Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-06-03
HIS ENEMY.

A LITTLE time ago READ the plot OF
Sardou's La Haine."
LA Haine" suggested to my memory
curious story of real life which l
heard not many years since. 1t was no
lurid theater story, but history of pas
sionate real life, Republic of the United
States, A. D. 1856. Would you care to
read the strangely-twisted story, l won
der? | take it for granted you would.
There was tremendous sensation in
the Thirty.tirst National Bank one morn
ing at nine o'clock. The sensation was
not a pleasant one 1t was of that sort
which makes one feel as though he were
suddenly stricken with chill. The un-
der clerks spoke in whispers, as do those
who are in the presence of dead body,
and the second assistant moved about
with the pale face and glittering eyes OF
one who is laboring under intense excite
ment. No one spoke to him, and the
lower clerks glanced askanCe at him I'M
der their eyebrows.
The cashier of the bank had been ar
rested the night before, for forgery, and
the second assistant was the one who
caused the arrest.
Unfortunately the cashier was guilty.
He was young man of eXtravagant life,
son of one of the leading stockholders
of the bank who had put him into the
bank to steady him down and make him
learn business habits. But the young
man was a rich mans spoiled son. Ac-
cording to the rule of the survival of the
fittest there was no place in the world
for him. Providence, however, who does
not invariably work according to Oar.
wnian rules, for reasons best known to
himself, left the youth alive till he half
| ruined his father, half broke his moth
er's heart and wholly committed for
| gerry on the Thirty-first National Bank
| The youths father, for the sake of the
mother, fought desperately to get him
Oft, to no purpose. The second assist.
ant, Birney Graham, pursued him with
an energy which seemed almost maligni
ty. The defaulter was convicted and
sentenced to proper punishment. Ii
served him right l don't apologize for
him. When a thief is caught stealing
he Ought to be punished, unless he is
starving and steals a loaf of bread.
The President of the bank had a daugh
ter Alice, agedstwenty, blonde, petite, as
pretty AS "a baby, and with the will and
naughty spirit of Lady Macbeth
That to cap the rest. She was as pretty
as baby, as say, but the Lady Mac
beth Will and spirit in her gave her deli
cate pink and white face look as I'M
like baby's as possible. Indeed, SO fal
from resembling baby, Alice Marlay
blonde and petite as she was, had much
the look of a graceful, high bred, high
spirited boy. This jaunty, boyish look
made her all the mere beautiful, all the
more admired. Oh, yes! Just so. Wher
pretty girl of eighteen looks boyish
that's al very fine; when a middleaged
woman looks mannish, that's something
very different.
But | wander from my strangely
twisted story. | do not wish to do that
This beautiful, proud, Alice Marlay
daughter Of the bank President, was be
trothed to the defaulting cashier. Or
the morning her betrothed was sent t
punishment gentleman called to Sc,
Alice Marlay. He was tall, slender
man, young, to be sure, but with a sharp
cold face, which wore faintly-sneerin!
eApT ssiOn, as though the man doubted
whether there was anything good, or true
gr kindly in this life. 1t was q painful
.o2R Tor young man 10 wear. He was
handsome man, too, only for the mocking
cynical look The man was Birnev Ora
N-'t' oStNhA ASSISTANT az lle IHIly -HTs
Nauonal Bank, the person who had pit
hessly pursued the srring cashier till h
vas convicted and sentenced. As Brine,
Graham sat there now, leaning hi
cAeek against his hand, gazing steadil,
out the window, he seemed man WI,
would have hunted his own brother t,
Neaih, so cold, so merciless he looked
surely this man had had bitter expe
renee OF no common sort. The family
sHeeTing expression deepened in his fac
As he heard light footstep approach
ing Was the GOODNESS of his face th
GOODNESS OF stone. OF a lava-bed, die,
u4i upon the surface, but smolderin
win volcanic fires beneath? There ar
we kInds Of cold faces. you know Ri,