The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-08-14

animation her face had held. and CAV,
her instead thoughtful look, and 4
quiet, subdued manner that told YOU she
had thoughts of her own to busy her
She seemed to be waiting. l 40 not
think she realized it exactly, but for al
that there was a vague sense of expec
fancy in her hear. Time would work
other changes in years to come Who
knew what they would be
One day a swift change came. Her
father was stricken down in a moment,
and the physician said he would never
rally from the sudden blow. 1t meant
death.
He may linger for days, and he may
| die In any hour" they told her
And she watched and waited, and
hoped against hope One night he woke
up from troubled sleep, and called to
her. She was at his side instantly.
" hat Is 1t that / can do for you -
she asked
"Sit down" he said, 81 want to make
confession to you before | die. want
you to write it down, and when | am
dead, you must promise me to give it to
the world. Do you promise me that you
will do this ?"
Eyes, l will promise, she answered,
wondering if his mind was wandering or
not.
Basil Sherwnqd did not stool IL.
money" he said slowly.
81 knew it !" she cried with lily re
pressed excitement. "He could not have
become thief"
q stole it !" John Eversleigh said,
huskily. "Iisten | had been engaged
in heavy speculations, and they had been
losing ones. | must have money or be
come beggar knew that the robbery
would be discovered before his vessel sail
ed, and did not know how | could OBJ
tain the money, and throw the suspicion
upon him in such way that it would
seem well founded. But that night he
got telegram from a man in Boston,
who was connected with the firm for
which he was to work in India, ordering
him to that city Immediately, saying that
he could sail from there the next day.
The message was imperative, and must
be obeyed, and no time could be lost
By some means the message was sent to
him in my care, and so | found out
about the change of plan. | sent it to
him, and no one but us knew that he
left for Boston that night. This afforded
me a chance to work on. / stole the
money, and everybody suspected Sher-
wood at once. 1t was found that he did
not sail on the vessel he had said he i'll
tended to, and it was taken for granted
he had gone in some other direction. !
hushed the matter up, or rather part of
the money had stolen did, and nothing
was done to trace him. | have kept my
secret all these years, but L cannot die
with it on my soul. He is in India, but
he knows nothing Of the stain upon his
name. When am dead you must write
to him and tell him all, and say that l
begged for his forgiveness, but you will
let the world, who deemed him the guilty
person, know that he was innocent and
that was the thief! You may think it
hard thing to do of your father, who
is dead, but | wish it done. | shall feel
an awful load lifted from my soul. Il is
the only compensation | can make. You
promise, Alice
Yes, | promise" she answered sol
EMMY.
Two days after that John Everseigh
! died, and Alice was alone in the world
She did exactly as her father had
made her promise to. She wrote to Basil
Sher r1Hd, and then she published the
confession of the dying man. 1t seemed
hard thing to do of the dead, she said !;
but he had wished it, and she felt that
his wishes ought to be respected and
she felt, too, that it was no more than
right that it should be done. Justice to
Basil Sherwood demanded that.
She was sitting alone one day, think
ing of many things. Of what she was
thinking most she could not have told.
But Basil Sherwood was interviewer with
her revere. In the years gone by she
had never ceased to think of him as the
only man she had ever loved, or ever
could love. He was the one man in the
world to her.
There was a ring at the door. She
heard step in the hall, and some one
entered the room. She supposed it was
a servant coming to announce visitor,
and did not look up.
Alice" a low voice said; and it was
strangely sweet and tender.
She sprang up with glad, eager cry,
her soul in her face.
Oh, Basil Basill' she cried, and
was folded to the breast of her lover.
And, after all these long years of wait
ing, two faithful hearts were re united,
to be parted never more until death
comes between them.