Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-08-19
ave must still try and hope, dear Hugh"

I'VE must still try ana nope, GEAR Hugn,
she said, in a tremulous tone. Her words
sounded, to her own ears, like mockery, fol-
she herself had lost all hope.
II think I am the most wretched man liv'
ing" he answered, with groan, without look
ing up.
"This is agonizing to us all" she rejoined,
almost inaudibly. "Suspense is harder to
bear than anything else."
"And yet, in addition to this torturing sus-
pense, have another burden laid upon me, y
said Hugh, raising his pale, careworn face.
"Edna, it is hard for man to lose the bright
est hope of his life, and almost in the same
breath to lose what is almost as dear to him
his good name"
ellis good name? ?" she echoed in surprise.
"What Go you mean, Hugh?'
"Sit down here and I will tell you; though
perhaps you will think me selfish to be en-
crossing your attention with an account of
my private troubles, at such time as this. }"
"Tell me everything, Hugh. Ought not a
sister to share her brothers troubles ?" she
responded, gently.
"'Tis an old, raked up story, which has
been, by some means, recently brought to
light know not how" said Hugh; ga story
of folly on my part, mere headlong folly, by
malignant representation transformed into a
crime. Edna, you will believe the truth of
what I tell you-you will not doubt my word"
She doubt his word If ever faith, unques-
tioning faith, were written in woman's eyes,
it shone in her clear, confding glance as she
looked at him now. No lessening Of his re-
gard for her-no shortcoming in the payment
of the dues he owed her long.tried Affection
no harsh judgment of others, could shake the
tenderness that made his very faults seem
virtues to her-a tenderness so unsel6sh and
80 pure, that even his chosen bride could find
no cause for jealousy in its existence. Her
love for him was part of her life, and she
could not, if she would, have rooted it out
"You know" said Hugh, "that I was born
and raised in Wilmington. My father and
uncle were both residents of the place, and
after my parents death it still continued my
home My uncle was one of a banking firm
there, and was good deal about the bank
he was in, knowing most of the officers and
employees, and being on friendly terms with
them all. There was young fellow there
named Risley, who was very clever al copying
writing, and so was I. We sometimes used to
compare notes, and see which ofus was the
most skillful at it, and sometimes when his
copy and mine, and the original, were placed
side by side, we could not distinguish one
from the other without having first placed a
certain mark on each one. This was a
dangerous sort of pastime, but of course it
was only carried on in sport-1, at least, new
er dreamed of harm. At last, one unlucky
day, we were in the bank, in my uncles of:
flee. There were a number of untitled checks
lying around, and fellow named Hendricks
a chum of Rsley's, who happened to be with
US, said, taking one of them up, I'D like to
have old Hollands name to this, or your un-
cle's, Thornton, for five thousand dollars
wouldn't I cut the business here, and make a
pleasure tour around the world for the sake
of my health?
"'Oh! Thornton can oblige you,' said
Rsley. Only name the sum you want; make
it twenty-five thousand if you like
"'For that matter, you need not come to
me- said I, for Risley is quite as capable of
obliging you as l am.
"Hendricks looked at us in surprise, not
understanding the meaning of the GESTURE and
Risley, tossing one of the blanks to me, ex-
claimed, Here, Hugh, give him proof Of
your skill-don't let him doubt my word
"Why not give him proof of yours, in
stead? rejoined.
because my hand is too shaky to-day. I
was out late last night, and billiards and
champagne always tell on my nerves.
"sAll right said l here goes-what do
you want, Mr.. Hendricks? Make it good
round sum at once
"He named the sum-fve thousand dol
lars, he said, would answer his purpose; and
taking a signature of Mr.. Hollands, which I
happened to have about me, as a model, |
copied it exactly on the cheque, after filling
it in with the specified figures. Hendricks
compared the two, and declared that he could
not have told one from the other-he had
never seen an exacter copy. When l held
out my hand for the cheque, intending of
course to destroy it Immediately, he laughed
and put it in his pocket, declaring that he
was not going to be such fool as not to use
it now that he had it; l need not expect to
handle it again. AS he persisted in the joke,
I got rather angry, and finally little alarm
ed, for it was not pleasant thing to have
trifed with and finally, hearing his name
called from outside, he started up to 60, at
the same time pulling the cheque out of his
pocket and tossing it toward me. I snatched
it up, and was about to tear it, when Risley
asked me to let him look at it.
"'I'll swear, that's splendidly done, Hugh"
he exclaimed. "What capital forger you
would make
"'Have done with your jokes I rejoined,
and destroy the thing at once-it's an ugly
experiment, anyhow. l assure you I was
angry enough just now, when Hendricks pre-
tended he was going to keep it,
"All right-I'll destroy it in a minute. I
Just want to take look at the tail of your G.
| think it's triAe longer than old Holland
makes his he answered. Now, l trusted Ris-
ley, implicitly, and seeing the thing in his
hands felt as safe as if it we're in my own.
Nv uncle came in at that instant and the