Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-02-06

loved, Heaven grant that you care not
for me as | once hoped aud believed ]
| would fain that this sorrow should
fall upon me alone, who have deserved
it all. !"
He walked rapidly to the bank, and
entering Mr.. Morton's private Office,
found that gentleman seated at his
desk Pressing his hand over his fast
throbbing heart, Mark advanced, and
stood in silence until his employer
looked up.
why, Mark, you look i'll p he ex-
claimed. What is the matter? Sit
down, sit down -
Il am ILL.,, answered the young man,
slowly-''ill in mind. l have commit
ted great sin, and have come to you
to confess it.
And then, in brief, clear words, he
told it all-his first false step and its
consequences, his temptation and his
fall. -.,.o
Mr.. Morton listened in silence. He
was kind-hearted. upright man !; and
while his sense of hohor was shocked at
the story of Marks wrong-doing, his
heart recognized the inherent noble
ness in the young mans character
which led him to confess his crime.
He longed to speak to him words of
comfort. but nevertheless he deemed
it best that he should suffer yet while
longer, in order that the remembrance
of those dark hours of sorrow and
humiliation might never fade away
MARX" he said, Z" need not say
how shocked and grieved | am-you
know all that. You have sinned but
you have proved your repentance, for
you know as well as that in all prob
ability | should never have discovered
the absence of the money. For this
reason | shall retain you in your posi-
ton here. trust you still, you see.
But, Mark, tell me on your sacred
honor and conscience, do you think [
would do right to confide the happi-
ness of my child to one who has sinned
as you have? Are you worthy of her?''
He waited for an.answerand it came
in low, gasping tones:
mo, sir, | am all unworthy. You
would do wrong to give her TO me now.
| will not seek her-you may trust me
for that. Tell her. yes, tell what l
have done, and then she will cease to
love me, and not suffer as | shall.
Would | might die; but | must live
to work out my atonement.
"Be it so, Mark" answered Mr..
Morton, and then he went hastily out
from the Office that the young man
might not see the tears in his eyes.
But Mark could not have seen them
had he stayed, because of the scalding
drops which blinded his own sight.
Time passed on. Two months had
gone by, and Mark, wiser and no.
bier man, was steadily working out his
atonement Not once had he looked
upon her who had so nearly been his
bride, nor had her name once been
mentioned between him and her father.
The bank closed at three o'clock, its
officers aud clerks having generally
all departed at four; and then, from
this latter period until five o clock-the
hour of the night Waterman sarrival-
the building was entirely deserted.
Mark had had some extra work to do,
and not having completed it when his
friends left the bank. remained in MIR.
MOrton's Office for that purpose.
His pen ran steadily over the paper
before him, but suddenly he laid it
down and bent his head as if to listen.
His quick ear had caught the sound of
stealthy footsteps in the passage lead
ing to the Office where he sat A mo-
ment's attention convinced him that he
was not mistaken. The steps paused
at the door, and mans voice exclaim-
ed:
Come. hurry along, Bill; this jobs
got to be done quick. The watch
man'll be here before long, and we'll
find ourselves in a pretty muss if we're
not off first There's a door in this
here office leading to the vaults, and
I've got keys that II open all ahead of
US. These here skeleton are precious
nice things"
! Quick as lightning Mark compre-
hendcd it all. These men had con-
cealed themselves in the bank to await
the departure Of its officers, and now
were prepared to break into the vaults.
Grasping the high stool on which he
ordinarily sat, Mark glided across the
room and stationed himself on one side
of the Office door. Scarcely had be
done so when it was opened, and the
foremost burglar entered, to receive i
heavy blow from the stool, which sent
him Keeling back into the passage way.
His astonished comrades looked
cautiouslyin through the open door.
"Hurrah Well soon finish him.
Come on, down with him ~
Five men rushed into the apartment,
but Mark had been too quick for them.
With a sudden bound he crossed the
room, and placed his back against the
iron door opening into the passage to
the vaults below.
Fast and furious were the blows
aimed at him, but his long legged stool
proved an admirable weapon of de-
Tense, not alone repelling the attacks
ul his ASSISTANTS. but in laying one of
them insensible on the floor.
Hang it, we ii have to use powder
after all, and risk the noise, exclaim-
ed one Ofthc robbers; and as he spoke,
he presented a pistol at Mark and
fired.
The stool dropped with crash from
the later's powerless hands, and he fell
heavily to the floor, the blood flowing
from a wound in his side. The rob-
bers pushed him aside. and he saw one
Of their number draw a bunch of skel-
ton keys from his pocket and fit one to
the door. Then all grew dim before
him, and he knew no more until he
opened his eyes to find himself in a
darkened room.
Where am II" he asked, and the
sound of his voice startled him, so
weak and low was it.
No answer was made him, but a
slight, graceful figure started up from
his side and sped from the room. A
moment later Mr. Morton entered aud
stood at ths bedside. Mark repeated
his question:
You are in my house, my dear boy, 3"
was the reyly You have been very
i'll for weeks, and must not attempt to
talk, though you are better now
Hush, not word.
The young man was too weak to op-
pose the mandate, so he closed his eyes
and soon sank into peaceful SUM
Der.
A few days subsequently, when
Mark was stronger, Mr.. Morton told
him how the Waterman, entering the
bank in company with friend, had
been startled by a postol shot. and
Fastening in The direction of the
sound, had discovered the robbers in
the act of opening the iron door which
Mark had so ably defended. The men
| had fled. all save one who lay ON the