Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-14


ment OF my Interference.
MY mother started up suddenly from At Il
thlnMk, ~ q a ana pied me with questions:
coco va sb MARIAN a the only person who had &C.
As far as know, the only person." re-
Fran. Ape ala you say her letter to her brother
" Yes; p. o. o. for ten pounds"
Had she ten pounds OF her OWN"
Not that know Of"
"Was she likely to have saved it from her al
loWa 1as for hoT excepting or private purposes
Then" my mother continued, ait seems TO
ne that the nearer home you look Tor your
m0rey the sooner you will find It."
When arrived home my mind was torn and
distracted by conflicting opinions l felt very
"MariaD,' 1 said, as gently as could
"where did you get the money from that you
She started, and turned quickly round upon
me.
'How did you know sent money to Frank"
Never mind how / knew 1t?' l replied
"Where did you obtain it? You must answer
me that question before you leave this ROOM"
added, more sternly; for her evasion OF my ques-
lion disquieted me.
She Looked at me steadily In the zee for a
moment, then, dropping her eyes and cIasping
lei hands tightly together. she exclaimed:
MOI ey was lost at the same time that sent
soue to Frank. Harold, you suspect me-yOur
own " ife-of being the thief, and you have sent
that man q saw he was detective Immediate
ly) to track me cut and prove this against me.
Do you intend to send me to PRISON."
marian, !" answered excitedly, "when sent
that man here no such suspicion had ever oc-
Cured to me, and now that | must confess 1t
has, one word from you will diSpel 1t; or, II it
should be otherwise (here / extended my hand
to her, but she flung it from herr, you have ony
TO acknowledge 1t to obtain my free forgiveness.
''Your forgiveness" she added haughtily, ~
do not need It," and without another word she
left me-
For some minutes remained stunned by this
new aspect of affairs. Could 1t be possible that
my Marian was guilty? / would never believe
It. And yet she had not attempted to deny 1t.
gether with the other circumstances of the case,
served only to confirm the idea. Would that it
mad not been SO, or, even being so, that she
longing for, and the forgiveness was only too
anxious to beStow.
A day or two after this I found note await
ing me when | returned home to dinner. The
hand writing was Marians, and my delight at
seeing it was so great that kissed it again and
again; Eagerly opened it and read it. 1t read
"The society Of a thief can not be congen,al.
For that reason 1 have kept out of your way
till made up my mind what to do l shall not
trouble you any more. Baby and I have gone
you like to do so; but think you will see that it
is better for him to be with me. Do not ask me
to come back. never can. The miserable life
killed me, and my life Is precious to my Guild.
That was all, except few words at the end
e oas hdd 6esn hass SnY Of which
strange as 1t may seem. this note did not
shock me as the discovery of Marian's guilt had
done.S felt 80 angry with her for her un-
reasonable conduct that my tenderer feelings
remained almost untouched MY love for the
Marian OF former days had not decreased one
whit; but my anger with the present Marian
better with her, and for the present she should
Keep him, for had no idea of fetching her
back. She had left me through no unkindness of
ing her husband In the way Marian had left me.
l was beginning to get little accustomed to
my renewed bachelorhood, when, one night,
very late, a telegram was brought me worded
leone at once to baby"
The night train would leave In about an hours
time; packed few things and started to catch
into the room where Marian was sitting with
our little one lyingin her lap struggling hard
t ior IRE: Some medical man was already there
pending over the child and auXtousiy gazing at
Its cOntorted and ivid features, but as far as
could see, doing but little to assist In the battle
against death. He left at once, and Marian
"Thank God, you have come! He was doing
70 good. Oh, Harold! save my baby, save ny
II viii do what can to save our child,n
called servant and gave my Instructions.
In few minutes the room was filled with
D;apor every vent being carefully guarded. The
drops OF water began to trickle down the walls
sun the child on Marian's lap lay almos
choked, Its struggles growing fainter each sue
ceedlng time. The cloud was still pouring GU
into the room, and nothing more could be done,
so stood at Marian's knee watching for the
APPROACH OF some favorable symptom. Only once
Marian spoke, and then it was to ask me with
blanched face and faltering lips II there was any
hope;
from my words how faint that hope was.
Presently the struggles grew more frequent;
gradually the almost lnelesS limbs became i'm
Dued with fresh vigor, the heavy lids relaxed
the gaSps for breath became more effectual and
with mighty effort nature asserted her sway
In short time baDy was Nesting peacefully In
Marlan's arms, wrapped In a sweet, life gtvtng
When he was laid in his cot, his mother turned
to me and said pathetically:
"Oh, Harold! when baby was so near death
wicked had been to leave You as 1 dlda WIZ WIZ
you forgive me, dear, and take me back, for
| could only kiss her and press her to my
II was only those words. VIII you forgive
me?" that wanted. II you would have spoken
them sooner, we need never have parted"
asking Sut 415 aG
leaving you. am as innocent Of taking that
wretched money as my own child. Won't you
believe me?"
81 do, my darling, do" replied, with genu-
Inc delight 81 would have believed you then
Ii you had said this to me; but you know you
never deigned me word, and what was to
Think"
81 was so Mortified at your even suspectino
me that fancied It was beneath me to deny it.
/ can not now understand what could have
prompted you to think such dreadful thing of
me. 1t Is very hard to BEAR"
u was beginning to wonder, too, how could
have suspected my own Marian. Circumstances
and my mother were more to blame than l,
however.
In answer, 1 murmured something about
Frank.
"Ah, that letter to Frank; remember 1t.
You were always so hard upon him that didn't
like to tell you about it. He really had been
trying to keep on steadily at the post your
Kindness had obtained him, but old debts were
constantly coming in, and his limited salary
would not meet them and keep him as well
There was one man who pressed him hard for
e10. He had spent his last quarters salary
within pound or two, and more would not be
coming for some time. He wrote and told me
this, asking me to help him, but could not.
He wrote again, and said he must draw on his
salary, but begged him not to do so SO soon. l
was sure his employers would think 1t bad
sign. The man threatened to expose his former
habits to the firm, which you know, might have
ruined him with them. l resolved to help him
this once and in order to dc SO sold my dla-
mond brooch, which / scarcely ever had ocoa-
sion to wear. l got Clio for it, and sent him