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

latter, whose gay heart had scarcel
given it a thought until she met vii
me, now began to hope that it ha
been forgotten, or at least abandone
\ by tacit consent. But causes whic
II will briefly allude to soon brougl
it to remembrance.
/ 'For several months both the hou.
es of Marshall and Milton, in com
mon with the major part Of the CON
tmerciai community, had been dippip
largely into extravagant speculation
and had been losers to an alarmin,
extent, though neither knew of tn
Others loss, and both retained thei
reputation for wealth. Under these
circumstances, each looked to the con
summation of this contract of marriage
as the most available means of avoid
ing bankruptcy; and accordingly
Louis pressed bis suit urgently, ant
Marshall aided him with all his pow.
ers Of. persuasion. / was poor, and
Marshall was a-in short it would
have been worse than useless for me
to have spoken then. d,
tAnd so the time had gone for
ward into the summer, and one after
noon accidentally brought Mary and
myself together in one of the city
bookstores. While there. chatting
over the books, l purchased one o.
them and gave it to her, paying for ii
with bank note of some large de.
nomination.
sAnd now let me hasten over
portion Of my life which can give you
little pleasure in the hearing, and is
certainly bitter in memory.
The next morning ! was arrested,
charged With having uttered counter.
felt money. l need not tell you
that l 6as astouuded. / knew not
which way to turn or what to say.
There was the bill ! had passed the
day before, with the word Counter
felt written across the face by Louis
Milton, who in entire ignorance of
tho. fast that I bad passed it, had
thrown it out when presented for de-
post: ! could not deny having CIV
en- it, and even if it could have been
Of any avail, l was unable to say
whether it was counterfeit or not.
Some old enemy of my father
prompted the proprietor of the book
store to vindictive prosecution Of
the charge, and bitterly was he re-
venged, for my conviction, which
followed close upon my arrest, killed
my poor mother
The old mans voice trembIed,
and pausiDg he nervously knocked
the ashes from his pipe. I turned
away my face, and in the sight Of
the stars only, l brushed away the
tears that would come in spite Of
me.
We'll, the trial come on. I did all
/ could, but l could NOT deny that |
adgiven the note. 1t seemed that
there could be DO doubt of, its spu.
rIousness, and the prosecution was
pressed with singular vindictiveness.
I was convicted and sentenced to
imprisonment in the State Prison.
To be an innocent man in the sight
of God, shut out from all / held
dear in life; deprived Of that great
birth-right OF humanity, liberty; my
name rendered infamous, ! thought,
forever; is it any wonder that / some
times prayed for death to terminate
my suffering? Her utter hopeless
ness Of agony, under that terrible
trial. no human toogue can tell.
The old mans tones grew tremu-
Ilous again, and Mrs. Elmore, as !
had done, turned her face towards
the slow marching stars"
Meanwhile the great world outside
my prison house moved on unheed-
ing. Pecuniary pressure gradually
frightened around both Marshall and
Milton, until each felt that tee last
hope lay in the union between Louis
and Mary. How fallacious was that
Hope the sequel soon showed. Mr.
Marshall had long since ceased en-
fdeavoring to persuade his daugbtei
to this STEP. and had tried com.
mands. Both means failed entirely,
and be DOW resorted to entreaty.-
he faithfully represented to Der the
condition Of bis affairs, and urged
her to save hiu from ruin and dis.
tgrace BY marrying the son u Of the
rich banker. ;