Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-06-02

pause. Well, perhaps you are not to blame.
But you, Edith, ater all these long years
might give me your hand"
At that moment his eyes rested on aunt's
helpless right arm, and the most terrible
awkward, awful silence / ever witnessed
ensued.
Mr.. Lawson was the first to recover his
self possession. ''Forgive me-" he said,
and there was a tremor in his voice. 81
did not know am sorrow." Papa re-
manned stern and silent. / really pitied
Mr.. Lawson, the odds were so fearfully
against him. Not single kind or encour-
aging glance met his eve as he looked up a
little haughtily, and continued addressing
us all. 81 did you great wrong once,
Mr.. Neville. l have travelled many thou
sand miles to offer what reparation can
That will by which obtained e5, 900 was
a forgery. But have come to pay it back
with interest.
Papa bowed his head but remained ST
lent
'.Money was absolutely necessary, then,
for l had many pressing engagements to
meet-my safety, my liberty was at stake
IL was desperate; but though my base
trick succeeded, it was too late. Absolute
ruin and disgrace stared me in the face, and
l was compelled to fly, like a thief in the
night, to escape the consequences of my
folly. That night l secretly left the house.
escaping by my bedroom window. Con-
cealing all the money had, l took passage
for Australia, where, by careful speculation
and hard work, soon realized a consider
able fortune | had no desire to return.
| formed new friends; new habits, squat
ter life suited me; and so remained year
after year. But / was heartily sorry for,
and ashamed of the part played about the
will, and resolved one day to try and make
it square with you. The gold fever broke
out, ana the spirit of adventure being strong
in me, | resolved to go the diggings. | was
singularly successful; but others were not
so fortunate. One poor fellow went by the
name of Down Ted heard frequently
spoken of as singularly unlucky. One day
l was surprised to receive message from
this fellow requesting me to come and see
him as he was very III, and had a very i'm
portant confession to make. | went at
once, and saw at a glance that the man
was dying; but imagine my surprise, when,
on a closer survey of his features, l recog-
nized him to be Tom Judson, the son of
your old steward-good-for-n nothing, grace
less, vagrant Ted, who got me into many
scrapes as l got him out of. With the
utmost difficulty, for ne was dying, he told
me a singular story. On the very night |
left GarrIs1, he tried to rob and murder
me.
"Hearing from his father that had a
large sum of money by me, he resolved to
have some of it; and entering the house in
the dusk of the evening, he concealed HIM
self behind the corridor window and waited
till the house was all quiet; then he en-
tered my room, and after searching In vain
for the money, he seized the knife which
lay on the table, and in fit of drunken
rage and disappointment, he resolved to cut
my throat if | did not give up my purse.
Advancing to the bed where | lay sound
asleep, he lifted the knife and made slash
at nv threat; when to his horror he saw
the While Lady, who walks, bending over
me. Throwing down he knife he fled in
terror, and made his escape through win
dow he found open. In moment it
flashed upon me that your room was mis-
taken for mine, and my window, which
had left open, proved the means of escape
for the william as it had already proved the
means of escape for me. l hope the timely
appearance of the White Lady prevented
any serious mischief.
ut did to me-" papa SAID sadly; ''but
the slash that missed my throat cost my
sister her right hand. She was the lady
who saved me, Jeffrey. am better pleased
to have the mystery cleared up than l
would be to have the right hand back again,
if such a thing were possible" aunt said
softly.
ssThe knife Judson saw on the table
must have been your pruning knife, Rob
ert, which / asked one of the servants to
return to YOU" continued Mr.. Lawson.
''Here's Ted's written and signed confes-
sind, witnessed by magistrate. And nov
let me once more entreat your forgiveness; !;
and, as my mission is accomplished, | Will
not intrude any longer. l should have re-
membered that the Nevilles are not race
to forget and forgive"
''Are the Lawsons, jeff" papa cried,
advancing with outstretched hand. ''If so,
l claim yours, have done you an infin-
itely greater wrong than you did me. i am
very S-rg
A bright smile passed over Mr.. Lawson's
face, altering his whole expression, as he
grasped papa's hand; and am sure there
were tears in his eyes as he bent down TO
kiss Aunt Edith's forehead; and IN the
smiling silence that followed, as they looked
into each others eyes, all old scores were
wiped out, all old scores healed and forgot
ten.
The Railway up yesuvius.