleep in their little back bed-
room for an hour.

Ralph stepped up on the little porch and
called softly:

"Daddy Ben ! Mammy !" but the only re-
sponse was from old Vixen, who was lying in
front of the fire. He growled and stirred in his
sleep.

Then Ralph knocked gently, once, twice and
called again.

Maum Jane heard him at last and, sitting up
in bed, she shook Daddy Ben.

''Ben! Ben! dere's somebody a-knockin', I
'clare sho dat is sonny's v'ice."

Old Ben turned sleep|fy and grunted, but did
not move. However, he could not resist the
next shake, which was decidedly more vigorous.
"Oh, g'loug you fool niggah ! You'se been a
dreamin' 'bout sonny, dat's w'at's de mattah.
Wa' you want me fuh do ?"

Another louder knock set Maum Jane on her
feet and she stumbled through the door into
the big room and threw a piece of fat pine on
the coals. Then wrapping a shawl around her
she opened the door fearlessly. \

Before her stood Ralph, pale and trembling
with cold.

''Bress de Lawd it sho is sonny! Wat's de
matter ? Come inside outen de col' !" '

Ben had heard his wife's exclamation, saw
Ralph cross the room and almost fall into a

108 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

chair noar tlie fire, and the old man was wide
awake enough now. He slipped into his clothes
and went out.

"De Lawd help us ! Wat's de matter,
sonny ?"

"Hush, Ben ! de po' chil's mos' dead hongry
en' col'. Pile on de wood, w'ils'h I git him
somefin ter eat. I reckon I know hongry w'en
I sees it. Dere's trouble behin' it, sho, else w'at
'e doin' down yere," she muttered as she set the
kettle on and made ready her hospitalities.
"Ha! I 'fraid Marse Ralph been a-foolin' wid
dat boy. 'E always was sot in 'e ways, Marse
Ralph wus !"

She was listening intently while she moved
about for Ben to ask some question, the reply to
which she wanted to hear.

She returned with a plate of bread and cold
meat, and ground coffee and the pot, and set-
ting all on a little table at which Ralph had
eaten many a lunch, she drew the table near
him.

Ralph sat with his face resting in his hands,
and his elbows on his knees, and was staring
mutely into the now blazing fire. The contrast
between this unquestioning hospitality and
kindness, and his father's severity, was almost
overwhelming him. Up at the house isn't home,
— this is, — he was thinking; then he remem-
bered that these old people had not yet heard

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 109

his story. Maybe they too would side with
his father — and be afraid to help him! I

In a short time Maum Jane was saying:
''Come on now, sonny ; eat somefin. Dere ain't
nobody kin keep fiim feeling miser'ble w'en
dey's hongry en' col'."

Kalpli turned towards the table and tried
to eat, but his sobs almost choked him ; he could
not swallow.

The kindly sympathy, the warmth, the sight
of food was too much, and again he burst into
tears, and Maum Jane's big, tender heart went
out to him as when he was a child. She stood
by his chair and drew his handsome curly head
to her capacious breast, and there he leaned and
wept, while she crooned over him:

"Mammy's po' chil ! May de Lawd help him.
Mebby you better talk right on, an' you kin eat
better after dat."

She persisted in holding the wise belief that
it takes a strengthened body to enable one to
bear the soul's ills.

Ralph raised his head, and wiped his eyes,
then told them the whole sad story, up to the
time of his coming to them.

"Mammy! Daddy Ben! You know that I
wouldn't steal a half dollar !"

Maum Jane rose to her full stature and her
eyes gleamed with pride:

"Dere 'ent no Fabian w'at eber had dutty
ban's. It teks dutty ban's to steal,"

110 Ralph Fabtax's ^Mistakes

"ilammy !" Ralph continued, cheered bj her
assurance, "jou know I conhhi't stay where peo-
ple thought that of me, — ^,von know I couldn't
go back, and," — his voice shook, — "papa says
that I must go back to-morrow with him. Daddy
Ben! Mammy! I'd rather die than go back to

B College. I told papa I couldn't go, and

he said I must — and then — and then" — he bur-
ied his face in his hands for a moment, unable
to speak ; then, controlling himself, he contin-
ued : "When I told him that if he had sent the
check in time it never would have happened, he
said : 'How am I to know you never got the
check V So you see papa thought I was telling
him a storv. I could not stand that, and I
said : 'That is more than I can bear,' and I
turned and came away, and now" — he looked
from one to another — "I've come to you. What
am I to do ? Where am I to go ?"

Maum Jane had been quietly crying, until
he told of his father doubting his word, then
the old woman, wiping her eyes, rose to her
feet.

"My Lawd!" she exclaimed, "Marse Ralph
is clean loss 'e senses, sho'. I dunno w'at 'e
done wid de fader ha'at de good Lawd gib 'im !
Po' chil',' she added, her voice quavering, "seem
lak de LaAvd's ban' restin' mighty heabby on my
po'baby!"

Ealph Fabian's Mistakes 111

CHAPTER XII.

DADDY ben's PKACTICAL SYMPATHY.

Daddy Ben had been sitting with his head
bent, and his hands pressed together, the tip of
every finger touching, and occasionally opening
and then closing together again, while he peered
silently into the fire.

After Mammy's exclamation of pity, the old
man turned to Ralph and said :

''Sonny, I don' lak to seem to speak 'ginst
Marse Ralph, more pertickler to 'e own chil'. 'E
sholv hab been fait'ful an' true to me an' Jane
ebery way — ebery way! But — 'e's done make
one big mistake 'cordin' my jedgement — an dere
ain't no two ways 'bout it! An' 'e's a-g-^vine to
see sorrer an' hab a fight wid 'e's own self 'fore
dis t'ing is done wid.

''You jes' mo'ally can't go back to dat collidge
w'ar dem low-down boys is, an' Marse Ralph
orter see it dat way — but 'e don't. Seems lak
you orter kinsult wid Missy fust t'ing, — but — I
don' want no Fabian to go beggin' dat stranger
man to help 'im. 'E's a good man, I b'lieve
sholy, else Missy couldn' a-lubbed him 'nough

112 Ealpii Fabian's Mistakes

to marry 'im — but all de same, ^xe Fabians ain't
used to gittin' help outen de fambly, — neider
beggin' ner borryin', an' hit seem cl'ar to my
jedgement dat de Lawd sen' you right yere, fur
your own people to help you. oSTow listen ! Me
an' Jane been a-layin' up fur we uns burryin',
an' now de Lawd calls on me to help you, an'
bress de Lawd, we got dat money !"

He looked at Maum Jane, and the smile of
approval that she telegraphed back was worthy
to be painted by a master hand; indeed the
whole scene was. Here in the wee sma' hours
sat the poor broken-spirited boy, apparently cast
off by his father, and these two old colored peo-
vple, not the less loyal to Mr. Fabian, because
more loyal to the divine law of love which
bound them to their Lord, and now they w^ere
about to prove their love by their deeds.

Daddy Ben rose from his chair, crossed the
room, and opening the front door, took a search-
ing look around his premises and, putting down
the clean white curtains that adorned the win-
dows, he came to the flagstone hearth, and get-
ting down on his knees, he lifted one of the
stones and took from beneath it a tin tomato
can.

Then he rose slowly and seating himself, he
opened the can and took from it a heavy woolen
stocking of Maum Jane's. This was secured by
a heavy cord, wrapped many times around it,
and as the old man slowly unwound it, Ealph

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 113

sat speechless watching the beaming faces.
They were going to give him money to go to
Oakton ! His eyes filled with tears again.

Daddy Ben looked up as his hands moved
slowly and said:

"Sonny, you got to lib somehow 'till you git
wo'k. Dere ain't no two ways 'bout dat. Do
good book say w'en you' fader an' you' miidder
fursake you, den de Lawd gwine take you up.
Dis yere's de Lawd's way ob takin' you up. Don'
let you' Fabian pride keep you fum takin'
money 'case it's nigger money, T'ank de Lawd
it's good clean money earn' by de sweat o' my
brow an' Jane's. W'en you git outen you' trou-
ble, you kin sen' back 'nougl) to help bury we
uns 'spectable like, but don' fret 'bout dat. I
know de Lawd, I don' tried Him all dese years,
He sholy do keep His word. He's a g'wine ter
bring you outen de wilderness certain sho'."

By this time he had accomplished the open-
ing of the stocking, and was pouring its con-
tents into his wife's lap.

"Sonny, you count an' see, dere was nigh
onto sebenty-five dollars w'en Missy count it
las', an' we bote been a- wo'k in' steady eber
since, praise de Lawd!"

Ralph could hardly see to count, for the tears
tliat would come, but he took the small change
first, counting over twenty dollars in dollars,
half dollars, quarters, dimes and even nickles.
Theii he took the roll of bills and found ten

114 Ralph Fabiax's Mistakes

five-dollar bills, one ten-dollar bill, and several
smaller ones, amounting to nearly ninety dol-
lars. It was the savings of years !

"Now, sonny, yon jes' put fifty dollars in
you' pocket to git started wid, an' don' fret
'bout nuttin', but trus' in de Lawd an' Ben an'
Jane. Dere ain' none ob dem '11 eber fursake
you !"

All through tlie darkest days of his after life
Ralph Fabian remembered Daddy Ben's words :
"Trus' in de Lawd an' Ben an' Jane." Well
would it have been for him if he could have
trusted the Lord as truly as he did Daddy
Ben!

"Now you 'bleeged to hab some sleep. Jane
'ill make you a clean bed in de spa' room. You
ain' natchally fit to go no w'ere now, en you
won't go back to de house, so dis yere's de bes'
place fur you. To-morrer ebenin', soon as it's
da'ak, I'll hitch up my little wagon an' take yo'
ober to Clober Leaf Station, to de train, dat's
de bes' way fur you, ef you don' wanter hab no
talk up-town 'bout it."

"But what will papa say ? He will turn vou
off, I'm afraid."

"You nebber min'. 'E's not a-gAvine to know
fum me nur Jane, in de fus' place. Jane natch-
ally talks a heap, but she know w'en to keep 'er
mouf shut."

