The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-02-24


there are greatly superior to what they
are here. | have read of many .instan-.
ces OF merchants amassine fortunes in a
single year. It's true, have little or no
capital, but as an Offset against that am
thoroughly posted in the iobbing and i'm
porting business That,surely, is worth
something to young man But really
cannot comprehend the object of Mr..
Barnwell. Had | been in the habit of
visiting Maria, might have regarded
that as his motive for disckarging me
but lnever have. have only met her
at her adnt's aud Mrs. Marshall is too
much of a lady to interfere in matters of
this kind. Besides in her presence,
AVE never treated Maria except with at
tentive poiiteness. such as would be ex
cusable inaar indifferent person Of good
breeding Our acquaintance begun when
she wasquise little girl--how time
Hes !-she is now almost seventeen.
How all my thoughts and aspirations
have tended to one object--Maria! yes
fer her I would contentedly toll in
the mines; would endure exposure
and privation without complaint;
wonla encounter dangers in every shape
in order to place myself in condition
to claim her as my bride Ay! would
risk q thousand lives, did l possess
them, for her sweet sake, and he amply
rec ,ppensed. But Mr. Barnwell knows
Iit not He dreams not of nv love; nor
tdDes he imagine that his only daughter
has given her heart 70 the very one he
lis now seeking to crush. But 1 will
make myself worthy of her 1--we if it
lays within the power 9of an honest
mans purpose TO do so. sf,s1
But hark! There is some one at the
door Perhaps it is Mrs. Marshall -
Possibly she brings letter; twill see /!
Throws opensshe door) All! Msria!
Heaven SOU! Come in, my sweet
girl, come II! you are not afraid of my
poor bachelor apartment, / hope p
sNo, no, Arthur, 1 am not afraid, but
/ am pained- acknowledgement be
|yond measure. But l will not believe
tit; 30, dearest,I will not believe it with
out an assurance of its truth from your
own honest lips" Iea a5'
"Maria. darling, your words bewilder
me whatever it is I declare to you i
am innocent y ~ ,afaq1a1.
"Thank Heaven thank Heaven, dear
Arthur, for that blissful assurancer ra1tl'
''Be calm, my angel, and tell ME all
everything! it there has been wicked
things said of me, and fear by your
agitated manner that there has, tell me
the whole truth, for I have done moth
ing-nothing in the wide world, nv dar
ling, that any honorable man need feel
ashamed of" a1iF e
81 believe you, Arthur-I believe ev.
cry word you say l look into your
honest eyes and see truth written there
The csarse they would bring aaains,
you is---erhhezzlement nsfsA
'tEmbezzlement ha! ha I might az
| we'll laugh as cry But who are my ac.
cusers2 who has dared associate md
name with such infamy p
The accusation, dear Arthur, has
not, and will not be made public. Ba,
my father, alas believes it, and Mr.
Frothinghast believes it You receive
all the money, don't you all the mon.
ey from the rest passes through your
hands iuto Frothinghast's, who, as ]
understand it, keeps the books and
makes general entry Of the cash re-
ceived from you each day as well as 8
strict aceounto of the Functional parts re
ceived by each salesman also, who rem.
der into him each night full account
OF their sales during the day. On post
ing his book for the last quarter my
father says that the actual money re
ceived through you falls short more
than Thousand dollars of the combin
ed fractional entries
II see it all, I see it all, dearest Ma
ria My own short-sighted carelessness
has ruined me- Had / compared my
own cash book each day with the casl
in hand | should have been safe Bu
now it is impossible for me to clear my
self or convict the real defaulter.
can only suspect who is the actual ro
que, even as am suspected"
"Of course, Arthur, there is the sam.
chance for Others t., be guilty as you
4 True, dearest, but that would no
canvince those Of my innocence VIII,
4 have already suspected me of the crime
They are like Juror who makes up hi
verdict before hearing the witnesses
"But II You would go to my fathe
and explain how it mi hit be !"
mo, darling, it would be worse thai
useless. You believe in me. You ar
1.-THE largest part of my world. Outsid
of you and your beautiful, loving trust
II could convince but few. But TAX
hope, dearest, for the truth vii. appea
sooner or later The roeue's star seem
in ascendant; but it viii only lead hin
into deeper depths-emboldened as b
is by his late successful he is fnall
caught at last in the meshes OF his ow
met IF your father does not see fit t
lorder my arrest the affair will hardl
gain publicity. | am so strong in m
convictions that the truth will yet tr
umph, that care but little for the sne
} cessful plot that has been workin
against me You have often heard m
speak of California I am now gain
there, sweet, to try my hand at fol
Itune +"
"Oh, Arthur! why need you go there
; shall never see you again"
! 81 would 90 to the frozen zone, m
angel, for purpose; but l would nc
always deny the snn--I would ccm
back ,agai, to bask in its cheerful rays.
1 'lBut when away on that far-off, 90
, |den shore, you will forget me. deares
Lured by some dark-eyed Spanish beal
ty, you will too easily forget that sue
, a loyal, loving little thing as me eve
r existed"
t mo, no, my dazzling, I shall wor
hard tho fhny1uh,c of yor will ha nv,