The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-08-17

was also the subject Of conversation
! between Miss Crane and the house.
keeper.
"I should as soon think OF being
suspected myself,D said the former,
exeItedly.
{ "You can never TELL" responded
the house-keeper, dryly.
"It amt likely, of course. Hush ~
81 know everything" murmured
Miss Palmer, with parched lips, the
gravity OF the situation dawning on
her in the housekeeper's tame de-
/ tense.
She felt the shock Of this detection
in every fibre of her organization
with wonder and alarm, all the
more keenly because she had Hursed
the housekeeper through illness the
previous winter Now the spare pale
woman looked at her askance, doubt
fuI of her integrity. Miss Crane has
tened to reassure her with kindness
and delicacy. Malice must ever peis-
on the anonymous arrow she reason
ed, and the author OF the writing
should be severely punished. POssi-
bly, the matter would have been ad-
justed h6d not Miss Palmer been
/ DlONEu LtlC VI Tux llUu9o-
keepers face, which, despite the own
er's effort 10 render It utterly blank,
suggested a sour distrust in humanity.
On so slight 3 thing as the ieeting
reflection of 8 mean soul did the
whole fnADre Os tina young teacher de-
pend. ~---~v~.-
"To exonerate me before the school,
the case must be investigated, how
ever absurd the charge might have
seemed an hour ago. 1 have only
been absent from the house on your
errEnds for weeks, and you saw me
depart and return. Oblige me by
searching my possessions, in my own
defense, and bring Mrs. TompkIns as
q witness" She spoke with dignity
and q Dc GisiOn that admitted OF no
denial, although Mrs. TOmpkIns
protested while yielding. In pathetic
silence she opened every receptacle
containing her slender wardrobe.
''That is all. Some silly game"
observed Miss Crane, with sigh OF
relief.
"Not at all,n replied Miss Palmer.
"My trunk remains"
She took her key from the chain
and raised the lid. Lo there lay the
black lace shawl, and a quantity Of
other articles missing for many weeks
previous
Helen p6led, shrank, and covering
her eyes with her hands, burst into
bysteTical sObs.
81 am a thief % she cried, with the
energy OF despair. "I eau never re-
cover from this-neVer."
The hOusekeeper erept away, aud
simultaneously with her retreat the
widest fables fi0ated about 0lesnder
Seminary, and spread TO the village
beyond. Miss Palmer was 3 thief;
she had been discovered actually
wearing Miss Cranes elOthes-im-
provements on the original story not
to be marvelled at among children,
when rumOr embellishes truth to
such alarming extent among their
elders in all circles of society. The
principal felt her own presence Of
mind desert her in the emergency
she was dumb when the trunk dis
closed its treasures. Nobody knew
what tEanspiFed In the small Oham-
ber during the ensuing three hours.
Helen Palmer thought in the crisis
OF agony that God had forgotten heT.
In vain Miss Crane ATTEMPTED to
soOthe and encourage her, until a.
puzzled sense OF failure yielded to
vague alarm. Why did this quiet
girl Tsil at fate and call herself q
thief? Wounded pride aud outraged
justice might, indeed, bring distress
and tears, while these demonstrations
OF grief bordered on frenzy. Would
discovery, remOrse for guilt, or innO-
cence wrongfully accused produce
this emotion The elder woman did
not understand that the whole struc.
ture of noble endurance had. given
away at last; that the sensitive in
strument cOnfided to her own harsh
ly exacting hand was strung TO the
intense tension productive OF discOrd.
The final stroke OF the anonymous
stab completed a work long before
begun. Helen rocked herselklike an
old woman, wept distractedly, went
mad, and felt that God had fOrsaken
her. Restoration to reason was sharp
and complete. Miss Crane laid her
hand on her shUuidOr.
stAEs- Has. II you have really been
tempted to sin, am still your frIeud,
remember.
The sobs died away, the tears froze
at their source. a strange sense of dss-
olatiOn chilled the c0nvulsed form,
stilling every feverIsh, bounding
pulse, and she rose to her feet. In
she went to the window. The
rain was descending steadily, dreary
blank of mist yelled the mountains,
the shrubbery was disheveled by the
rude wind. When she spoke her
voice had regained its usual quiet
tone.
rI should like TO see the minister, il
I am not prisoner"
GLOW can you be so foolish, my
dear? Well, / will take You to him,
il you wish it,"
The slender fingers OF the right
hand went up to the white throat as
il to control rising emotion.
81 would rather go alone. Tell him
first"
Andrew Forbes, collegian, made
himself, later, the bearer of q note
rom his uncle to Miss Crane. An
drew waited meekly in the hail, lis
tening to the jsngle OF diseordant
pianos, and wishing pretty Amy
would appear, some direful mishap |
having checked an exchange of letters |
and nose-gays which had been pre- |
viously carried on between the young |
lady and. himself through an imprO- |
vised postoffice in the hollow OF the |
apple tree. A voice whispered /:
Twelve O'Clock tomorrow night, |
In the buffers pantry" The injured |
eyes Of the collegian danced with fun /;
he saw the fiutter of q vanishing robe |
above, and a knot of blue ribbons fell !
at his feet. Amy wore blue ribbons. |
He placed the knot in his breast |
pocket.
: In the study the poor young teacher |
had passed from absshed humility to
tremulOus confidence, gathered from
the minister's eloquent II silent SYM
pathy, and had told him simply the
story Of her sad life. There were bl ue
shadows beneath the lustrOus eyes, |
delicate veins were traced in the
white temples, and mournful curves
about the quivering lips as the pure
soul revealed itself TO the quiet
listener. .---..--s, Z ----rr
The rain had ceased softly and i'm
perceptibly beyond the stretch of
gray sky the shrouded sunset laid q
bar of gold on the horizon Both had
Il6cu b1c lululoJcT- LUX Lt5 NISlJOE'6 .
hand and kissed it respectfully.
''DO you believe in me ?" she whis-
pered, searching the grave face visit
fully. She could not resist the i'm
pulse; 1t was so natural, after all tile
pain, to turn to this strong, good man
for support = :.
rid sfs115rruu II -Ras-ssJ an unbee-
essRry one. Forgive me, 70 take an
advantage of it. ask you,
Helen Palmer, to beIieye In me and
be my WIFE,"
"No, nO,D she said, hurrIedIy
back. Gwen your noble
confidence can not clear me Of this
petty stain, and 1t is too much like
compassion" iEG , 0tli
"Then show me compassion, dear
one" retorted the minister, gently
turning her face to the light, while
the smile on his lips was half belisd
by the moisture in his eyes. "Do you
see my palm branch overhead ? From
this day it will possess new sIgnifi-
canee for me, as reminding me of
celestial hosts who bear these palms
with the victory; these through great
affiiction came,' and l see the refiee-
ton OF their triumph shadoved forth
here on earth by q slender girl, en-
dowed with the patience Of . heroic