Drunk with weariness and trouble, the old
man's cheery and yet commanding tone finished

JIalpk Fabian's Mlstakes 115

the surrender of Ralph's pride, and he rose to
his feet and said with quivering lips :

"Well, Daddy Ben, God will bless you for
this, and I thank you now. Maybe papa will
some day."

He took the money, as the ulJ man said, and
counted out the fifty dollars.

"Be sure that when 1 get work I will pay
back what you have loaned me."

In the meanwhile Maum Jane had kindled
a fire in the "spa' room," which had been the
pride of her life, and whose value would hence-
forth be enhanced because one of her "w'ite
chillen" had been sheltered there. And in a
few moments more the weary, broken-spirited
scion, of the Fabians sank into an exhausted
sleep in the humble but hospitable home of
Daddy Ben ! And while he slept his troubled
sleep there, up at Elmhurst Ralph Fabian se-
nior was on his knees in the fire-lit room wrest-
ling in a great agony of prayer ! His mother,
tossing on her bed with her heart torn by grief
and by remorse because she had not stood by
her son in his trouble, and so kept him at
home at least for the night.

Little did either guess how near or how ten-
derly cared for their poor boy was !

Mr. Fabian's thoughts were absorbed in his
oMn part in this trouble. What Ralph suffered
he regarded as but the just consequence of his
sin, for that Ralph had sinned his father never

116 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

doubted. That the Fabiau name should be tar-
nished, and by his son; that people should
speak of him as the father of a boy that had
left college in disgrace — these were the thoughts
that were stinging him, and that would not be
driven away. And when we described him as
wrestling in a great agony of prayer, it was
rather an agony of wounded pride, and a
prayer for grace to bear this humiliation, to
meet the eyes of the world with courage, and
for tliat assurance which he confidently believed
he deserved, that he had acted wisely in com-
manding Ralph to go back to college.

If, in his secret soul there was the convic-
tion that he had not tempered justice with
mercy, he would not allow himself to dwell
on it.

He had not even got so far as his wife in
his meditations, except as to add this to his
other grievances — that she had ventured to dif-
fer from him, and to sympathize with their
erring boy. Mr. Fabian's mind did not act as
quickly as some others, this blow had come, as
it were, from behind; he was not prepared for
it — besides, he was no longer a young man, so
that it was near daylight before he found him-
self wondering what Alicia would say — what
Mr. Covington would think. Would Alicia
blame her own father, and side with Ralph as
her mother had done? Would Mr. Covington
see the wisdom of his command to Ralph ? Just

Ralph Fabtan's 'A[istakes 117

then the whistle of a passing train turned his
thoughts to Ralph. Had he I'cally gone away,
or had he dared to puhlish tlie family disgrace
by trying to get work at home 'i When morning
came Mr. Fabian had passed a sleepless night
and was too unwell to rise.

Ben came as usual to attend to the horses,
and at breakfast time Maum Jane appeared to
attend to the milk, and to get the piled plate
of breakfast, alw^ays set aside by Mrs. Fabian's
order for the old people.

She moved about with a face as inscrutable
as that of the Sphinx, constantly on her guard,
because she knew that Mrs. Fabian would cer-
tainly speak to her some time during the day.
Very few of Mrs. Fabian's troubles or perplexi-
ties had been kept from Jane during the long
years they had lived together.

''Seems like Mr. Fabian mus' be sick," the
cook ventured to remark, "he ain' hardly eat any
thing off de plate Sara brung out."

Maum Jane gave a characteristic grunt, and
then asked abruptly:

"War's dat skimmer ?" and passed on to the
table where the milk had been set. Then, as if
it was a matter of slight importance, she said:

"Miss Marie said yisterday she b'lieved Marse
Ralph wus a-gwine to hab de grip ag'in." Just
then Sara came to deliver a message from Mr.
Fabian.

118 Kalph Fabia>''s Mistakes

"Wen you gets through, Miss Marie says fur
you to come to her dressin' room."

"All right," said Maum Jane, though in-
wardly sure that all Avas wi'ong, and, as she
afterwards told Alicia, she "jes' kep' one prayer
followin' anudder fuh strength not to say nut-
tin' 'bout sonny."

The next message brought by Sara was to tell
Daddy Ben Mr. Fabian was not well enough to
go to his office, and that he must take the note,
which she handed him, to Mr. Hardman.

Maum Jane was afraid to hurry in response
to Mrs. Fabian's message — afraid lest the sus-
picions of the servants should be aroused, afraid
that Mrs. Fabian would read her secret, and
afraid of her own tongue, for her heart was full
of indignation, and it is "out of the abundance
of the heart his mouth speaketh."

"Well, de sooner dis t'ing ober, de better fuh
me, sho'," she said to herself as she finished
scalding her tins, and hanging them up.

This done she went on into the house, first
to the sitting room, where Mr. Fabian was lying
in his big chair, looking haggard and worn. %Lr».
Fabian, who was sitting near him, laid her finger
against her lips, and motioned with her eyes to
go upstairs. Mr. Fabian did not seem to notice

her.

The old woman's warm heart throbbed with
pity as she passed the door of Ralph's room. The
door was open, and she closed it, but a smile

I

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 110

flitted over Ler face when she thought of her
boy sleeping safely in her little ''spa' room" !

She passed through ^frs. Fabian's bed-room
into the dressing room beyond, and busied her-
self straightening the chairs and dusting im-
aginary flecks of dust off the little dressing table.

At last she heard a step behind her, turned
and saw Mrs. Fabian just turn the key in the
door, and then come towards her with arms out-
stretched.

120 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

CHAPTER XIII.
Ralph's steuggles.

"Oh, Jane ! Jane ! My boy, my boy !"

Mrs. Fabian's face was white, and her eyes
were swollen and red from long weeping.

"Wat's de matter ? For de Lawd's sake. Miss
Marie ! You look like you been a-seein' hants."

"Jane, Ralph came home last night. He got
into some trouble at college, and his father
thinks that he acted dishonorably, and yet he
wants him to go back ; and he told the poor boy
he doubted his word — and" — she continued sob-
bing— "he has gone away, I don't know where !"

The sight of Mrs. Fabian's suffering, the
recollection of Mr. Fabian's white, haggard face
did not touch Maum Jane's warm and tender
heart.

"Wat's dat, Miss Marie ? Marse Ralph t'ink
'e own chile dishoner'ble, an' 'e a Fabian w'at
been brung up to t'ink dat after God, honor come
nex' ? Wats de matter wid Marse Ralph ?"

Jane's eyes flashed, her bosom heaved with
righteous indignation.

"Wat d'you tell 'im ? Wat d'you say ?" she
asked in a judicial tone.

RALrii Fabta^i's Mistakes 121

Mrs. Fabian's only reply was a burst of tears,
for she felt anew that she had been a coward,
and was to blame for Ralph's going away. She
just wept and shook her Iiead.

"Miss Marie, you listen to nie ! Dere ain't
nobody — nobody gwine make me b'lieve dat son-
ny took no money to steal. 'E's got de Fabian
han' an' de Fabian han' is a clean han', sho's
you're bawn! Marse Kalph is you' husban', I
know, but 'es my fait'ful frien' an' master. I
got a right to see 'e faults. I 'bleeged to say
dis : 'E's too sot in 'e ways. 'E want 'e chillen'
to do right, an' 'e want 'e chillen to lub 'im, but
'es ha'ad as a rock w'en 'e t'ink devse doin'
wrong. War 'd Marse Ralph git de 'tority to
do dat way ? War'd 'e be ef de Lawd 'd treat
'im dat way? Wat de Lawd mean w'en 'E
say : 'Lak as a fader pity 'e chillen, so de Lawd
pity dem dat fear 'Im" ?

''Oh, Jane, I know it; I see it now, that it is
too late. Oh, Jane, where is my boy ?"

Maum Jane had prepared herself for the pos-
sibility of this question, and said quickly:

"You t'ink 'e wouldn' go to Missy's ?"

"I hope that he has, but where would he get
the money, and Jane," — she hesitated a moment,
almost ashamed to give expression to her fear, —
"I'm afraid his father will be displeased with
Alicia and Mr. Covington if they help the poor
boy. He says Ralph must go back to college and

123 Ealph Fabian's Mistakes

expects to go with him. Ralph told hira he
could not go, and I don't blame him!"

"Did you talk up fuh you' chile? Did you
tell 'e pa 'e ortn't to mek 'im go? Seems lak
dat w'at de Lawd mean a wife fuh to be, — not
hidin' de ebil w'at a chile do, but shielin' 'im
w^'en 'e fader's ha'at's a-tunin' against 'im!
Same lak de bressed Lawd shiel' us po' sinners
fum de Fader's wrath."

Mrs. Fabian realized more and more her
weakness and her error, as the old colored wo-
man defined so beautifully the mother's place as
mediator.

All this time Maum Jane was growing more
and more restless. She was afraid something
would compel her to tell a lie. She had quite
firmly resolved to do that rather than to deliver
Ralph up to his father's stern anger. Then,
too, she feared Ralph would wake up hungry,
or frightened lest they, too, had deserted him.
Altogether the old woman was very uncomforta-
ble, and it was no little relief to her when Mrs.
Fabian dismissed her with an earnest request
to Ben to be sure and let her know if he heard
anything of Ralph in town, a request which
Mamn Jane hastened to take to Ben, as an ex-
cuse for getting back to the cabin.

It w^ould be interesting to tell all the happen-
ing:s of that dav at Elmliurst, the visit of Mr.
Hardman, Mr. Fabian's story of the disgrace
that had come upon him, and of Mr. Hardman's

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 123

tender prajer for the wandering boj; of Mr.
Fabian's stern announcement to Ben that Kalph
had left college without his permission, and that
he was to inquire at the station whether Ralph
had left any baggage there, but we must follow
Ralph, who, after nearly a whole day spent
asleep in Maum Jane's spare room, was driven
over by Daddy Ben to Clover Leaf and boarded
the train an hour later.

