The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-07-20

ssOf course You KNOW" she said pres
entity, s'that Mr.. Blacklock has paid the
money out of his own pocket %
eyes. [ know it, - / answered.
"And you can't expect that he viii
bear the loss quietly. He has given you
an opportunity to save yourself, and
shown you more forbearance than some
others might in his place -
"Much more than you would, I've no
doubt, ma'a1n 1t takes woman to be
hard of fellow creature" I said. saw
agely.
Her face flushed as if I had struck her,
and she gave me look that made me
feel like dirt under her feet.
s'Does offering a gratuitous insult help
to redeem your self-respect p she asked
gently. eff it does, [ can excuse YOU
more readily, perhaps, than you would
excuse yourself, by and by
The look and the words and the tone,
were so different from what I'd expected
for ali answer that was upset completely.
The stubborn, reckless spirit in me broke
down somehow, and kind of light seem
ed to shine in. I can't put it into story
book words, you know, but l seemed to
feel all at once that she understood me,
and that she would help me if had the
sense to let her. Somehow or other,
contrived to stammer out an apology.
and to beg her to listen to me.
eff you'd only let me tell you how
happened to get that check, and to use
it," I entreated her. ''Mr. Blackjack
wouldn't hear a word-but you'll under
stand, 1 know you will, if you'll only
listen to me-
Well, she said she would and she did.
I began at the beginning, and it was
such a relief to speak out plain, after all
the shutting and concealing I'd been
through with, that I let my tongue run
on as if it would never stop. She stood
it like an angel, and I might as well say
here that she looked like an angel, too
one of the sort that rejoice in heaven,
you know, when a sinner repents. Her
eyes shone soft and sweet when told
her about Molly, and somehow or other
[ found myself taking out Molly's pic
ture and showing it to her. She looked
at it and smiled-the sunshiny kind Of
smile that makes ones heart warm-and
she said
s'It's sweet little face-honest, and
sensible, and brave. If I were the man
that loved her I would have no secrets
from face like that
"Wouldn't you" I said, ''not even if
it was such a thing as this I'm telling
you ?"
''Not even such thing as this. She
doesn't look like girl that would quar-
rel with her lover for fault confessed.
She would love you more for trusting
her, and have a stronger motive for
bringing all her good influence to bear
on you"
''I'l tell her this very night before I
Sleep" I cried out. ''Mr. Blackjack can't
have me arrested till Monday morning,
anyhow, and I'll make clean breast of
it to Molly before then"
cit is the best thing you can do she
said. Gas for Mr.. Blackjack, I may as
well tell you frankly that he directed NE
to accept no compromise in this matter
if you were not ready to pay the money,
he said he should certainly have you ar
rested, as you say.
81 expected that" I answered for
lornly.
'sBut / shall take it upon myself for
once she said, "to go contrary to his
directions, or rather to act independent
~ of them. You have but forty dollars,
you say well, I viii lend you thirty
five." And she took out her purse and
counted seven five dollar bills, then
pushed them toward the forty that she
hadn't touched.
''Now you have the amount required
for MIR. Blackjack. I viii give you a
receipt for it, and trust to your honor to
repay what I lend you as soon as you are
able
She began to write the receipt direct
ly, and put it into my hands before I
could blunder out a word of thanks.
She didn't do things in halves, you see,
God bless her. I didn't either. I was
ready to cry before, and you can say
what you please about it, but I amt
ashamed to own that I blEbbered right
out there and she, though she was
such a fine lady-and was only poor
devil of clerk that she had Just saved
from State Prison, she came rouud to
where 1 sat, shaking all over, and patted
my big shoulder with her little white
hands as if she had been my mother.
''There," she said there, there"
soft and gentle as you'd soothe child
Not bit of preaching to grind the thing
into me. Just womanly kindness and
sympathy, and that sort of noble conf
dence that would have put heart into
stone, and make man out of Digger
Injun didn't brag on Jack Stebbins
NOT anything to signify-but if he
could have gone back on trust like
that, he wouldn't have been worth saw
ing from Sing Sing, or any other place
not polite to mention.
At any rate, he wouldn't be spinning
this long yarn about himself here to-
night. It's pretty nearly wound up,
that's one comfort. I got home some
time or other, or rather to Molly's hcme,