Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-12-05
llHdtss TOO Late.
BIZ A. L. OTIS.

"My dear Ada, have you posted that
letter :" my aunt asked me.
s.No, not yet. I will by-and-bye.
I don't feel like going now. The for
eign mail does not close until seven"
sIt looks like thunderstorm, and
then you can't CO."
This was all my aunt said, and left
the room.
Ny cousin Randolph sat at his wri.
ting.desk by the parlor window, and
heard our words.
No one on earth ever has been, or
ever can be, so dear to me as my cousin.
He was an invalid, and was suffering
from some great grief, the nature Of
which did not know. My yearning
tenderness and pity, given blindly, he
put away from him. He said he dared
not accept it.
This was the first day Of his escape
from sick. room, his first appearance
at the family circle at tea-time and
now, Just in the sunset, l was so happy
in his presence, that l could not bear
TO leave him, even to post letter to
my darling sailor brother. When my
aunt left the room, we were alone.
"Come here, Ada, love-" he said to
me, and I flew to his side, delighted.
$50 at once with that letter, and
when YOU come back, | will tell you
what changed me from a happy, strong
man, to the guilty, grief broken wretch
you have always known me. Goodbye,
and hasten, Ada, dearest.
"Grass did not grow under my feet. :"
In half an hour I had returned and was
sitting by his side on the bamboo set
tee, looking from our porch over the
garden, to where the heavy purple
clouds were still sailing in their golden
glory. Randolph held my hand in his,
and my heart, in intense listening.
ssYou know that l was junior part
ner in the firm Of Smooch & Swansea.
One of our clerks, Vincent Underhill,
had fallen under suspicion Of embez-
cling large sums from the firm, and
was on trial. All the evidence proved
him guilty, and his conviction was GER
tain. No one doubted that when his
case was concluded, he would be SEN
fenced to the States prison. Underhill
had been o favorite companion, indeed
friend of mine-and | was one eve
ming expressing my grief at his crimi-
nal conduct, and horror at his punish.
mcnt, within hearing Of some Of the
porters. l observed that one Of them,
who had been protege Of Underhill
listened intently, and turned very pale
''That ght, after had been asleep
in my boarding house for some hours
l was awakened by knock at my door
and was informed that man must see
me Immediately. 1 had him sent up,
'sIt was Karl Weiss, the porter tt
whom Underhill had been so kind. He
came, in an agony of repentance, tc
tell me that he knew the real culprit
that Vincent was innocent, but that he
had been bribed, and threatened into
swearing false testimony against him.
which he had done at the trial. He
told me that the guilty man was now al
Albany. He was clerk who had vol
lntarily left our employment several
months before.
81 thought my plain course was to
Keep all quiet until I had secured the
proofs Of guilt which Karl told me
where to find. was so afraid that my
man would get information of Karl's
repentance and make his escape, that I
got up, dressed myself, talked the mat
ter over with my partners, who secured
Karl, and set off by the early morning
train for New York. It was before the
days Of telegraphs.
81 arrived in time, secured certain
papers, had the man arrested, and then
sped homeward again. All this was
promptly done, Ada. But my energy
Ragged, and I have been paying the
heavy penalty ever since.
II was tired, and worn out for want
Of sleep, which I had not enjoyed for
three nights. While in New York,
awaiting the cars, I took hearty sup
per and cigar. When the time came
for me to 60, l was deliciously resting
in an easy chair, and had but half fin
ished my cigar and my newspaper. l
fingered ten minutes longer-ten fatal
minutes!
"Oh, Ada, never defer duty for a
moment. There is but one right time
given US to do it in, and to occupy an
other time, is defrauding some other
duty Of it's hour. It is irreparable mis-
chief done, and may bring upon you,
dear, some grief like this Of mine!
81 knew I should have to use great
haste to reach the depot before the
train left, so I promised the driver ex-
ira pay if he would get me there in
time. You see, was anxious not to
miss this train, as it was the last that
day, and I wanted to be in court before
the jury brought in their verdict, that
that dreadful word Guilty might not
strike into my friends quivering and
innocent heart. l knew Underhill to
be person Of great sensibility, and l
knew, too, that he was engaged to be
married. The verdict Guilty would
be an almost insuferable pang to two
persons.
'sAda, I know by the pain it costs
me to make this confession to you, in
whose eyes I most desire to be good
and blameless, what poor Vincent must