The meeting between Ralph and his sister
was full of both pain and pleasure. Alicia, as
we may imagine, was deeply concerned about
the whole affair, and especially grieved at her
father's attitude to Ralph. She was truly grati-
fied that her brother should have come to Mr.
Covington for advice, yet recognizing the deli-
cate position in which it placed her husband.

They were both deeply touched by the story
of Daddy Ben's practical sympathy. To Mr.
Covington, a stranger to the old relation be-
tween the white people and negroes in the
South, it was a wonderful story of faithful affec-
tion.

Mr. Covington showed his wisdom and his
Christian tact by avoiding all criticism of Mr.
Fabian's conduct, while assuring Ral])h of his
absolute belief in his integrity.

"And now, dear fellow," he asked, 'Svhat do
you want to do ? Under the circumstances it
seems best that you should not remain hci-e,

h

124 Ralph Fabiax's HistakeS

though as long as I have a home I want yon to
consider it one of yours."

"I want to work!" said Kalph with quivering
lips; "I M'ant to pay the two small bills I left

due at B College, and 1 want to pay back

Daddy Ben's money. 1 cannot stay here, for
papa would blame you and Allie for harboring
me. 1 want to go where I can get work."

"What kind of work ? What do you want to
do?"

"Anything honest that will pay. You know
that I have scarcely thought of what I would
like to do when I finished college."

The truth was that Mr. Fabian had never dis-
cussed the matter with Ralph. He had confi-
dently expected to take him into his own busi-
ness, and so let the old and well-known firm of
"Fabian & Son" be kept up.

"I would like to go to Atlanta if you think
I might find something to do there. I'd rather
go to a big city."

Mr. Covington at once remembered an agree-
able acquaintance of the previous summer, an
active Y. M. C. A. man, Avitli whom he had ex-
changed cards, and he at once wrote to him — a
letter which he had mailed as soon as written,
and a note of introduction, which he gave to
Ralph. What was to be done must be done
promptly, for the very train that brought Ralph
also brought an imploring letter to Alicia from
her mother, urging them to come over immedi-

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 125

atelj, and hinting at some trouble. Of course
they must go.

At nine that night Ralph turned his back on
his beloved sister, and ■went out for his first
struggle with life's temptations and cares in a
strange city.

The next six months were filled with new ex-
periences for Ralph Fabian. The letter which
Mr. Covington had given him for Mr. Gravely
had brought him a friend indeed, for Mr. Grave-
ly had not only found him a place in the large
wholesale establislm.ient to which he belonged,
and had helped him to find the right kind of
boarding place, but he had invited him to his
own home, more than one Sunday evening, his
heart being full of that sympathy for young men
who are forced to earn a living away from
home.

During these months he had only heard from
home through the Covingtons, for Mr. Fabian
had told them that he would not reply if Ralph
wrote to him, nor would he consent to his
mother's writing.

From the same source he learned that his

father had gone to B College, and that Mr.

Covington had gone with him. That it had been
proved to Mr. Fabian that Ralph's unfortunate
mistake was only a mistake, but Mr. Fabian had
chosen to consider Ralph's refusal to return to
college as worthy of the severity of his treat-
ment. This, despite the protest of the entire

126 Kalph Fabian's Mistakes

faculty and their assurance tliat the indigna-
tion of the stndents had manifested itself in
their notifying his defanier, Ciscoe, that he had
better not return the next session.

Mr. Covington had later gone to Atlanta, os-
tensibly "on business," but really to look after
Kalph in loving interest.

Ralph positively declined Mr. Covington's
offer to let him return Daddy Ben's money, and
so to let the debt, if it must be a debt, be to him.
Ealph preferred to be in debt to Daddy Ben,
remembering the old man's assertion that "Fa-
bians wasn't used to borryin' outen de fambly."
And Ralph had another reason, and a better
one, certainly, and that was that he did not wish
to turn his father against Mr. Covington, if he
should ever hear of Daddy Ben's help, and that
Mr. Covington had helped him, too.

Ralph Fabian was ]irobably happier than he
had ever been in his life. His duties were those
of a shipping clerk and he worked early and
late. His salary was, of course, small, but he
lived cheaply, and was able to lay by something
every month on his debt.

He was proving prompt and capable, and
making friends in the warehouse.

He had won Mr. Gravely's heart by telling
him something of his story — enough to show
him, however, that the poor fellow's pride had
caused much of his suffering.

Mr. Gravely's daughter, Amy, a few years his

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 127

senior, had been very kind to him, and as she
was attractive and popular, Ralph's social op-
portunities were really far better than those of
most young men in a strange city.

He was beginning to enjoy social life, and to
call on such girls as Amy Gravely had intro-
duced him to.

One evening, when he had been fortunate
enough to get off earlier than usual, he went to
his room and prepared to call on a young lady.
He whistled as he dressed, and laughed when
he thought how surprised Allie would be if she
knew" that he w^as now really quite a society
man!

The sore of his great trouble was healing, and
even the treatment of his father was more beara-
ble, for, he said to himself : '^Papa's pride is all
that keeps him from acknowledging that I was

right in leaving B College, and that he has

been too severe."

He ran lightly down the steps and out into
the street, and turned into one of the prettiest
resident sections of Atlanta. Coming towards
him in the full light of the corner lamp, he saw
the young lady on whom he was expecting to
call, and escorted by Langston, the man who had
reported him to the president of his class !

Miss Alston recognized him and smiled, but
the two men scowled at each other, and Ralph
Fabian only preserved self-possession enough to
bow and pass on, instead of following his first
impulse to turn and fly.

128 Ealph FABIA^''s Mistakes

CHAPTER XIV.

ANOTHER MISTAKE.

"How in the world did you come to know that
fellow ?" exclaimed Langston, who was dressed
in the height of fashion and presented the ap-
pearance of a society dude.

"Know him? Why he is a splendid fellow,
worth knowing, and was introduced to our set
by the Gravelys. Where did you know him?
What's the matter with him ?" asked Miss Als-
ton.

''The matter is that he stole money from the
cash-box of his class, and had to leave college,"
replied Langston, with vehemence, glad to
"catch up" with Fabian, and to wreak the ven-
geance which he had stored in his heart becaiise
the class had condemned his treatment of Ralph.

"Mr. Fabian stole money at college ! Oh, that
cannot be so, he is a gentleman. You are surely
joking!"

"A pretty serious joke — a joke he had to pay
pretty dearly for," replied Langston with a
harsh laugh. "I believe his father cast him off
for it."

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 129

Langoton had no positive knowledge upon
which to build this assertion. All he knew was
that somebody told somebody else that Fabian's

father had been to B College, and had told

President S that Ralph had obstinately re-
fused to return. Upon this these ruthless fel-
lows were adding to the story of Ralph's trouble
what we know was too sadly true.

In the meanwhile poor Ralph's heart was hot
within him. He hesitated a moment as to what
to do with himself, and it would have been well
for him if he had followed his first impulse, and
had gone to Amy Gravely for sympathy and
advice ! His second impulse was to go to the
secretary of the Y. M. C. A., who had been
very kind to him, but

''He'll talk religion to me," Ralph muttered,
"and what I want is practical advice." And so
the poor fellow spent a restless and miserable
night trying to decide the matter for himself.
He ended by "waiting to see if anything would
come of the encounter."

Unfortunately for him, Burton Ciscoe was in
Atlanta, too, and had brought with him an im-
placable gi'udge against Ralph, though life did
not know until he met Langston that Fabian was
in the city.

A few evenings later Ralph passed Ciscoe, in
company with two clerks employed by Gravely,
Baker & Co., and his heart sank within him, for
he saw not only that Ciscoe was hobnobbing with

130 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

I

meu employed in the same house with him, but
that Ciscoe had recognized him. He felt sure
that it boded no good to him, and this impres-
sion was confirmed the next day when he ap-
proached one of the men with some pleasantry,
and was met with a cold stare, and a contemptu-
ous shrug of the shoulder.

That evening, as he was about leaving the
store, another man said to him :

"Say, Fabian, did you ever go to B Col-
lege ?"

"Yes," said Ealph, with a flushed face, "why
do you ask me ?"

''Oh, nothing particular. Did you like it
there?"

"No, I did not, for there were some low
scoundrels there, one of whom I saw walking
with Bentley last night." With which remark
he went out with a heart seething with hatred
towards Langston and Ciscoe and towards his
fellow clerks. Sadder still, with a feeling of
bitterness towards God, to whom he charged this
fresh trouble.

He walked slowly to his room, and sat down,
too stunned by the occurrences of the last twen-
ty-four hours to know what to do.

With characteristic rashness and, shall we say
moral cowardice, the only thing which seemed
right was that he should leave Atlanta.

With this object in view he took from the bot-
tom of his trunk the little box containing his

Ealph Fabian's Mistakes 131

earnings, and one ten-dollar bill of Daddy Ben's
money, which he kept as a mascot. He had
already sent back half the amoimt lent him, and
now found that he had about iifty dollars, in-
cluding the ten-dollar bill. This money he put
in a belt which he wore, and then he sat down
to write a letter to Mr. Gravely.

The writing of this letter was a sore trial to
the poor misguided fellow, who wanted to do
right, but could not without God's help. He
not only had a profound respect for Mr. Gravely,
but a deep sense of obligation, a gratitude that
amounted to love. He felt conscious that it was
not right to leave his employer and friend in
this abrupt way, but, whenever Bona whispered
this, Mala presented to his mental vision the
evil face of Ciscoe, and the handsome, insolent
one of Langston, and he cried aloud :

"I cannot stay here! I cannot stay."

Under this strong conviction he proceeded to
pack his belongings; then he went down and
paid his board up to that night, saying that he
was unexpectedly called away.

In his letter to Mr. Gravely he told him of
Langston and Ciscoe being in iVtlanta, of the
questions he had been asked by the clerk, and
expressed his conviction that these men had
come to Atlanta to ruin his reputation. "Don't
believe them, Mr. Gravely," he wrote pathetic-
ally ; "ask Covington ; he knows, and he will tell
you the whole truth."

132 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

The train he expected to take left at eleven-
fifty. He sent his trunks to the station, and
then wrapping a book which Amy GraveTy had
lent liim, with Mr. Gravely's letter on it, re-
solved to deliver it himself.

