Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-04-01

When Clarence Cooke came to live in
Bayneville, she welcomed him as a brother,
none the less gladly as through him she Of
ten heard of Ashton. Mr.. Bayne, too, for
some reason of his own, welcomed him, and
gave him charge of his legal business
AT the time our story opened, Ashton
Cooke was on his way back to America,
but one steamer behind the man he bad
tracked like seuth hound all over Europe,
and whose course he had traced from COM
parativs ailluence down to poverty.
CHAPTER ~.
AN ARRIVAL AND A CONFESSION.
Of late Bayneville had new cause for as
tonishment not unmixcd with indignation.
| Though Clarence Cooke was as intimate as
ever with Nettie CASTOR, he had begun to
pay marked attention to Miss Temple and
she, "silly thing" as tho gossips said, was
foolish enough and weak enough to receive
them.
Miss Temple was voted with great una
nimity by one set of ladies in the community
to be utterly wanting in sclf-respect, and
they expressed their wonder that her father
did not interfere and demand of Mr.. Cooke
declaration of his intentions.
Nobody, by the way, had ever told them
that her father had not done this, although
1t is quite probable that he saw no reason
why he should startle the young man with SO
spersonal a query.
The old relations between Clarence Cooke
and Nettie CASTOR and the new relations be-
tween him and Maggie Temple were sub
jec.s of decided interest, and formed the
principal topics Of discussion in Bayneville
society, when the parties interested were not
present. But we will leave Bayneville to its
yiriuous indignation, and its perplexity, and
turn to matters of more interest to the sub
jecls Of all this speculation.
| One evening, early in the winter, there was
a great clattcr on Mr.. Bayne's brass knock
er and Mrs. Grumm growing at the late
ness of the call and at her rheumatism, an
swercd the summons.
She met at the door an old weather. beaten
and poorly clad man, who was stranger to
her. The visitor wished TO see Mr.. Bayne
alone.
Mrs. Grumm demurred, but the visitor in
sisted, and so with many misgivings she
ushercd him into the old gentlcmen's pres
ence, as he sat in small room which would
have been called his ''study" if people had
been in the habit of calling rooms by such
names in Bayncvlle.
| The stranger stood with bowed head and
trembling limbs apparently incapable of sta
ting his object in demanding an audience.
AS he stood thus for moment Mr.. Bayne
surveyed him with no sign of recognition.
At last he said, Il believe you wished to sec
me. What can do for yon?"
81 want to throw myself upon your mer-
cy," said the stranger, 81 have wrongei you
deeply"
"Wronscd me p said Mr.. Bayne. "rhen
you had better have held your tongue and
should never have found it out Nobody
ever wrongcd me but that thief Chapman"
81 am thai thief Chapman" said ths
stranger as hot flush shot across his face.
"You, Chapman ?" calculated Mr.. Bayne,
"why hardly believe you. Lets sec your
face"
AS ii man sorely wounded shrinks from the
knife of the surgeon even as he Willingly
submits to the operation, so did this broken
and disgraccd man bravcly hold up his face
to the keen inspection of his former employ
er.
Mr. Bayne slowly examined the glowing
features and said, "You must be the man
what brings you here?'
II camcto ask Il favor Of you, said Chap
man.
"a favor Of me-" exclaimed the now an
gry old mau. "a favor of me You hay,
, the impudencc of the Devil You ask q fay
or of me; you who have robbed me VIII,
. destroyed more of my confidence in my fel
r low men than any other could have done
t You're scoundrcl l say, sir, you're
scoundrell An impudent, beggarly scound
5 rel. You villain, you
But here Mr.. Baync's stock of vitupera
t tive epithets ran out and wipng the perspi
ration from his forehead he sank into his eas
t chair and looked unheard Of things Of hi
s former Cashier. Chapman looked utterl
0 crushed and big tears coursed down hi
G snrunken ,,allid checks as he leaned on
e chair for support, unable almost to stand yc
c not daring to sit.
After several minutes of painful silenc
q he feebly said 81 was scoundrel sir, thong
d l did not mean to be, but trust | am nc
a impudent.
h "Not impudent,-sit down, not impr
n dcnt,--sit down say,-If you are not in
h pudent what under heaven are you ?-s
l. down d---n you I'll knock you down-d
e you think want man to stand up till b
,s drops ?-If you are not impudent how ca
70 you have the impudence to ask favor {
g me ?-I won't grant il sir,-I won't grant !
? what do you want-But won't grant it
If tell you.--- Here the irate old gentlema
n stopped his disjointed sentence for momeI
a for want OF breath, and then proceeded som,
n what more calmly 'but stop, l think yo
f. have some claim on me after all ; your G!
m posure was all that saved me from givir
my niece to your villainous accompllce.
ID My accomplicc!' y interrupted Mr. Chal
W man, had no accomplioe, what do yc
ut mean p
le 81 mean Ashton Cooke, the young villa
er who assisted you in falslfying your accoun
s. so as to deceive cur firm as long as ys
st did" answered Mr., Bayne.
e. Mr. Chapman looked at his old employ
er moment in silence, apparently stupifle
re band then exclaimed "Ob God! have