The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-11-14

strong character and a cultivated mind
besides. "This love is of the heart, the
mind, the SOUL" Philip said to himself.
In word, she established an influence
yer him. He would gladly have gone
to the stake for her. He sold his honor,
poor wretch, for her sake.
He walked in upon her abruptly one
June afternoon, as she sat on the piazza
reading a novel. He could not quite
bring himself to sign his uncle's name
to borrow his uncle's name, he called
it. If he only dared to put the case to
her. But of course this could not be.
Her pure hands must not touch pitch
even in thought.
"How much should man be willing
to do for friend?'' he asked her sud-
denly.
"There is no limit to true friends
SERVICE" Helen replied, instantly.
Amy Lees voice fell in: eyes, there
is. Wrong-doing is the limit. You
wouldn't have a friend disgrace himself
to serve you, would you?'
Sometimes an angel speaks through a
mortal jim this way, and we call it pre-
sentiment, forebOding, the shadow of
coming event. Philip stared at Amy
curiously. "'I had not loved thee,
dear, so much, loved 1 not honor
more.'' She repeated, softly, and
moved away.
"I don't agree with ANY," Helen
said, when her sister was out of sight.
81 hope 1 would be willing to peril my
soul for any one loved. And if l were
guilty of q crime for his sake, believe
the recording angel would wipe it out
with a tear, rs he did Uncle TOby's
OATH
Philip went home and signed the
check. r..
The bank where it was to be present
cd was so miles away. The creditor of
the Lee sisters accepted it with CONF
placency. Keith Trapier's signature
was known and respected. His nephew
had apparently embraced prompt meas
ures to communicate with him. The
check was forwarded at once to Firm &
Co.
But an unexpected contingency had
arisen. Mr.. Keith Trapier was dead.
His widow, who disliked her husbands
nephew, had not seen fit to commune
cate with Philip on the subject, but she
had sent cable dispatch to the bank,
directing certain business matters to be
seen to. The forged check was dated
some days after Mr.. Keith Trapier's
death. 1t could not fail to excite imme-
date suspicion on being presented. 1t
was traced back Immediately to Philip.
Firm & Co., disposed to be on the
best of terms with the powers that be,
consulted the brother of Mrs. Trapier,
who lived in the same town with them,
as to what had best be done. Mr..
Stevenson shared his sisters prejudices.
He was overcome with horror at the dis
covery of Philips treachery. AfOrgery?
There was only one way to deal with a
forger. The young man must be arrest
ed Immediately.
Meanwhile Philip had lived under that
dark and haunting cloud of dread which
prccedes misfortune. He felt it COM
ing so surely that when the officers of
the law walked into his Office and ar
rested him one morning it was almost a
relief. The worst was over. And his
regret and unhappiness were less for
himself than for the women he had tried
to help, when it was explained to him
that the check had been protested. But
there was still lOop-hOle of escape for
them. The constables had had very
tedious trip up the river. The steam
boat had run aground, and thus her
passage had been prolonged. by
curious coincidence this was the very
day when Farmer Giles had promised to
pay. The hard creditor would accept
that payment now, perhaps.
But he would not. He availed him.
self only too gladly of legal bubble to
obtain Immediate possession of the Lee
place. Philips offense had been all in
vain. All that remained for him was to
invest his entire worldly means in the
name of Helen Lee, and to notify her of
the fact through lawyer. She was not
formally instructed rs to whom she was |
indebted for this bencfactiOn. She
mast have guessed, but rs she had far |
rather not know, she did not pursue any
inquiries on the subject. She was very
She never met Philip af-
Ter his disgrace-that is, not until years
had passed-but she wOve coherent |
ale out of the loose threads of facts in
ler possession, and her conjectures
NCiC hOC Aat "iohs,. oiC "sbo ssoouiSu
n her secret soul that Philip had sinned
n order to save her from trouble.
She and Amy did not give up their
home, after all. The hard creditor pro-
posed to handsome Helen to stay on
IS his wife. Had she been free to
choose, she confessed to herself, she
would not have chosen him; but she did
lot consider that she was free to choose.
'he was not fit to cope with poverty.
Ind there was Amy. 1t was her duty to
i've Amy a home.
So on the day that Philip was con-
igned to the penitentiary for 10 years,
he married Mr.. Gray.
The only person who shared Philips
who sOrrowed over his dis
race, was his old cOlOred nanny. She
lad nursed him from his cradle; she
Vorshiped the very ground he walked
n. When this terrible misfortune
vertook him, she extcnuatcd what he
ad done in her faithful heart, and
ated those who, as she considered, had
united him down. She staid on in the lit
e house where he and his mother and