As he approached the door he saw the brightly
lighted windows of the parlor where he had been
so hospitably entertained, and his heart was full
of bitterness. He felt himself so hardly dealt
with by God.

He did not remember all the kindnesses which
he had received. He did not remember that he
had never deserved any fatherly love, that he
had never once acknowledged the relation. In-
deed, in the depths of his proud heart Ralph
Fabian cherished a belief shared by too many
other young men, that he could take care of
himself, that he did not need the j^rotecting
care of God, that religion was all right for
women, and for old men !

Alas ! the sunny influence of religion did not
pervade his home. True, Alicia was a sunny-
hearted girl, but his father's religion consisted
in an austere and uncompromising submission
to what he regarded as the inflexible commands
of God. His mother's, sincere and deep as it
surely was, was sufi'ering from a want of ex-
pression. Religion, which after all is but an-
other name for love to God, can no more thrive
without expression tlian human affection can,
and when our affections, either towards God or

KaLPTI !t^A-BIAN's MiSTAKES 133

man, are locked up iu the breast they must die
of asphyxiation.

But to return to Ealpli. AVhon lie rang the
bell at Mr. Gravely's he was filled with the dread
of coming- face to face witli either Mr. Gravely
or his daughter.

Jack, the young son, however, answered his
ring and said :

"Won't vou come in, Mr. Fabian ?"

"No, thank you ; I have not time," was
Ralph's hasty reply, as he turned away.

"Papa, Mr. Fabian brought this package and
letter. He looked so pale and worried, I asked
him to come in, but he said he didn't have time,"
said Jack as he gave the bundle into his father's
hands.

Great was the surprise and the distress of the
Covingtons when Ralph walked in the next
night and told how he came to leave Atlanta.

Mr. Covington, while not disg^^sing that he
thought Ralph had made anotlier mistake in
leaving, felt too much compassion for the poor
fellow not to show the most tactful and brotherly
sympathy. He at once suggested that he might
get work in Baltimore, and that he would write
to a personal friend.

"But, my dear Ral, do not let any fear of
those scoundrels and their contemptible gossip
run you away again. Stay and live it down !
Go frankly to your employers, if they hear of
the unfortunate affair, and tell them the whole

134 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

story. I ara sure that if my friend Laymore
can, he will give you a place in his ovm busi-
ness for my sake, and that he will befriend you
if you are only frank with him.

''T wish, more than I can tell, that you could
stay with me ; it is the best place for you, I be-
lieve, but you know, — we all know, — that there
are reasons why it cannot be. I cannot even
ask vou to stav for a while, for your father has
said that he would be displeased with us if you
came here, and that would only make matters
worse. Dear fellow," he added with one of those
winning smiles with which he always accentu-
ated his counsels, "more than ever do we wish
that you could accept this as the discipline of a
loving Father Avho is moulding you for some
wise purpose. This we both believe with all our
hearts, and may God speed the day when you
can accept it as such !"

"I have had very little experience of a father's
love, either earthly or heavenly," said Ealph
bitterly.

Alicia came to his side and, putting her arms
about him, said, with eyes filled with tears of
grief and sympathy :

''You wull yet. You will ! my dear Eal ; I be-
lieve this as I believe in God."

Neither one of these wise ones thought of
preaching to him that he ought to believe in both
fatliers — they were willing to abide God's own
time, with unwavering faith.

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 135

Six, eight months rolled by. Ealph was be-
ginning to feel settled again, and his spirits were
good. Mr. Covington's thoughtful kindness was
again bearing fruit. His friend, Mr. Laymore,
had interested himself to find a place for Ralph
and had given him a standing invitation to his*
home. The pastor of one of the churches had
shown him kind attentions, too, and Ralph had
fallen into the habit of attending his church.

Among the attractive young people who gath-
ered from time to time at Mr. Laymore's was
Elsie Moring, a special friend of his daughter
and a girl of attractive face and manner. Ralph
was at once interested in her. This is the kind
of friend I need, he thought, if only I could
win her friendship. She was possessed of the
very qualities which he lacked, being a girl of
strong convictions of right and wrong, and brave
enough to stand by those convictions. And, as
if God accepted the poor fellow's wish for such
a friend as a prayer, and granted it, Elsie Mor-
ing seemed drawn to him. She said to her
friend, Lucy Laymore:

''Lucy, Mr. Fabian is an attractive fellow.
Do you know anything about him ? He says he
is a stranger here."

"He is from South Carolina, I think. I know
that he brought papa a letter from a wealthy
miner there, who is his brother-in-law. He has
no friends here but papa and Dr. B , and

136 Ralph Fabiax's Mistakes

one of the Y. M. C. A. secretaries. So go
ahead and befriend tlie poor fellow, Else, but
hold on to your heart, for he is handsome — and
poor !"

Elsie smiled — she always smiled when Lucy
cautioned her, for she knew her to be a loyal
friend of one of the most ardent of her ad-
mirers.

"Don't anticipate things, dear. I scarcely
Imow Mr. Fabian vet, and I am too Scotch to
fall in love on first sight."

Not long after this, as Elsie Moring was
strolling with Ralph through one of the parks,
she said :

"Mr. Fabian, you speak often of your sister
and of Mr. Covington, but never of your mother
and father, or of your home. Are your parents
ivmg «

From almost any one else Ralph would have
resented this question — a perfectly legitimate
one in itself, but to his sore heart always pain-
ful. However he could not believe tliat Elsie
Moring meant it for idle curiosity. His face
flushed, his heart beat fast, something witliin
whispered : Tell her your whole story right now.
She will believe you and s^-mpathize. But
Ralph's moral cowardice prevailed, and he only
said:

"Yes, Miss Elsie, they are both living in Ha-
zelton. South Carolina."

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 137

Elsie's quick tact discerned that for some rea-
son the subject was painful, and she quickly
changed it, asking him sonic trivial question,
and Ralph Fabian had scored another mistake
in life 1

138 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

CHAPTER XV.

A REFUGE IN THE MOUNTAINS.

In one of the most fertile and beautiful val-
leys of Western North Carolina there stretches
for miles the farm of Luther Comstock — 'Squire
Comstock, as he Avas best known througliout the
region.

The comfortable farm house was ten miles be-
yond the little railroad town of Milton, and on
the turnpike to the famous Roan Mountain.

The beautiful views of Black Mountain, to
be seen in the distance, the music of the bold
stream that emptied its limpid waters into the
Catawba near by, together with the fame of Mrs.
Comstock's flannel cakes and butter, and of the
'Squire's abundant apple and }>each orchards
and his vineyard, made Comstock's a popular
stopping place for tourists during the summer
and early fall, and Luther Comstock, despite his
opulence, did not object to accommodating
strangers "for a consideration."

"Hit don' hurt you travellin' folks ter pay er
little fur yer feed, ter help the wimmin folks
along. You see, they gits all the revenoo fum

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 139

summer boarders," the good-natured old man
added with a hiiigh that shook his fat sides. iSTo-
body disputed his assertion, for the rich milk,
the hot flannel cakes, and the wonderfid beauty
that could be enjoyed here fully compensated
the travellers for what really seemed absurdly
small charges.

One September afternoon, when the sun was
about an hour high, a young man, well clad and
with a pale, intelligent face, came up to the
gate at Comstock's. From his alpenstock, which
rested across his shoulder, was slung a large
grip.

"Good evening," he said pleasantly, and
touching his hat, "can I get lodgings here for a
few days, or longer ?"

'Squire Comstock, who had been dozing over
his newspaper, roused up and said, quite heart-

ily:

"Come in! Come in, to be sure, sir, an' rest
your hat whilst I speak ter my ole woman. She
runs ther eatin' machine here, an' I 'low she's
got enough ter feed ye for awhile."

He laughed one of those good-natured laughs
that belong to fat, prosperous people, and setting
a chair for the stranger on the shady porch, he
passed on into the house.

The young man set his grip down and took
the offered chair, removing his hat, though un-
conscious that in so doing he was "resting" it.

His eye kindled, and the expression of his

140 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

face softened as be looked off across tlie fair val-
ley adorned with stacks of fodder, to the marvel-
Ions panorama of bine monntains that stretched
before him. The dome of Mount Pisgah lifted
itself high in the waning afternoon sunlight.
There was beauty and stillness and peace every-
where.

"Peace and rest at last, I hope," he mur-
mured. In another moment 'Squire Comstock
returned, accompanied by his wife, a ruddy-
faced, buxom woman.

"This yere's my wife, Mr. — w'at mought yer
name be ?"

Before the young man had time to reply Mrs.
Comstock was saying:

"Good evenin' ter ye, an' w'at d'ye say wer
name wus ? 'Squire said ye asked ter stay
aw^hile. Well, ef you kin put up, for a while,
with w'at we uns live on ther year 'roun', w'y
yer welcome. Whar d'ye say yer come fum,
though ?"

She forgot that she had not given him time
to impart any information.

It was a moment of temptation to Ralph Fa-
bian, though his hostess did not know it — and
really, though he little suspected it, a crisis in
his life. He was strongly tempted to give them
an assumed name, but as he looked into the hon-
est, kindly faces before him, the temptation
passed, and he answered quietly:

"My name is Fabian, and I came here from

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 141

Baltimore, and got off at Milton, early this

morning"."

"Is that whar ye stays when ye stays at
home ?" asked Mrs. Conistock, with a persis-
tency that would have been irritating; if her
manner had not been so gentle and her face had
not appeared so good-natured.

"No'm," he replied, "but I have been in busi-
ness there for a year. I have come up here for
a rest," he added, afraid of further questioning.

"Well, sir, you've struck the right track when
you started this-a-way, sure ! The summer folks
that come say fur me to call my place 'Repose,'
an' I tell 'em they kin do it ef they er a min' to,
but it soun's too hifalutin' fur plain folks, I
says ter M'randy, an' she says ther same. The
gals they've been off ter school up ter Asheville,
an' they like it. As fur me, this yer's the way
I feel 'bout it: God's been mighty good ter we
uns; crops has been good, fruit too, an' we've
got fish a-plenty, an we're 'boun' ter be con-
tented an' not be puttin' on no airs ter sp'ile it
all."

