The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-01-07

She gaZeo up INTO my Iace Win sucn
look as I hope may never see again.
Don't ask me any questions
Charles" she said, but go at once t,
the store. Mr.. Evered wants you i'm
mediately."
I could not ask a question: coult
not speak. Without breakfast-with
out waiting to see LUCY started from
the house. People whom I met gazet
at me sharply, and once heard th,
word thief pronounced. Oh, Everet
had told the story of my crime. How
could he /? No, no, twas the tailor WHIT
had told it, for my employer would new
er have told it. Yet it was known. ]
stopped, and suddenly the tho't of fighi
occurred to me. Why had I not tho'i
of it before? Why should I stay lon
ger where shame, and shame only, could
be mine? I turned to fee; and ther
my sister came rushing after me, will
her hair floating in tae morning air, and
her face as pale as death.
"Oh, Charles, she cried, /" come will
me at once. Come, come, our mother il
dying
Ny sister seized my hand, and by
force dragged me away. I reached my
home, 1 know not how, for reason had
almost left me. Into the little bed
room Lucy dragged me, and there lay
my mother stark and cold.
ooh, Charles, you have killed herp
sobbed Lucy, as she threw herself upon
the bed. "She could not stand your
disgrace !"
One moment I gazed upon that pale.
cold face, and then wild unearthly cry
broke from my lips. I plunged madly
forward upon the bed.
" Charles Charles "
Istarted up. felt heavy hand up
on my shoulder, and again my name was
called.
"What is the matter? Come, rouse
up. For mercy sake what ails you ?"
It was Evered who spoke. I was
still sitting on the stool behind the coun-
ter, but my head had fallen forward up
on pile of goods that lay heaped up be.
fore me. Instinctively I cast my eyes
upon the money drawer, and slowly the
truth worried itself into my mind. a
cold, clamnny sweat was upon my brow,
q pain in my limbs, and 1 trembled like
an aspen.
"What ails you, Charles? ?" Mr.. Ev-
cred kindly asked.
"My soul, such dream" I invol-
UNFAIRLY gasped,
We'll, well-if it's nothing worse
than that I am glad. But come, I want
to have few words of conversation with
you before you go. "
I was fully aroused now. looked at
the money drawer though, many times
before could realize that was safe
The tempter had come, but an angel
had met, and beaten him away. The
doors and shutters were closed, and then
my employer sat down by my side.
"Well, Charles" he commenced,
" Julia has been telling me this after
noon that you wholly support your
mother"
+" Yes, sir" I tremblingly answered,
my sister, thus far, has been able to
support herself, and the rest comes on
me-"
:" But how do you get along? Sure
ly your salary here is not sufficient. !"
"It has been sufficient, sir, to find us
in food and fuel. For--for clothing I
have"
"Run in debt, eh ?"
Yes, sir; but I will go ragged, il
need be, but I will. not run in debt
again"
"Right, right, my boy. But we will
fix that all right now. 1 have been
thinking of increasing your pay, and l
will do SO now-not only SO, but will put
it back to when I first thought of it,
and that was three months ago. Let's
see. Three dollars week for thirteen
weeks would be thirty-nine dollars"
he said. "Will that square you-up-'' y
oh, yes, and more too ~
Then you shall have that and here
after you shall have that amout over
each quarter"
He said something more about max
ing me his head clerk sometime, but I
did not fully understand him. receiv-
ed the money, paid the tailor, and when
1 reached my homo, I had become calm
and happy. Il told my mother and Lu-
cy of my good fortune, and they wept
for joy.
Yet 1 could not help shuddering fear
fully whenever I thought of that terrible
vision which came upon me while the
tempter was within me. But-let me
say it again-twas an angels visit.
Years have passed away since that
Sime-Mr. Evered is an old NANNY
are his grand children, and the
store that was his is now half mine. He
has retired, and the other half of his
extensive building belong to Lucy's
husband. My mother still lives, and
thank God, can yet bless her son that be
has never yet called one drop of sorrow