Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1859-01-13

t Startled at the prospect of h
fathers impending penury, SO yiyi
g ly set before her; utterly desola
at heart;r feeling keenly that all b,
hopes of happines were wrecked el
tireiv and forever, she finally yielde,
a martyr as she thought, to her fatf
|er's good; aud they we're married
Alas! how vain the sacrifice! With
in a week after their marriage mt
/ tual explanations disclosed the truth
and both houses failed the same day
Tgehty-lour hours thereafter foun
Marshall dead. Poison, self:admin
istered, was suspected, but the trutl
is not known to this day. Loui
Milton, giving way under the mag
nitude ofthe temptation to dishones
ty, gathered together all he conld oi
the scattered remains Of both for.
tunes, regardless Of his father, or
of his creditors, and departed sud
denly, none knew whittier, carrying
with him bis humbled and sorrowing
wife. -.
.The commercial world was startled
for moment by the extent Of the
failures, but in few brief weeks the
thing Was almost forgotten, save by
those who suffered immediate loss.
'All these things ] learned long
afterward. 1t would profit nothing
to detail to you the wearying and
humiliating routine Of my prison life.
Let me pass to the close.
4 had been shut out from The
world nearly two years, and one
evening was sitting on my low bed
in my weary cell, dreamily wander
ing among the gardens of memory
Sorrowful enough is this, even to
him to whom time has brought no
disgrace. Who, while he looks into
the irrevocable long ago. dozes be-
side bis 6re-side, surrounded by those
who love him, and those he loves?
Who shall say. bow many grim forms
of unrepented error look out from
its shadow upon even. the happiest
man. How much less, then, shall
any tongue tell bow bitterer than
gallit was to look into the past, to
me, who. while yet young, had seen
my name stained with foulest dis
honor, all my aspirations in a mo-
ment crushed, aud my dearest hopes,
even in their broadest noon, blotted
into instant night.
'And SO | was sitting in the grow.
ing gloom Of that autumn evening,
mentally living over again the days
that were gone, when the door OPEN
ed, and the turnkey accompanied by
TWO or three gentlemen. entered the
cell. One Of the gentlemen ] recog.
nized as having been the prosecuting
attorney upon the trial; the other |
/ did not know.
= This is. the man, Mr.. Crampton,'
said the turnkey. | arose and bowed
stiffly.
My dear Elmore,' said the attor-
ney frankly extending bis hand, let
me congratulate you upon your re-
storation to lie, liberty, and the pur-
suit of happiness, as the ancients
have it. You are free from this mo-
ment TO wander Whithersoever you
may choose. Come, let US get out
into the air; it makes me feel languid
here p.
4 was completely bewildered, and
suffered myself to be led without a
werd. Before could collect myself
to ask the reason of this unexpected
proceeding, | found myseIf once more
under Gods blessed stars, accompa-
MED by, or rather being, dragged by,
the good natured old lawyer. And
what was the reason? you ask. Sim
ply this. The note for The uttering
Of which / had been imprisoned, was
the issue of a country bank, and since
my trial had remained in the hands
Of Mr.. Champion, the attorney. A
short time previous to my release,
Mr.. Wilson, not the gentleman who
accompanied MI. Champion to prison,
and President Of the bank whence the
note was issued, being in Boston in
Champions Office when some casual
remark recalled to the memory of the
latter The circumstances attending rly
conviction, from mere curiosity. He,
to, Crampton's astonishment, pfonoun.
ced it genuine.
'And 50 I had been guilty Of no
crime either il. thought or deed
But where vas the redress? What
redress could there be for a mother
murdered and a man dishonofed?