Ralph was conscious of a feeling af almost
bitter envy when he looked into the old man's
contented face, and again the old sad ques-
tion that has wruna; so manv hearts thrust itself
upon him: "Why must I suffer while they go
care-free?" He put it away from him, saying
to himself, I will try to forget it. I must try
to rest ; I shall lose my mind if I do not.

112 Ealpii Fabian's Mistakes

Tie talked with 'Squire Comstock about the
crops, about the railrotul, and what it had done
for the oponiuc; up of this mountain country.
He tried to be genial and friendly with his kind-
hearted host, and after an early supper, he fol-
lowed the custom of the family and retired.
Fortunately, what witli his ten-mile tramp, and
the soothing effect of the air, he slept pro-
foundly.

And now let us look back for awhile. Two or
three days after Ealph had had the conversation
with Elsie Moring recorded at the close of the
last chapter, as he was hurrying on an errand
in one of the busiest portions of the city, he
came face to face with Burton Ciscoe !^

Neither spoke, but there was an evil smile of
triumph on Ciscoe's face that sent the blood to
Fabian's head, and almost made him forget
business, but he recovered himself and returned
to the warehouse by another rout<3 to avoid meet-
ing Ciscoe.

When evening came, having been able to get
off from the store earlier, he determined to go
to Colonel Moring's. ":Miss Elsie always cheers
me, and I'm sure she will not question me any
further. iSTothing could have been nicer than
the way she changed the subject the other evcn-

in<x."

When he reached Colonel Moring's the ser-
vant told him that Miss Elsie had just gone

Kalph Fabian's Mistakes 143

round to Miss Lucy Laymore's, and Ralph re-
solved to follow her.

On entering- the parlor he noticed that both
girls looked confused, but he took no notice of
it, except to explain that he had called on Elsie
and, finding that she was here, had followed her.

There was a soiled and crumpled letter lying
near Lucy Laymore's hand, that rested on the
table, and it looked so out of place there that it
aroused Ralph's curiosity.

"Miss Lucy," he said in a tone of unwonted
fun, for him: "You must have fallen a victim
to some of the numerous beggars that are abroad
in the land."

The girls exchanged glances, then Lucy said
in a low tone :

"Tell him. Else. Show it to him. Of course
it is either an ugly joke, or a contemptible act
that ought to be exposed."

Elsie's face flushed ; she hesitated for a mo-
ment, then handed the letter to Ralph, saying :

"I am very much ashamed of it, Mr. Fabian.
It is the first anonymous letter I ever received,
and but for one curious sentence in it I would
have destroyed it and you should never have
heard of it. This was what we were discussing
when you came in."

Ralph's heart throbbed and his hand trem-
bled as he took the letter, but he laughed faintly
as he said :

'Anonymous letters are scarcely worth notic-

ii

144 Ealph Fabian's Mistakes

ing, but I'd like to know who dared to send you
one!" His eyes flashed as he glanced down at
the letter. It was stamped at the top with the
name of a prominent hotel and the handwriting
was that of an educated person. This is what
Ealph Fabian read:

"Miss Morixg: — I know your family posi-
tion in Baltimore, and your reputation for all
the attractions that go to make a belle. I there-
fore feel bound to warn you, — and trust you ex-
cuse the liberty, — to warn you that among your
admirers is a man who is not worthy of your
acquaintance. He is a soft-mannered rascal
from South Carolina.

"Ask him if he ever went to B College,

and why he left." "X. X."

The last sentence was underscored. Ralph's
face wore the hue of a corpse by the time he
had finished reading, A blinding fury of hate
possessed him, as he crushed the miserable let-
ter in his hands.

For a few moments he could not speak ; but
by an effort he said at last : "I know the author
of this letter, Miss Elsie. I saw him on the
street to-day. He has pursued me with the un-
relenting zeal of a blood-hound. If you had
asked me these questions of your own accord,
I would answer them, but as questions recom-
mended by the scoundrel Burton Ciscoe, I re-

Kalph Fabian's Mistakes 145

fuse, and noAV I want to say," — ho glancetl to-
wards Lucy Laymore, but his eyes lingered on
Elsie, — "to you who have been so good to me
ever since I came to Baltimore, I shall have to
go away. If I stay here and meet Ciscoe I will
kill him. I shall at once ask for a vacation,
and I want you to know why I am going, I
shall not explain to any one else.

"You will hear that I have run away ; you
will hear other false and cruel things ; what I
ask of you," — here he fixed his eyes on Elsie,
— "what I ask of vou is to believe in me, and
to wait. Some day I may be able to explain
things." Saying this he rose from his seat to
go.

"Oh, Mr. Fabian, don't go away from Balti-
more," cried Elsie with quivering lips and eyes
filling with tears. She put out her hands as if
to keep him.

"Stay, stay, and live down the slander and
evil report that you fear."

But Ralph shook his head, and grasping her
hand and then Lucy's, in farewell, left the
room.

The next day he asked for a vacation, pre-
pared, if it was not granted, to resign his place,
but his employer, seeing the young man's pallid
face, granted him leave of absence for two
weeks.

"Go home and rest, Fabian! You need your
mother's petting." - -

146 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

Poor Ralph winced under this well-meant ad-
vice, but he thanked his employer and turned
away quickly.

After having packed his belongings and left
them in charge of a friend, he left Baltimore,
his destination only decided at the last moment,
we may say, for it was a remark overheard at
the station, as to the cheapness of the summer
tickets to Western Carolina that gave him the
suggestion. And now let us return to Com-
stock's.

For two weeks Ralph was as care-free as a
man could be under the circumstances. Mo-
ments, aye, hours, of loneliness and of longing
he had, — homesickness for Alicia, heart sickness
for Elsie Moring, but something in the quiet-
ness of the place, and in the bracing effect of
^he crisp September air seemed to quell his bit-
terness, or at least to dilute it, so that it was
more bearable.

'Squire Comstock, good old man that he was,
had vainly tried to persuade Ralph to go to
church with them. He always shook his head
pleasantly, and said the mountains and the
birds, and the voice of the river preached better
sermons than he could hear at church.

"Preacher," the 'Squire said to the young
missionary who preached at Balsam Chapel
every other Sunday, "I wisht you'd try to git
a hold on that young feller down to my house.
He 'pears like a fine fellar in some respec's, but

Ralph Fabian's ]\Iistakes 147

he's got no religion es I kin see, even when I
put on my spectacles. It's not that. He seems
like he'd got some kind o' deep trouble on his
mind, too, fur M'raudy's heerd liiin a-groanin'
in the night, and once lie "was a-sittin' with his
head sorter bowed down, I savs:

"You're feelin' poorly, Mr. Fabian," an' he
raised his head, an' he looked sorter pitiful
outer his eyes an' says :

"My body's all right, but a sound body's not
all a man needs." With that his mouth shet
like a trap, an' I daresn't ask him nothin'
more."

"I'm coming over to see him, 'Squire. You
know I don't have much time for social visit-
ing," he smiled pleasantly as he spoke, "but if
Mr. Fabian needs cheer and I can give it, I'll
make the time."

148 Kalpu Pabian's Mistakjes

CHAPTER XVI.

THE MOUXTAIJf JIISSIONARy's WOBK.

The longer Ralpli remained among these sim-
ple-hearted kindly people, the more he shrank
from returning to the big busy world where
Langston and Ciscoe hounded his footsteps. On
his many fishing tramps he had abundant time
for thought, and decided, just before his vaca-
tion expired, to resign his place and to trust to
finding something to do where he was, at least
for the present.

It may seem strange that the decision gave
him pleasure, but it did, and he was able to
write Alicia a bright letter, and to sign it "Your
farmer brother."

One afternoon, probably three weeks after he
liad been at Comstock's, he had been on a long
tramp, and as he approached the house through
the orchard and at tlae side of it, the sound of
strange voices on the porch arrested his steps
and he stood and listened.

"Bert," some one called out from what
'Squire Comstock called the "'Office," "I see the
name of R. M. Fabian on the register. Wonder
if it's the one we knew."

Kalph Fabian's Mistakes 149

"I thought his first name was Ralph," was the
careless reply.

"1 wonder what ever becanio of him, any-
how," continued the other speaker. "I always
thouii;ht his class treated him shabbily."

'Squire Comstock was listening intently. He
was gromng fond of Ralph, and had always
been curious about him. JSTothing but the old
man's instinctive refinement had kept him from
questioning many times.

''Was you uns talkin' 'bout Mr. Fabian, that's
stoppin' here ? Do you nns know him ? lie
'pears mighty lonesome like, an' I'd be power-
ful glad ef some o' his friends would come
along."

"We were in college with a man of that name,
but I can't say I knew him. I was in a lower

class. He didn't stay; he got into some "

Ralph did not wait to hear the rest of the sen-
tence, but turning, he fled past the kitchen and
down towards the spring, his heart hot with in-
dignation and despair.

At the spring house the girls were straining
and putting away the milk, and singing mer-
rily. Usually when Ralph passed at that time
of the evening he would stop and chat with
them, and get a glass of milk, but now he did
not seem to see them, and his white face and
stern expression terrified them.

He crossed the log that bridged the branch
just below the spring, and going down where the

150 TiALPH Fabian's Mistakes

stream was bolder and sAvifter, tJirew himself
down utterly exhausted by the intensity of his
feeling. Must this tiling go on for ever? Must
he be haunted by this miserable peccadillo all
througli a long life. He could bear it no longer !
Why not end it right here ? ''Curse God and
die!" hissed the Evil one.

He rose to his feet, too absorbed in his agony
to hear the approach of the man who was com-
ing towards him down the steep path behind the
rocky cliff that stood some twenty-five or thirty
feet above the stream.

'Tor I know whate'er befalls me,
Jesus doeth all things well !"

The words, sounding out so clear and strong,
not only startled but seemed to madden Ralph
Fabian. ''Who has 'done all tilings well for
me V Life has been only a curse for me, noth-
ing has been 'well for me,' he thought, and, with
a bitter cry he swung his arms above his head
and made ready to plunge into the water, when
he felt himself seized from behind with a pow-
erful grip.

