True to Himself; Or, Roger Strong's Struggle for Place

I called out. "What are you do

ong," replied the only son of the

ars," I went on. "Your p

just you mind your own bu

y business," I

as much of a sneer as w

and that includes keeping an eye on these pear trees," and I appro

ped to the ground. "What right has a fellow like you to talk

o hand over what you've taken and leave the premises," I retort

ct me to pay any a

an. If you don't you

end to tell the wi

; unless you do as

know but what the widow said I c

the fact that Widow Canby had granted the permission, as that such a hi

to jump at conclusio

eg your pardon, Duncan. I'll

e house. Duncan hurried after

what do you mea

d out if you are

my word

sively, not caring to pick a quarrel, and

ehood? I've a good mind to give you

the only son of a widower who nearly idolized him, and, lacking a

onstant athletic exercise, and given, on this a

not afraid of any one. For eight years I had been shoved in li

, strange as it may seem, I am inclined to believe that it was for the best that her death occurred when it did. Th

Mack, wholesale provision merchants of Newville, a thriving city which was

ur family, besides my parents and myself, contained but one

s long illness, how everything should be done, our domestic affairs ran smoothly. All this time I attended the Darbyville school

and silent. What the cause was I could not guess, and it did not help matters to be told by Duncan Woodward, who

ll. Returning from school on

er has stolen money from Holland & Mack, a

ws completely bewildered me. I put on my cap, and together with Kate

e action of the grand jury. It was with difficulty that we obtai

amount being nearly twelve thousand dollars. The name of the firm had been forged, and the m

was declared to be his work, and, though it was said that he must have

y white, while as for me, my very heart seemed to stop beating. Kate fainted,

er. Next the house was sold over our heads, and we were turned out upon the

The only relation we had was an uncle,-Captain Enos Moss,-and he was on

he girls "turned up their noses" at Kate,-which

anted excuses were made to me-trivial excuses that meant but one thing-tha

ve starved but for a lucky incident that happe

e Widow Canby, absorbed in thought and quite unconscious of the danger that threatened her, was just passing this gate, when I darted forwar

e boy," she sai

spoke. But she laid a ki

e," she said, and she made me tell her all about mys

ards several acres in extent. She was well to do, but made no pretence to style. M

y to supper, and when I left it was under promis

ve with the widow-I to take care of the garden and the orchards, and my sister to help with t

as as considerate as one would wish, and had it not been

to us. I fully believed my father innocent, and I wondered if

improvement. I had finished my course at the village school in spite of the calumny that wa

was pointed out as the convict's son, and people reckoned that the "Widd

er or later, made me very angry. What right had people to look down on my sister

r that flooded the orchard. I had just come from the depot with the mail for Mrs. Canby, and down th

Duncan Woodward's actions, and when he spoke of giv

t that game, Du

y you can stand up against

outly. "I'm sure now that

iserable li

'm no thief,

on of one, and that

ny one, big or little, to call him a thief,

"My father knows all about t

t to," I replied quickly. "I know he was v

he young man furious, and I had hardly spoken before Duncan hit me a stin