The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-08-02
THE FORGED CHECK.


wealthy merchant engrOSsed in bus
ness, imagined that money would
anything, and so left his only daug
ter to tutors and gOVernesses, mast
and mistreSses.
When CleOra entered society, at II
age of eighteen-thus her father viii
ed--she became at once one of Il
queens of the circle in which 81
moved, and ran such course of C,
quetry, extravaganza and pleasure,
only a girl with her beauty, temper:
ment and bringing up was capable O
Her fathers attention was first a
tracted by her extravaganza. Mi!
CleOra's monthly allowance, thOug
too ridiculOusly large to be told here
was not nearly enough for her. EN
cry month bills were sent in for he
father to settle, and in spite of remOn
STRANGE, and even something sterneI
and though the one creature that thi
spoiled heiress stood in awe of was he
father, still those bills grew.
One month, Mr.. DuhameI threaten
ed tOwithdraw his eXtravagant daugh
| ter from society entirely. The next
he declared, in the most solemn man
ner, that the next time she Overral
her allowance, he would himself no
|
| people with whom she was most il
the habit of making bills, that the!
| they must not trust her, CleOra be
lieved him this time. No more bill
were presented her father for pay
ment.
One day Frank Reeve, a young
clerk in the employ of Mr.. DuhameI
astonished that gentleman by asking
his permission to marry his daughter
OF course he received q very abrupt
and peremptory 'NO," for his answer
and the merchant, not doubling tina
CleOra herself was answerable for the
presumption of which this young gen
tleman had been guilty, reached home
in a very irate frame of mind, and
summoning his daughter, reprOved
her sharply.
CIeora laughed at first, pouted af
forwards, and ended by crying.
Less than a week from that time
Cleora received another lecture, couch
ed in much briefer language, but elo-
quent beyond anything that young
lady had ever listened to before, judg-
ing from the impression it made.
"GOu ought to be proud of your work,
Miss declared Mr.. Duhamel angrily.
''Frank Reeves has got himself into
real trouble this time, and there's no
doubt in my mind that he would new
er have done SO Il crazy a thing if his
head hadn't been turned about you"
"What has poor Frank done nOw"'
asked Cleora, increduOusly, but look
ing little uneasy.
F'He has been forging the name of
Duhamel d Coz
Miss CleOra started, and turned red
and white all in Il breath.
"Papa, how do you know"
"He don't deny it; had the effront-
ery to present it at the bank himself,
evcll.o
Silence some moments. Miss Cleo
ra grew paler and paler, and twisted
her black curls with nervous white
fingers.
''Papa, what will you do with him""
she asked presently.
II? 1 do nothing. The law he has
outraged will give him period in
prison, probably. Serve him right,
too"
"DO you know where he IS now"
she asked trembIingly; but the mer-
chant, absorbed i'll his own reflections,
did not notice that.
"Tn Newgate, of course"
ooh, papav
Cleora Duhamel rose to her feet,
white and palpitating.
Mr.. DUhamel lifted his keen black
eyes to her face, scrUtiniHingly.
at would be easy to imagine that
SOu had some personal inter ist in this
Npung scamp" he said, cOIdly.
CleOra elapsed her hands and look
ell at him with trembling lips.
"NYeII:" exclaimed the merchant
angrily, rising also.
"Papa, what made you let him go
to Newgate%'
"Really: Why should 1 not pray?
Come, come, miss. 1t is a good thing
for you, see, that he is disposed Off
'Papa, Frank Reeves never forged
anybody's name i'll his life" and Gle
ora burst into tears for the second
time that evening.
"He don't deny it himself" repeat
ed Mr.. Duhamel with added indigna-
ton and amazement at his naughty
daughters espOusal OF the young
mans cause. ..
AS Cleora made her escape from the
room, he began to pace up and down,
muttering, "She's self-wilIed enough
to anything. Pm glad he's where he
is, though [ always liked the young
fellow. It's odd too that he wouldn't
defend himself. Neither denied nor
owned it. Some mystery there, but
it's not my business to so1ve it."
Frank Reeves was tried for forgery;
pleaded mot guilty." but refused to
give any account of the forged check
he had certainly presented at the bank
and received the money on. He was
sent to prison for five years. .e >
During the trial, woman, plainly
attired and closely veiled, was OBJ
served to be unremitting in her at
tendance upon the proceedings; and
the prisoner, it was noticed, seemed
to watch for the entrance of this per-
son, and to be uneasy until she came,
when his handsome face would flush
slightly, his dark eyes brighten with
pleasure, and he would resume his
usual air of mingled pride and deter
minatiOn.
When Frank Reeves bright young
head vanished behind the ignomini-
Gus prison walls, he carried next his
heart a little scented note, without ad-
dress or signature, but written i'll All
exceedingly delicate and feminine
hand, and having in one corner q
most dainty silver and blue mono
gram, &C. D." 1T said: 'iYou are a
hero. [ am a cowardly creature, un-
worthy of you. But the day you are "A
free man, if you do not deapise me too
utterly by that time, I will be your
wife. Every hour of your heroic ims
prisonment ] shall think of you. ]
love you already, and shall love you
more and more till we meetp
Three years from that time, Mr..
DuhameI died suddenly; and his
daughter, atill single and still beauti-
full. came into the possession of q large
fortune. In the course of the fourth
wear, she obtained by private and per-
SonaI appeal to the House. Secretary,
Frank Reeves pardon. a
The two met at last in Miss Duha-
meTs own magnificent drawing-rOom.
The beauty aud heiress had attired
herself for the occasion with an artis-
tic elaborateness she had never BE-
slowed on any party or reception tOi-
let. Her lovelineSs was beyond de-
scription; her eyes were flashing with
tears.
Frank Reeves came calnly into the
room, and stopped few PAGES off,
without offering to approach nearer
He was very pale, and his closely cut
hair altered him very much.I The
wears, the confinement, and the COM
panionship of brooding thoughts, had
craven upon his face sterner lines than
had marked that handsome counte-
,,,Dco i'm tbe finish of eager romantic