"Don't, my brother!" The tone was at once
firm and gentle. "Your life is not your own to
throw away."

The suddenness of the seizue, the vise-like
hold, the friendly voice coming when his nerv-
ous system was under such strain, all combined

Kalph Fabian's Mistakes 151

to quell his frenzy. lie completely collapsed
and would have fallen but for the strong arms
of the young preacher who had rescued him.

"Sit do"wii here and tell me what your trouble
is, Mr. Fabian, for I see that you are in trouble.
It is a healthy thing both to give and to take
sympathy. You have been on my mind all day,
and 1 felt just obliged to come over. Don't you
believe that God sent me? I do."

Ralph obeyed as quietly as a child, not only
sitting down by Preacher Barlov/'s side, but
pouring out the whole story of his persecution
up to the present, and the sad story fell on
sympathizing ears. Tim Barlow first soothed
the sore heart, and then reasoned with the poor
fellow, showing him clearly how God had al-
lowed him to try his own way of fighting
trouble, only to show him the more excellent
one.

''Don't resist God's call. He sent me to you,
I feel sure of that. I do not understand why
He should have chosen me to bring you this
message, but He did. Come, now," he con-
tinued, laying his great strong hand on Ralph's
arm as he sought with the same earnestness to
rescue his soul that he had shown a little while
before to rescue his body, "quit this terrible
morbid fight against God; take back the bitter
things you have thought about your heavenly
Father. Never blame God for the grievous sins
of men; the best of them err often in their in-

152 Ralph FABiAx't^ Mistakes

terpretation of God's laws, but God never errs.
lie cannot make mistakes. He loves von, oh,
imy brother! He loved you enough to give His
only begotten Son to save you. Hasn't Pie ?"

"Oh," said Ralph with a deep groan, "it
seems a strange way to show His love, to send
me so much trouble — such liumiliation and such
treatment from my own father !"

"You are still looking at yourself, your
troubles, your wrongs. I'm urging you to look
off to Jesus. Do you suppose that when the
children of Israel were bitten by the venomous
serpents that they stopped to complain of the
bites ? God commanded them by Moses to look
at the Brazen Serpent, and they looked and
lived ! So now, oh., my brother, look to Jesus !
He is waiting to be gracious."

With his hand still upon Ealph Fabian's arm
the young missionary began to sing in soft, clear
tones :

"Come ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore,

Jesus ready stands to save you.
Full of pity, love and power,
He is able.

He is willing, doubt no more.

Let not conscience make you linger,

Nor of fitness fondly dream,
All the fitness he requireth

Halpii Fabian's Mistakes 153

Is to feel your need of Him.

This He gives you,
'Tis the Spirit's rising- beam.

Come ye Aveary, heavy laden,

Lost and ruined by the fall,
If you wait till you are better

You will never come at all !
Not the righteous, —

Sinners Jesus came to call."

It was no mawkish religious sentiment that
caused the young preacher to sing just now, in-
stead of talking. He felt the arm, indeed the
whole body of Ralph Fabian, trembling. He
realized that not only were his nerves reacting
after the awful strain of the last half hour, but
he believed that the great deep of the poor fel-
low's soul was stirred. He recognized the
soothing, yes, even the converting power of
music, on a troubled mind, and his own soul,
too, was moved with that divine compassion
that makes the Christian like his Master. Here
was this poor fellow, apparently forsaken, fly-
ing from friends and foes, seeking deatli to end
his trouble. God seemed to have sent him to
save Ralph Fabian. He believed it as religious-
ly as he believed that he had been called to the
ministry.

By the time he had reached the second verse
of the hymn Ralph was sobbing convulsively.

154 Ralph Fabian^s Mistakes

"Oh," he said, ''if all this is so, I have been
fighting against God all this time ! But, oh,
don't you see how hard it was to submit to my
father's command, and the entreaties of my
friends to live down the evil reports ?"

"Xever mind all that. Don't look behind
you. Jesus says: 'Come!' You need his love,
you need all the comfort of tlie promises, all
the blessed reward of simple faith. Begin right
now, my brother ; riiiht now I Will vou ?"

Preacher Barlow's eager eves were fixed on
Balph. His strong face was lit by a smile of
remarkable sweetness, and his firm, warm hand
rested on Ralph's, which were cold and trem-
bling.

"I will try," he said.

"Then let me ask God's blessing."

Together they kneeled as he said:

"Let us pray:

"O God, our heavenly Father, tliy tired, sore-
hearted child has come to Thee at last. Come
empty-handed, sinful, yet confident that thou
wilt hear him. Forgive the mistakes of the
past. Givp him grtice for the present and hope
for the future. Amen."

By this time the sun had set, and Barlow be-
gan to fear that Ralph was threatened with a
chill. He rose to his feet and said :

"Fabian, I'm going to the house with you,
and I'm going to put you to bed and stay with
you to-night. You'll let me — won't you V

Ralph Fabi.ax's Mistakes

155

For answer llalph tlirew his arm across the
young preacher's shoulder. lie could only nod
his liead in reply.

They crossed the branch and went slowly
towards tlie house.

Barlow said: ''AYe will go to the kitchen.
They are all probably at supper now, and you
will not care to meet the strangers at table. I'll
ask Mrs. Comstock to give us our supper in the
kitchen, and we can go right up to your room
afterwards."

The thoughtfulness, the gentleness, and the
quiet commanding tone left Ralph no room to
refuse.

"Sister Comstock," said Tim Barlow, as they
reached the kitchen door, "Mr. Fabian and I
are late, and do not deserve to go to the table,
but if you'll forgive us and give us a bite apiece
here, we'll be good boys and never do so again."

Mrs. Comstock looked surprised. The girls
had already told how queerly Fabian looked
when he passed the spring house, but she be-
lieved in the young preacher, and whatever he
asked seemed right to her.

"Well," she answered with a good-natured
laugh, "I'm ahvays ready tor sp'ile you, and
Mr. Fabian's never been late before, an' I'm
boun' ter let him off." And she bustled around
to get them some supper.

"Thar's strangers in thar," she pointed to the

156 R.viPH Fabian's Mistakes

dining room ; "they come from Georgy, an' are
goin' ter the Roan in the mornin'."

This neAvs was heard with relief by both
young men. When they had finished supper
Barlow said :

"Mr. Fabian's not very well, and I'm going
to doctor him, and if you'll let me, I'll sleep
here to-night.''

"You're always welcome here, Brother Bar-
low," said the old lady with a beaming smile,
and they passed through the dark hallway and
up to Fabian's room.

As they sat together by the fire the young
missionary skilfully diverted Ealph's attention
from himself by telling of some of his ad-
ventures and experiences.

"It's a grand work I am helping to do," he
said. "There is no honor that men could offer
me that I would exchange for this conviction.
My father had ambitious hopes for me, and he
has not yet granted that it is the highest honor
a man can achieve to belong to the Lord's Sal-
vation Army of the Churcli, but I know it !"

Ralph's face was flushed, his eyes were too
bright, and Barlow, who was equipped as a doc-
tor as well as a preacher, said :

"Xow, let's read something from this blessed
book, then I want to give you a powder and
you must go to bed. I'm going down to sit
with 'Squire for awhile until you get to sleep."

The selections he read were, first, the old, old

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 157

storj of the prodig-al son, and then a few verses
of the fifth chapter of Romans, beginning with
the eighth verse.

It was all new and strange to Ralph. For
the first time in his life his ears were really
opened to the truth, and as Timothy Barlow
closed his 33ible he said to him:

"Go to sleep, my brother, with those wonder-
ful words ringing in your ears like heavenly
music: 'Much more! Much more'!"

Several times during the night, with the
tenderness of a woman, did he step softly from
his own bed across the room and, bending over
Ralph, feel his pulse and murmur a prayer for
him. He had rescued him, body and soul !

"And the soul of Jonathan was knit with
the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as
his own soul."

153 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

CHAPTER XVII.

THE CO:XVEKSION OF MR. FABIAN.

It is a long time since tlie readers of this
story have been to Ehnhurst. Let ns make the
dear old place a little visit now. We will find
it sad and quiet, though merry children's voices
are heard there from time to time.

We will find Mr. Fabian looking mnch older
and feebler than when w^e last saw him. iS^o
man can pass through the deep waters of such
a sorrow as his and not bear the marks.

Some one has said that "a great sorrow re-
casts a soul. It either draws it nearer to God,
or drives it further from Him."

This was true in Mr. Fabian's case, to a cer-
tain extent. He Avas certainly nearer to God,
inasmuch as he was more humble, and more
sympathetic with men whose children h.ad not
turned out well, but he had not yet learned the
lesson the Great Teacher had set him, and it
was reserved for old Ben to make it plain to

liim !

Alicia faithfully kept her father informed as
to w4iat she knew of Ralph's movements, but

Ralph Fabiak's Mistakes 159

only through the medium of her letters to her
mother, which Mr. Fabian alwa^'s read, and
returned to his wife without comment.

The conflict between the love that dwelt deep
do^\Ti in the father-heart, and his stern concep-
tion of parental duty had been very great ; it
went on without respite, and had increased his
reserve, even with his wife.

ISTone but God knew of the agony that many
a night wrung his soul, and none suspected that
this man had not yet learned to say, "Thy will
be done !"

Mrs. Fabian's feeble efforts to assert her own
convictions by right of the mother love in her
heart, had signally failed. She simply suffered
in silence, never allnding to Ralph, excepting
to Maiim Jane, or Daddy Ben, and Mr. Fa-
bian accepted this silence as a part of his bur-
den.

Alicia, after much prayer and consultation
with her husband, decided that God had some
purpose in the condition of things which He
had not yet revealed to them, but which slie
confidently expected to understand some day,
and she felt that the best way to befriend Ralph
was to avoid mentioning him to her father, and
she came and went in the old home, grieving in
her heart, but always trying to cheer her
parents.

One morning towards the last of September,
just about the time of Ralph's rescue, Maum

160 Rai.ph Fabian's Mistakes

Jane came up to the house quite early in the
morning, and knocked at Mrs. Fabian's door.

