aoiaiis 
 
 i S ^- 
 
 f s I 1 1 
 
 Miss.§.©'?f.DicK8ou 
 
Wi^t library 
 
 of ti)e 
 
 ^inibersiitp of iSortljCar olina 
 
 Collection of i^ortf) Caroliniana 
 
 C8I3 
 T>SSr 
 
 Cop 3 
 
This BOOK may be kept out TWO WEEKS 
 ONLY, and is subject to a fine of FIVE 
 CENTS a day thereafter. It was taken out 
 on the day indicated below: 
 
 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, 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." 
 
 THE END. 
 
BOOKS YOU MUST READ 
 SOONER OR LATER 
 
 •, f 
 
 Why /fot Order Jfoto ? 
 Evelyn 
 
 iA_Story of the West and the Far" East; 
 
 By Mrs. Ansel Oppejubeim. 
 
 4 Illus. $1.50. 
 
 Limited edition in leather, $2.00. 
 
 J!&r »r«M lut tpokcB of tkU book «ilb aoqulUed Veto* a( pmlM^ 
 
 The.Lsaitlof the CavMier^ 
 
 ByNfj. Floyd. 
 
 ^9 "Drawings and Author's Photo^ 
 
 $1.50, 
 
 /"N© wiser or more brilliant pen has told the story of 
 the Gvil War than CapL Floyd's ; no work more thrilling 
 '$imply as a romance has recently been within th« reach 
 of bocJt-kivers." 
 
BOOKS YOV NVST READ 
 SOONER OR LATER 
 
 Told M Twilight 
 
 By Eva Bbowne. 
 
 .A.deligfatful collection of stories and poemi^ 
 
 '^Author's photo.) 
 
 Job Trotter 
 
 By Sylvesteb Fieuh) 
 50c. 
 
 A ufiique work, proving that the "earthly paradise" 
 of die colored race is Africa. This book is decidedly 
 <tie best work that has yet appeared on the subject.' 
 
 TKe Siiv of Ignorance 
 
 By Henrietta Siegeu. 
 $1.00. 
 
 An exceedingly clever story, by a New York girl, who 
 ipictures with a fearless hand the domesticmisery result- 
 ing from drink and dissipation.. ^ 
 
 (4 special drauinjj^K.) 
 
 pa 
 
BOOKS YOU MVST READ 
 SOONER OR LATER 
 
 Reuben: His Book 
 
 By Morton H. Pemberton. 
 
 Cloth, Gilt lettering, i2mo. Postpaid, $i.oa 
 Portrait in Colors. 
 
 One of the funniest, cleverest, uniquest volumes 
 of the day, it has won spontaneous and unani- 
 mous approval from reviewers the country over. 
 
 Just hear what a few of them say: 
 
 Champ Clark. — "I haven't laughed so much 
 since I first read Mark Twain's 'Roughing It.' " 
 
 Globe-Democrat. — "This little book has the 
 merit of brevity, variety and humor. It is safe 
 to say that the book will have manj' readers and 
 that it will afford much amusement." 
 
 St. Louis Republic. — "The book is already 
 heading the list of 'best sellers,' and deserves to 
 go. It is GOOD. It is the sort of thing which 
 might move the provincial journalist to say, 
 'Reub, here's our hand.' " 
 
 M Scarlet Ilepentance 
 
 By Archie Bell. 
 Cloth, i2mo. Price, $i.oo. 
 
 One Review: "The history of one night and 
 one day's flaming passion between a beauti- 
 ful Italian woman and a handsome youth — 
 strangers — who meet upon a Pullman car. 
 There comes into the story all the elementary 
 passions, hatred, jealousy, desire and — sorrow. 
 
 "It is a story that will appeal to those who 
 prefer novels in which red blood is throbbing 
 madly. It is not for prudes, nor for parsons, 
 nor poseurs. It's a book for men and women 
 who have lived." — The Club-Fellow, 
 
 Broadway Publishing: Gimpany, 
 
 835 Bioadway, New York. 
 
BOOKS YOV MUST READ 
 SOONER OR LATER 
 
 The^Instniment Tuned 
 
 Bv Rosa B. Hitiu 
 Attractive Binding, 75 cents.' 
 Limited EUJition in White and Gold, $IX)Q, 
 (Author's photo.) 
 
 < An able and interesting work on a comparatively new 
 subject — Psycho-physical culture — of whose methods the 
 author has made successful application. The book is full 
 of common-sense suggestions and is admirably adapted 
 to the needs of humanity in general. 
 
 The chapter-captions will give an excellent idea of the, 
 comprehensive and practical character of the work:. 
 
 Various Therapeutic AgentSi, 
 
 Influence of Mind. 
 
 Extravagant Emotion^; 
 
 Insomnia. 
 
 Relaxation. 
 
 Harmony the LaW of Natin^ 
 
 ■\ 
 
 L 
 
 Order f iottf 
 
 • — — ~— — — — — ^— ^=^ 
 
 All pf the books named io this inagaaaoe to be had 
 trom any newsdealer, or 
 
 .V>«J«ff<. .* 
 
A