The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-07-13

aud of l went to the bank to get my
money for it.
It was al done SO quickly hadn't
had time TO think what was about,
It wasn't till / was on nv way home,
I with the greenbacks in my pocket,
: that the cold sbivers began 10 run
over me with the recollection that ]
!. had committed felony.
"How did / come TO do it ?'i ]
asked myself; aud / vow l couldn't
4 answer the question any more than
you can. / was an honest man q
= the best Of my knowledge and belief
= never stole the worth Of q crnt before
nor felt tempted TO in any way, man.
ner or shape. Yet there I was with
seventy-flve dollars in my pocket
B that belonged to George MeriwetheT
and I'd not only eriUbed the money
bat committed q forgery, and did il
Z all with q cheek thst was more sur
= prising than anything else /; because
a Pm not 8 cheeky fellow by ANY
:. means. Ask Molly and she'll tell
you so. 5...
II was all a puzzle, and was SO
twisted up in it that ! never thought
of doing the sensible thing, which
would have been, Of course, to hunt
up George Meriwether and give him
back his own. On the contrary, the
money began to feel warm and CON-
Portable in my pocket; and, passing
by that jewelers. window, there lay
my amethyst ring, looking prettier
than ever. A gray-headed old chap,
with slip OF q girl on his arm, stood
looking In at the window as
stopped. He was teazing her, with a
sCrt Of twinkle in his eye, about
som ething she was admiring.
"It's too old for yOu," he was say
Ing.
"And she answered back, quite
eagerly:
80 no, 1t isn't. ! like amethysts
better than anything except opals-
and you know they are too expen-
sive."
swell, wait till Christmas, and
we'll see what happens" the old gen.
tleman said, and they passed on.
But had heard enough to frighten
me. Was 1t my ring missy was af-
ter ? I'd see TO that on the spot.
So l walked into the store and told
the fellow behind the showcase that
I'D like to look at that case of finger
rings in the window.
ANY one in particular ?" says ne,
for he saw l meant business.
"Well, yes there's an amethyst 1
rather like" says ], as cool As il it
was everyday work.
He brought ont tile box and took
up the ring, turned II round about,
looked at the stone against the light,
tried it on my little finger, and at
last pulled out my roll of greenbacks
and tossed three tens on the counter.
'I'lI take that" / said, 'but 1
want it marked first. How sooH can
you do it ?"
''Hsve it ready for you tomorrow
morning." he answered.
"All right, IN call for it as I 90
down town.
So 1 wrote the inscription M. NJ.
(which meant My Molly, "Christmas
Eve, 18-." The clerk brought me my
change, and walked off with only
fifty left of George MeriWether's
money.
Something seemed To whisper TO
me as l left the store "Do you know
you could go to Stale Prison for this,
Jack Stebbins ?p ft ~.
And answered, just as If it had
been a real voice "That's all stuff,
you know. Who's going 70 prove /
did it Like as not George Meriweth-
er won't find out there was a check |
for him /; he amt hard up like me, |
coufound him II ne does, and makes
row about il, where's the harm |
He can't tell who got the check and |
nobody else can, unless Blackjack |
spots me. I'll keep out of his way |
easy enough. And, by and by, when |
Pm paid up myself, Pll make it all |
right with George. It's only borrow |
ing anyhow. There no stealing |
about it, and amt going to be-"
Before 1 got home l made myself |
believe there was no harm done. |
George Meriwether was an only son |
and lived with his father, WHO was |
comfortably well on. He had no I
board bills TO pay and could afford to |
let his salary lie over. The fact that |
he wasn't on hand to take his warrant |
showed how little he cared for it. |
Most likely he would never hear Of { |
ftili was ready to fix the matter !;
and even if he did, and the worst |
came to the worst, all they could |
prove would be that somebody had |
taken Merlwether's warrant and |
signed his name and fObbed the cas- b.
Meriwether eouli prove that he |
hadn't signed IL, but who was going /
to swear to the man that did, in the |
rush and crowd around the paymas-
ter's counter that day? Clearly, no |
one had suspected me then and no
one was likely to now.
settled 1t all to suit myself and
got rid Of the money as quiskly as
possible gave my lan1lady some-
thing on Sceount, and paiG my shoe
maker and NasherWomRn up to date.
Then bought some candy and tin
trumpets and things for MOlly's little
brothers, and a doll for little Tilly
Sloeum (lRndlady's infant and some
neck ribbons for the two chambe
maids after which / treated Jack
Stebbins TO lavender tie and q pair
of yellow kids, and bought two tick
cts, with reserved seats, for Walkers.
I hadn't taken Molly to the theater
for three months and was bound to
do it once more II l died for it.
By the time got through, that roll
of greenbAcks had shrunk pretty
small but kept enough to buy a
box OF bonbons. for Molly, and leave
something over for little supper at
Bigot's after the play. sent the
bex to her with q pink note asking If
I might have the honor of calling for
her the next night (which was Christ
mas Eve) to go to the theater with
me. She sent back dear little An
swer that "the box was lovely, anu I
was very kind, and she would be de-
lighted to go."
When read 1t, 1 forgot all about
George Meriwether and the stolen
check for could think of nothing
but Molly and the happiness that was
in store for tomorrow. 1 made O
picture to myself of her pretty face
covered with blushes when told her
how loved her, and put the ring on
her finger to prove it, and I couldn't
help laughing out loud as / fancied
her saying what L knew she would
say t
80 Jack how could you be SO ex-
traVagant.h
It was q fools paradise, 1 suppose,
but 1t was mighty sweet for the time,
If / did have to get out oft afterward
with a vengeance. Everything hap
pened Just as / wanted il. Molly was
dressed in her prettIest, waiting for
me, when got to her fathers house.
The old folks were in the parlor, very
chippy and good-natured the young
ones were footing their tin horns and
yelling "Merry Christmas" at me.
There was moonlight, 1 remember,
and the walk down to Wallack's-for
Molly lived uptown and we didn't
ride, no such geese was enough to
make fellow spOony, il he hadn't
been set that way to begin with.
Tell you all about il ? Not if know
myself. There are something's IN
this world that are not meant to be
common property, even when a man
is up for confession.
I'Il say as much as this, though,
that / didn't waste my opportunities.
When we took our seats in the theater
the ring was on Molly's finger, and
her eyes were shining with a light
that made me the happiest man on
earth. II we didn't either of US re-
member much about the play, it's no
great wonder. We enjoyed it i'm
mensely, anyhow.
The next day was Christmas, and q
holiday, OF course. went up to take
Molly to church, and was invited to
come baeK to dinner. That was my
ohopoo 70 aafflo In NTH the old falHo