"Miss Marie, I hates to disturb you so soon,
but Ben's mighty bad off, an' 'e oughten hab de
doctor. I done tried ebry t'ing 1 kin, but 'e
don' git no relief, an' 'e's des a-moanin' an'
groanin', an a-callin' fuh Marse Ralph, 'Pears
like 'e's got somefin' on 'e's niin' dat 'e's 'blcegcd
to tell Marse Ralph, an' ef 'e would come down
I'd sholy be glad."

"Very well, Jane, I'll tell Ralph. I'm sorry
Ben is so sick."

"Was he sick yesterday ?" asked Mr. Fabian,
coming to the door partly dressed. "He never
told me anything about it."

"Well, suh, 'e's been po'ly fuh two er t'ree
days, but Ben ain't one o' you complainin' kin' ;
'e keeps 'e's mout shet too much. I been a-look-
in' fuh dis," she added, shaking her head
mournfully.

"Looking for it ? Why, how's that?"

"Well, you see, Marse Ralph," she said as
she leaned against the door-post and wiped her
eyes with the corner of her apron, "all dem
signs I been a-seein' dey des 'bleeged to mean
somefin', an' I'm 'fraid dat Ben's time is sut-
tenly come."

"Why, Jane! I am surprised that a good
Christian woman like you would take notice of
'signs.' What kind of signs were they?" he
asked with a laugh.

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 161

Maum Jane's eyes flashed through her tears.
''Didn' a bird come flyin' clean t'rough de house
las' week, an' jiste'dav didn''a w'ite buttx3rfly
come a-flittin' in an' res' g'inst de wall right by
de bed way Ben's a-lyin' now ? An' didn' ole
Vix des Stan' in front de do' las' niiilit an' howl
dere, 'dough nobody nor nuttin' in sight? Yes,
suh, I seed dem signs wid my own eyes, an' you
can' mek me b'lieve dey don' mean nuttin. I
ain't lib dis long in de worl' for nuttin'."

"You are very foolish, all the same, I think.
God's Word forbids all such things."

"Wat dat 'bout de sign ob de Son ob Man?"
she asked triumphantly. "Dat suttenly is in de
Bible, full Missy read it to me las' time she
wus yere, an' I got Bruddcr Bascom ter preach
'bout it las' Sunday."

"Nonsense! Nonsense! That is something
very different, and we know nothing about it,
but it certainly does not mean birds and but-
tei-flies and howling dogs. Go home, and tell
Ben I'll come down before sundowTi this even-

>j

mg.

When Mr. Fabian returned at dinner time
Mrs. Fabian, who had spent a part of the morn-
ing at the cabin, said to liim :

"Ralph, Ben is very ill, T think. The doc-
tor says his fever is high. It is either rheumatic
fever or grip, and either way will go hard with
the old man. He keeps calling for you, and if

162 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

you do not go early he may not be able to
recognize you."

She did not tell him that Ben had also called
again and again for "Sonny." She felt sure that
the old man had something on his mind about
Ealph, and she caught eagerly at the hope that
the long-prayed-for reconciliation might be
near.

Mr. Fabian went do^\Ti immediately after
dinner, and as soon as he entered the room saw
that Daddy Ben was a very ill man.

When he approached the bed the old man's
eyes were closed, but he heard a step and
opened them, and as soon as he saw Mr. Fa-
bian he smiled and held out his hand, saying :

"Bress de Lawd you come at las', Marse
Ralph! I'm a-goin' dis time, an' de Lawd sen'
you a message, an' I been jes' a-prayin' de good
Lawd ter keep my min' clear 'tell you come to
git it."

"Oh, cheer up ! Cheer up, man, you'll be out
again soon, I hope. Take care of yourself and
try to get well."

*Mr. Fabian's heart gave a quick throb when
Ben said he had a "message from the Lord" for
him. He had always been afraid that the old
man would talk to him about Ralph, if he gave
him an opportunity. Maum Jane came in with
a large rocker that Alicia had given her at
Christmas, and placed it beside the bed, and
Mr. Fabian sat down.

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 163

"Jane, you go out an' keep dem niggers fum
comin' in. I got somefin' to say to Marse Ralph
'fo' (lis yer feber git hoi' o' my tongue."

Maum Jane dared not refuse to obey his
command, but she went reluctantlv, for she had
been intensely interested in this interview.

As soon as she had gone Ben said:

"Marse Ealph, I been fait'ful to you all dese
years, ain't dat so ?"

"You certainly have, Ben, and the Lord will
surely reward you for it."

" 'E's done gib me my reward already," re-
plied the old man; "fait'fulness reward 'eself.
Well, ef I been fait'ful, den you know I lub
you, an dat ef I eber do anything contrary to
you well its 'case I lub de Lawd better'n I does
you. Sometime, you know, de Lawd mek it so
clear w'at's de right t'ing, dat none but a fool
w^ould dar' to refuse to do it. Dat's de way its
been wid me. Xow listen! Don' stop me tell
I gits clean t'rough. Wen Sonny come home
fum collidge "

Mr. Fabian gave a start, and said :

"Let that subject alone, Ben ; you've got
nothing to do with it."

"Nuttin' to do wid it ! Xuttin' to do wid it ?
Ain't you a Fabian? Ain't Sonny a Fabian?
An', please de Lawd, ain't I a Fabian? W'at
eber teches one Fabian hu'ts all! Xow, le' me
go on. Wen Sonny come home, you lay a
heaby ban' on de boy, an' you clean bruk

164: Ralph Fabiax's Mistakes

(broke) 'e's sperit. You sen' 'im off. De good
Book say, w'en my fader au' my mndder fur-
sake me, den de Lawd will take me up. Kow,
dat's des w'at de Lawd done, but 'E took me an'
Jane to do it fuh Him."

Mr. Fabian was too astonished and too curi-
ous to interrupt the old man by questions now.

"W'en 3'ou doubt Sonny's word, you des
break 'es lia-at, an' w'en dat boy tu'n 'e back on
you, 'e des make a bee line fuh — Daddy Ben
an' Mammy!"

The old man smiled at the thought, and
though he was panting from weakness, his voice
had a tone of triumph in it.

"Yes, suh, Marse Ralph, 'e come right yere,
an' 'e tell me an' Jane eberyt'ing, wid de tears
a-runnin' like a ribber. 'E as' me w'at to do,
w'ar to go, an' you t'ink I could tu'n any Fa-
bian 'way w'en 'e wus in trouble ? 'E made a
mistake, dat's true, but t'aint no mo' dan you
done you'self. Ben's a-goin' Home now, Marse
Ralph, let 'im tell you de plain trufe befo' 'e
goes. You cain't nebber bring you' boy to de
Lawd by dribin,' you got to go run ter meet
'im, an' fall on 'is neck an' kiss 'ira, sho' !"

By this time Mr. Fabian's face was buried in
his handkerchief — he was weeping.

"Marse Ralph, de good Lawd le' me an' Jane
sabe up fuh we buryin', an' bress 'is name, w'en
dat po' cas'-off boy come yere we had 'nough to
let 'im hab fifty dollars to sta-at on ; an' 'e took

Kalph Fabiax's ]\ri stakes 165

it, an' glad to take it. I tell 'im cf it wus nig-
ger niouey, it was clean. De eariiin's ob ha-ad
walk."

Mr. Fabian raised his head, his eyes still wet
with tears, and said :

"Has he ever paid that money back?"
"Long ago ! Long ago, bress de Lawd ! I^ot
becase I want de money, but becase I want 'im
to show dat 'e's got de Fabian honor, good as

you."

Mr. Fabian buried his face again in his
hands, his heart pierced by a sharp pang of
jealousy, because Ben and Jane had stood by
and believed in the son he had cast off !
A moment later he said :
"Do you know where ho is now ?"
"Xo, suh ; Missy ain't been yere lately — dat's
all de way I kin hear. I been a-griebiu' an'
griebin' — I'se ready to go ef de good Lawd call
me, but I want" — the old man sobbed — "I want
ter see Sonny an' you stan'in' togedder, right
yere. Marse Ealph, dat's w'at I'se askin' de
Lawd — caint you help me to git de answer ?"

The old man turned his fever-bright eyes to
Mr. Fabian, then he laid his hot hand on his
master's arm:

"De time is sho't, Marse nalph. We'll all be
on de udder side soon, an' you ain' sholy will-
in' to go wid you' po' prodigal somw'ar off yan-
der, feedin' on de husks ! Sen' fuh 'im ! Go

166 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

fub 'im, Marse Ivalph. You'll neber git no
peace o' min' tell yon do !"

^fv. Fabian knew it was so. Tbis conviction
bad been steadily growing for weeks. God per-
mitted old Ben to bring it to the point of action,
and be said, witb sobs in his voice:

"I will, Ben ! God helping rae, I will !"

He rose from his seat. Ben was evidently ex-
hausted, and he took the old negro's hand and
said :

"God bless you, Ben ! You were truer to my
poor child than I was; may God forgive me!
Is there anvthino; that I can get for vou ? Any-
thing I can do ?"

"Isiuttin', Marse Ealph — nuttin' but sen' fuh
Sonny !"

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 167

CHAPTER XVIII.

AT EVENTIDE LIGHT !

You have watched the progress of a day from
some moimtain height — a day of lowering
clouds, perhaps of heavy showers, but with rifts
in the clouds, and misty views of far-off sunlit
valleys, that filled you with hope of light and
glory at the sunsetting. Such a picture has
been given in these pages of Ralph Fabian's —
but at last we are to see the brightness and
beauty that is shed upon his life by the Sun of
Righteousness.

Ralph had quite a sharp attack of fever, and
it was fortunate that Tim Barlow could sup-
plement the doctor's visits by his tender, broth-
erly services, especially at night.

'"Fabian," the young missionary said, the
second day that Ralph had been in bed, "give
me the address of your father, and of your sis-
ter, please."

