The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-01-14

NNHAA - . NAIA MAN hNAAh ANNA NAN hhN
Forgery's an ugly thing; but still l believe
It to be one'of those crimes y man may COM
NIT in q moment of sudden temptation, and
repent Of ever after. L always thought the
Poptons hard in prosecuting the case, No,
| a see why poor Dicky bird shouldn't
have a chance ofdying honest. He's get
ting on in life now"
"Well," said Fred "you can do as YOU
please, but 1 couldn't have anything tosay
to Wickham ifIwere to meet him n hundred
times"
I pushed away my soup; It was as much
as 1 could do not TO groan aloud.
1t was impossible to stay there any long
er. What evil chance had led me. on that
special day, into that psstrycook's2
l went mp TO the counter, paid for what
l had had, and went back to my sketch.
But not to draw. 1 knew ali power had
left me. My head seemed to be going
round and round, as I made the best of my
way back to Doughty-street.
OF course / remembered the forgery on
Poptons', but even now I could not dis
tinctly recall the ame OF those who had
been tried and convicted for having com
mitted it. / knew there had been three or
four concerned. Once or twice, asI walk
ed home, / told myself IL was impossible
that the lover Of my child was n returned
convict. tried to look ct the case AZ the
Shanghae man had looked ut &C.: but his
friend words had more weight I felt that
the other notion was overstraiued and qui.
Kotic.
had some hope that Molly might have
gone out to take n walk; but when / OPEN
ed the door, there she stood in the middle
Of the painting room, before the open
sketch book.
For q momentIf rlt choked; but the sight
Of her sweet, innocent beauty hardened me
yet more against Wickham.
Il will not give him o creature like that
to drag down TO disgrace" I said firmly.
Molly came mp to me timidly, md held
up her face 20 be kissed,
IL seemed to me as il / could not tell her
what 1 had heard, but she left memo power
Of silence.
"Father, she grew crimson while she
spoke -"Mr. Wickham has been here, and
he says he Is coming again this evening to
exploin matters TO YOU -"
Poor, dear Molly saw in her covering
figure and whitening face how angry ! was.
[ don't know what / had said; my words
had burst from me like n tempest.
Bat she only ran away for n moment;
then, like n true woman, she rallied 10 de-
iend her lover.
Father, you may not like Mr.. Wickham.
but you have no right to call him ascoun-
drel."
'Silencer' Isaid.
holy andI stood Just by tho easel where
1 had stood last night. She did not cry;
anger, flashed out OF her beautiful eyes
anger, and a sort OF wondering contempt
for my blind prejudice.
Ifelt that / must tell her the truth al
once; but I did not look at her while /
told Il.
And how do you know It is the sane
person. her voice rang ont IT, triumphant
scorn; chow do you know those men were
speaking the truth? Father, l cantbeljoye
il is YOU telling me all this. Why did you
not turn round on the men and dare them
TO prove what they were chattering about?'
She turned AWAY im%petuously, and walked
up and down the room as fast as she could.
Presently she came back 10 me-. her breath
coming in quick short pants between her
words.
'Aud If it is true, do you thin I shall
leave of. loving bin? What! when be is
trying to do what is right aud just, shall
desert him? Ishall only clingto him more
c~losely-only strive to show him that ut
least n heart believes him true nn6 hon.
orable; but / don't believe this story
confess that her passion frightened me.
l had seen her self-willCd, but not often
she had been such q gentle, yielding girl.
How ever was ] 20 convince her Of the truth
Of my story.
1t seemed to me, that fits truth werJ
once made irresistible, n pure, innoceu.
creature like Molly must shrek from Ia,
contamination OF such q marriage. / wa
determined she should give up Mr.. II r
Wickham; but l wanted her 10 do this vii
lingly.
"If Wickham confesses to this when I go,
him tonight, will you be convinced them
1 said Rravely.
"Not unless ho tells me 30 himseli;" an,
she went ont Of the room, as il she wer,
afraid TO trust her own s%elEcontrol.
Mr.. Wickham anne. l told him my story
At first he hesitated; but when he saw tina
l remembered him, he confessed the who'll
, matter.
He pleaded very strongly my judg
3 ment; be said he did not believe any on
but the man / had heard called Tom woulu
9 have recognized him; he, It seems, had bee
I clerk 10 Mr.. Atwood at the time ofthef or
gerry. Wickham explained his prospects /
D me, and offered TO make a settlement o
. Molly; but I could not yield, The ma.
spoke fair enough; but there was q furtiv
expressioni in his eyes that strengthened m
dislike.
|. called Molly down stairs; he turned pnl
when she fixed her clear, cau6id ewes Of
bis; but At my request he confirmed tn
tale / had told her.
Sbo shiyered slightly, and then she pm
= her hand IN his.
"Bear witness, father, that 1 love hir
8 better than ever, and that ! will not MARI
any n else."
e He took her in his arms and kissed he
before l eouldinterfere. An instant befol
e l had felt sorry for him, but this sight sti
red my anger.
o 'Alolly, go up stairs" ! said, as quiet
! as could. AZ soon rs she was gone,
d turned to Wickham.
d you had no right to toush my child.
, had just told you that l will never give hC
TO you, / feel sorry for your position; br
| do not consider that q man who was stri
ing earnestly to regain au honest nau
"a would have acted rs you must have ncte
q IN your acquaintance with my daughter.
> Now understand distinctly, You must n
come here; yOu must not write 20 Mol
a nor must you attompt TO meet her. II yC
do any Of these things, l tell you, frankl
that | shall not feel bopnd TO keep yor
II )gecret.'
He looked at me for a moment, a Ike,
Y glance from under his light ey0lashes tn
n seemed to be probing my nature.
II will trust You, Mr. Morton" he sal
g land you may rely on me. Good evening
q PART III.
t. Molly fell ill-so pale and weak that y
heart ached for the sorrow that l knew Il
20 was suffering. l sent for orr doctor; l.
70 he only advised change of air. Mrs. JAG
rs son wrote, aud asked her down TO Bat