eins, he called his children to him. They went with
something like trepidation in their hearts; but one look into the white
face on the pillow told them that this was not the same man whom they
had known and feared all their lives. It may have been the restored
confidence in his friend, it may have been that the fever had burned out
the austerity and selfishness of his heart and brought the real fatherly
tenderness to the surface. He mutely held out a thin hand to each, and
they awkwardly gave him theirs, not knowing what to say and sitting in
silent embarrassment on either side of the bed, waiting for him to
speak. At last he laid Tabitha's hand on the counterpane, and fumbling
beneath his pillow, drew forth a bright gold piece, which he held out to
her, smiling sadly at the surprise in her face.

"What is this?" she found voice to ask.

"Long ago I punished you severely--too severely--and you called me a
beast. I think that was the first time I ever recognized how thoroughly
beastly I was. I--I wasn't man enough to tell you so, nor to admit how
sorry I was for my severity; so after you were asleep, I put this in
your hand, thinking it might--make up for my harshness. I suppose it
dropped to the floor during the night and rolled into that wide crack in
the corner where the bed used to stand. I saw the glint of it this
morning when a sunbeam chanced to fall upon it, and it brought back the
memory of that other day. Tabitha, I am sorry. Is it too late to forgive
me now?"

Tom surreptitiously drew his free hand across his eyes; and Tabitha,
almost too surprised for reply, squeezed her father's arm in a gentle
caress, as she whispered chokingly, "I forgave that long ago. It did
seem too great a punishment then, but it taught me a lesson I have never
forgotten."

"Poor little daughter! What a selfish brute I have been! And I might
have made you so happy!"

"Don't, Dad!" she pleaded. "I--I--you have made me happy now! The rest
doesn't count!"

He smiled tenderly into the soft black eyes, as he drew her closer to
him and said wistfully, "I wish the rest didn't count, children; but the
fact still remains that I have not done right by my boy and girl. I am
sorry, and when I get up from this bed, I mean to be a better man.

"Decker has come back, we are going into partnership again and work
those claims for all there is in them. Tom shall finish college and
Tabitha shall go back to boarding school or wherever she likes.