, 1875-05-16

der6elIag and soncltAl1on. 10 Gon@a -
tronch upon it until his operations threatened 70
nine the very fonndatons OF the old ana tn
spectea house, and when Mary, who had quletly
suffered tho agouT which his tndinereneo a''o s
hesdlonR haate imposed, protested enas oe1
father was profoundly alarmed about hts nnsn- e..
cial standing, ehe discovered that Bob's tntns
had SO far outrun bis love and left the latter SO
far in tho rear thar it seemed impossiblo1s anoo1o
"a Howssd ward faii.d ui aftef tho tide OF tho var had
ebbed, and tho rattlinS windows Of bis ale stor-
iuc factories addcu another. wreck to tho long
ron Of beachoa Now England fortunes.
Bob, With choking lump IN his throat, Sonent
Nary in uer distress, and implored her, with an
anbsrrassinc mixture Of shame and tenderness,
to marry him. .Her sorrow for her father, VINO
was half crazed st his calamity, and her conVlc-
ton that the Frapkllns wc1c in . degree 1eapon.
slble for it. proved barrier which no appeal OF
Dob's could pierce.
:" Do you not know said aho p" That il nero
spi1itless enough to become your wife for the
snke OF being supported hY you, my father
would prefer to starYe rather than share my
degradation? He is near enough Ito to h,s grave re
- Frapthn covered his faco with his hands, aud
ths heat in bis eyes blinded him like tho dust OF
xirocco. He was at that snptem moment
helpless and aazed by tho sps,nat fury o. storm,
fcc:ly conscious - In hia vainglory, he bad
thought thAt il John Howard did go down, his
prostration would be the bridge ever mhich
Mary would pass to his protection, and she
for Bob had reason to fear that the
proud old man would never come any
other way He had not, indeed. con-
spired for HowGrd's overthrow; he had not
calmly planned the general theft oi bis Western
line, nor was be capable Of the malice which
such doslgn would require Hs bad simply
driven, and coazed, and urged, and wheadled
his own and his fathers interests in every direc-
tion, needless OF tho men or the obstacles In tho
Way, and suddenly discovered the silence and
ruins OF tho Howard factory ~ deoris IN Ills
course. Worse than ali, ths death Of John How
ard would probably end tho tragedy. and what
IL found cour.ee 20 plead for her father. He
begged her to make the rest Of his mo com
for1able-tbat he would Y1eld to her Uishes, III
the sake ct giving her home:
"And il he wers to yleld," said Nay, "for
any such reason, mad accept disgrace in your
house that IT'S roof might shelter me. I
would deny him and refuse you! I vou1d have
tho frozen ptrcam Of tears burst their bounds
and poured down her cheeks,-''I would haro
married vou when my father in hin prosperous
Or de would have forbid me. kow,"-and she
made pretoase Of ripinE every trace Of tears
away,-:'I will not though he should com-
naAnd !"
Bob begged that no might buy. 1t hi1 own
torms. the house in rhich thoy were living, and
all its contonts, and give Mary le1ss OF it at
| rate which would enable her father to relet It
End live in 4 suitable house On tAa pToceeas' ono
| shook her head.
Tho front door onened- Howard tottered into
the room, and easped = blasphemy 1t the sight
| Of Bob.
Hn bowed low to tho old msn, and wished IN
| his soul that. Howard wonh atr1ko him seuse-
less. ;. +,
Howard, trembling NTH impotant rasa, sank
upon = sofa 10 the arms OF bis daughter.
Mary gayo Bob an unequivoc11 a'gnal; he a.
| .uted her NTH an abrupt extension OF h1s baud,
! which was not taken, and left tho house, ike
eopdomnea murderer, anxious to dis, but not yet
| eeutenced to be hung.
| Everything passed to strangers. Mary, by
| the assistance OF Now England Congressman
| whose atst,ou has been 50 near tha Presidency
that it is thonght he wilt stop in it-obtained 4
position IN tho United States Treasury Depart
| neut, aud republican government permitted
| her to do mans work for half = ulSn's pay.
| Her father and ehe occupied d1ngy lodgings in
rod brick boarding-houss street, and ons night
John Howard died, after fow hours sickness,
| OF diph.heria- Mary bad Ius ronaina taken to
| their old homo and buried in tho grave OF her
mother. Desola.e, but intrepid, shs returned to
hor desk in tho department, and counted the old
woman associates became gradually attached to
her quiet aud kind dignity, and she was genulns
| but reserved in her friendships with thcm-
| The Franklins, father sod aon, NeEe growing
richer. They bad asepcias in =, New loEk; y; !;
1ha strikes came, and old man Franklin died
tho daath Of th. saraua and iuss month befora
long lockout occurred, which ended in 1870
| With the 1ncendiatJ burning Of the factories.
Bob was burt by falling enginc-shaft, and,
during tho fe7er which followed the injury, his
affairs vero wound up BY tho Register III Bank-
ruptcy. The poor fellow had reached the dizzy
height Of success only to tumble to the
dept. OF failure and wake up, alore
| ;., syith c11v A1n1ph
to compel him to seek speedl!y some
discreet investment. Ho tried half dozen
things,- -hfe-insurance, teaching, and manutac-
turing Of drugB, among them,-bnt no had Meth
Justify hls retention. His money had been pns
| into tho drug concern and he Was unable to get
it all out little Is the amount THs-a couple Of
| thousand dollars
time, aided By letters from = well-known Ohio
politician, obtained the position Of GauseE
in St.. Louis. He MAS handsome, OF
| pleasing adareas, aud manly. bearing; his
sh0ne and through as sf.Ss
that he should not remain long in his depressed
condition. Tho department was satisfied, and
ANXIOUS to promote him, supposinS that
stranger IN ST. Louis would be less tempted to
dishonesty or negligence, and would not be &C
liable to fall into coiusion with the dstile1s and
rect1tiers. One day in 1874. port1y man, Whose
Christian name suggested hin German nation
allty, had long conversation with Franklin
during which the face and manner OF the latte1
suffered strange graduation. Antonishment,
anger, disgust; then foroearance; finally, At
teution.
One day, later in tho Same year, package o1
mutilated currency Has laid on Mary Franklin. :.
dcak to be counted. riece Of writing, Nhlct
had evidently slipped from between two of the
fractional PARCELS, attracted her notice, and she
picked it up, involuutarily. There was no faint
ing fit. no Failor, no hos ruah ct blood to bel