He spoke in a tone that indicated that, as a
matter of course, his request would be granted,
and Ralph, who was finding it very restful to
submit his own will to another's, complied at

168 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

once; but his face flushed and he asked:
''Am I so sick as to make you need them ?"
"Oh, no !" exclaimed Barlow, laughing cheer-
ily, '^why, I am just keeping you here because
the doctor says that you need rest more than
anything else. ISTo, dear fellow, I want to finish
up the work the Master has given me to do for
you. I want to tell your people of the hap-
penings of the last week, and to send them the
joyful news of your safety in Christ."

"Oh, don't, don't!" said Ralph, anxiously.
"How do you know that I will hold out? How
do you know that I am safe ?"

"I know that you are safe because Jesua
saved you. I know that you will hold out be-
cause the Spirit will help you. ISTow^, go to
sleep while I write my letter," he added, and
rose and moved away from the bed, and Ralph,
too tired to doubt, lay there, delighted to let
this strong, true friend that God had raised up
for him, managing him in every way.

"Give physic to the heart, ye who would re-
vive the body of a broken-spirited man," is a
tmth that Washington Irving has put into the
mouth of one of his characters — and it was cer-
tainly so in Ralph Fabian's case.

If he had been left to himself after Barlow
had rescued him, he would doubtless have suc-
cumbed to fever, but the cheery presence of tlie
young missionary, and especially his taking

Ealph Fabiaa''s Mistakes

169

upon him to 'WT-ite to Mr. Fabian, was the
physic that cured Ealph.

The letter was a model of Christian prudence.
It told simply the story of Kalph's rescue, of
his conversion, with only slight allusion to his
own part in all. Then, modestly but firmly, he
urged Mr. Fabian to be reconciled to his son.
"God has forgiven, I feel sure that you will
follow His leading."

To Mrs. Covington he wrote more at length,
told of Ralph's fever and suggested that if she
could come to her brother it would fit him to go
home — "which I verily believe he hopes to do
before long." He added, by way of a post-
script: "T wrote to your father this morning."
Xow, let us go back to Elmhurst. Mr. Fa-
bian was very much upset by his interview with
old Ben. It was as if the whole structure of his
profession of religion had collapsed, and well
for him that it had done so in time, for it had
not been built on the Rock of Love. The tender
relationship of God's fatherhood, involving lov-
ing service, had been overshadowed by the stern
obedience of the Mosaic dispensation.

The constraining love of Christ, as a motive
power, had been almost ignored, and all had
been intensified by the inherent reticence which
he had so assiduously cultivated, instead of up-
rooting it as a noxious weed unworthy to grow
in the garden of the Lord !

He saw now what years of suffering his con-

170 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

duct had entailed, not only on his wife and chil-
dren, but on himself, and on those who had a
right to look up to him in his capacity as an
officer of the church.

The first thing he did when he returned to
the house was to dispatch a note to the office,
telling that he would not return that afternoon ;
then he sat down by Mrs. Fabian and said, with
profound emotion:

"Marie, I've had a very remarkable inter-
view with Ben, and" — his voice shook and the
tears began to flow — "and he has shown me my
own heart as I never expected to see it. Marie,
did you know that when I drove Ralph away
by my cruel severity that he took refuge with
Ben for a night and day, and went away sup-
plied by them with fifty dollars until he could
get work ?"

Mrs. Fabian answered tremulously:

"ISTo; I only knew that they had sheltered
him, but not that they had loaned him money."

"]^ow that Ben believes he is dving his con-
stant cry it : *I want Sonny ! Send for Sonny,' "
continued Mr. Fabian. He told his wife much
that Ben had said. "And now," he added, I
have promised him, and I am going to write to
Ralph."

"Oh, Ralph, my husband, thank God for
this!" cried Mrs. Fabian, throwing her arms
around him ; "this is God's answer at last to my
many prayers!"

Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 171

"Why have you not spoken to me of this,
Marie?"

Mrs. Fabian bowed her head, hesitated a mo-
ment, then said, looking steadily into his eyes:

"Do you remember how you crushed all my
efforts to make you see your mistake ? Oh, my
husband, I have been afraid to speak; do you
wonder ?"

"May God forgive me, I have sinned ! [Ma-
rie, kneel with me, and let us ask that I may
have strength given me to be a truer husband
and father henceforth !"

They kneeled, and the prayer, broken as it
was by sobs, was none the less acceptable.

"Do you know where the boy is now?" he
asked gently, when they rose from their knees.

"Alicia wrote that he was in the mountains,
you know, but did not say where."

The next day, as a part of God's remarkable
providence concerning Ralph Fabian, came the
young missionary's letter, and that afternoon
a telegram from Reginald Covington which
read:

"Leave to-night for Milton, iST. C. Will bring
R. home with me."

It was not possible for Alicia to make the
trip to Comstock's, as Mr. Barlow had sug-
gested, but she made the children ready and
went over to Elmhurst, with a heart full of
joy and gratitude and ready to help kill the
fatted calf for the beloved prodigal.

172 Balph Fabian's Mistakes

Mr. Fabian's letter to Ralph was characteris-
tic in its brevity, but how much of long- pent
love and of conquered pride there was to be
read between the lines!

It was simply these words :
"My Dear Sou: —

"Come home to your repentant and loving
father. "Ralph Fabian."

Old Ben rallied when he heard the good news
and lived to realize his hope of seeing Mr. Fa-
bian and Ralph standing together by his bed.

By w^ay of answer to Mr. Barlow's letter, Mr.
Covington had sent the following letter to
Ralph, which caused the blood to throb healthily
in his veins again:
"My Dear Brother Ralph: —

"It's "ho for the mountains" with me now.
I leave to-morrow to bring our wanderer home ;
so, look out for me !

"Your brother,

"R. C."

Ralph was lying dressed on his bed when Tim
Barlow came in. There was a far-away mourn-
ful look in his eyes that perplexed his friend,
but only for a moment. He was shrewd at
guessing.

"Is there any one else that ought to know all
the good news about you, Fabian?"

There was a twinkle in his eye, and a sus-
picion of a smile playing about his mouth.

Ralph colored deeply, his breath came

Ealph Fabian's !M!istakes 173

quickly. He was so confused that Tim Barlow
leaned back in his chair and laughed so heartily
that Ralph joined him, though his heart had
been sore enough a little while before.

"Ah, I thought so; I thought so! Dr. Bar-
low diagnosed correctly. There's another wound
that is sore yet, eh? Bat," he added more so-
berlv, "vou know that it is the hand of love that
probes, dear Fabian. I saw there was some-
thing holding you back from entire peace."

There was something so tender and brotherly
in his manner, so much of refinement in his
tones, that, almost before he knew it, Ralph
was telling him about Elsie Moring.

"If she is what your loving hand paints her,
you owe it to her to write as soon as you are
strong enough to sit up. Ah, Fabian, nothing
ever shakes the faith of a woman in the man
she loves but his own hand," then he raised his
finger, and said playfully : "If you don't write,
I will!"

Ralph shook his head dubiously at first, but
so thoroughly was he under the spell of Timo-
thy Barlow^'s strong, healthy judgment, that he
decided to save him the trouble, and wrote to
Elsie Moring himself — and the letter was not
a short one, either !

A week later he had turned his back on Com-
stock's and its kind-hearted inmates, and though
he was going home, he left with regret.

Mr. Covington, who was quite charmed with

174 Ralph Fabian's Mistakes

the place, told 'Squire Comstock, when they
were saying good-bye :

"Don't be surprised if you see a whole house-
ful of us next summer!"

The parting between Ralph and the young
missionary took place without witnesses. The
bond between them was necessarily a sacred one

the bond between the saved and the saver !

Ralph had never had an intimate friend be-
fore, excepting his sister; and this, which was
to prove life-long, was a power for good to him
and for inexpressible comfort and cheer to the
young mountain missionary.

When they drew near to Elmhurst Ralph was
greatly excited, and very nervous, and Mr. Cov-
ington was really anxious for awhile. But joy
like this does not often kill, and when Mr. Fa-
bian opened his arms and clasped him to his
heart the poor wanderer gave himself up to
the rest of love.

''My boy, forgive me and love me, was ail
Mr. Fabian could say.

As for Mrs. Fabian, her joy was beyond
Avords; she could only press her child to the
mother-heart, kissing him again and again.

Alicia, the same loving sister she had always
been, was content to \)e in the background, but
we will forgive her if she found satisfaction in
the fact that she had always stood by Ralph.

Maum Jane came up as soon as she heard
that Ralph had come, and her expressions of de-

, Ralph Fabian's Mistakes 175

t

light were the source of great pleasure to Mr.
Coving-ton.

"I wish I had an old colored mammy to love
me!" he exclaimed as Maum Jane kept patting
Ralph's hand and muttering, ''Bress de Lawd !"
and he said it with such an envious emphasis
that everybody laughed and Mammy actually
told him she wished she had been his mammy !

The next thing to do was to go down to
Uncle Ben's, and as Mr. Fabian and Ralph
walked in together the old man raised up in
bed and, after he had welcomed both with tears
and smiles, he folded his hands and said:

''Now, Law^d, let d'y sarbent depa-at in
peace, for 'e's eyes seen de liben' answer to
jDrayer."

The old man was very weak still, but he lin-
gered a few weeks, and then went Home to re-
ceive the crown laid up for the faithful.

We will only add three items, all of which
we believe will interest those who have fol-
lowed the story of Ralph Fabian with any en-
joyment.

The first is, that Ralph was taken into the
firm a short time after his return home, so that
Mr. Fabian's old ambition was gratified. The
firm read : ''Fabian & Son."

The next is that Ralph received a long letter
from Baltimore, not a great while after his re-
turn, to which he saw fit to reply in person be-
fore Christmas and, as things looked after his

Kalph Fabian's Mistakes

return, we would infer that tliere will be an-
other daughter in the home some day.

The third item is that, as far as the Fabians
could hear. Burton Ciscoe dropped as entirely
out of their lives as if the sea had sAvallowed
him. Poor Kobert Langston died of typhoid
fever the year after Ealph returned, and if the
unfortunate mistake of his college days was
ever alluded to, he never knew it.

Over the mantel in Ralph's room hangs a
richly decorated card, bearing these words :

"And we know that all things work together
for good to them who love God."

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