Middletown transcript., 1882-01-06

There was something harshly husky
in his voice as he uttered the last words.
He rose and walked slowly to a trunk
] in corner.
The door of the room was already
locked, so that he was in no danger of
intrusion, while he drew from the trunk
and placed upon his table an oblong,
tape-bound package, remarking, "I'll
see what there is of it.'' In about half
a minute more he had seen, and he was
staggering back from the table with a
large white envelope in his hand. On
the table, released from its careful
wrapping, was heap of old letters and
other worthless things, and Marvin
Belford had not yet found single
word to express the feeling of astounded
disappointment with which he had
stripped their mockery bare. That one
envelope had lain on top, and it was
addressed in large, firm hand to
" William Belford, ESQ.," "I may as
well open it," He did so, and the
broad sheet of paper he unfolded from
it bore only these words:
We are even new, my dear brother.
Let us divide the deficit between us.
You will not be able to lay your hands
upon Ruth's fortune just now.
Affectionately,
JOHN BELFORD,"
divide it between them ?" gasped
Marvin. 81 thought as much. ALI 1
took didn't make the matter really any
worse. So Uncle John swamped Ruth
too, did he =? It's rough on me Just
now: but what if she had accepted
me ? l should have been in a box
then.'
There was comfort in his misery,
therefore, and there was fire in the
CRATE, and all that pile ofrubbish would
burn, including Uncle Johns letter.
That was an uncomfortable evening
for great many people but not one
of all those who mourned for John Bel
ford, or for the failure of the house of
which he had been the head, passed the
long hours more wretchedly than did
Mr.. Gideon Street.
There is hardly anything more trying
to manly fortitude than an arrest ona
felonious accusation, locked up over
Sunday, to sit and eat ones heart out
in solitude, with prospect of possible
years and years of just such locking up
in some lonely cell or other. cit
would be almost as bad to be let out
now," said Gideon to himself more
than once, "and have men look at me
as they will"
Late in the night, as he lay there in
the darkness, other words burst from
him: And she Ruth Faraday to
think am thief! And that I stole
from her !" It was not exactly a yell
of agony, but it was very good sup
pressed likeness of one.
He could send for lawyer, even on
Sunday, and he could be assured that
his arrest was an unwarrantable, hasty
and that the magistrate
would surely let him out again on Mon
day morning, after a few formalities;
but something very black had settled
over the soul of Gideon Street. He
knew, as well as if he had been told,
that the reason Of his absence was now
well understood in the mansion of the
widow Belford.
What he did not know was that the
news had been carried there by Marvin
Belford, or how much Of emphasis it
had added to the replies made by Ruth
Fararday to sundry graceful, even pas
tender pleadings.
One night more, dreadfully dark
one, full of tempests out of doors and
marked by other tempests in some
homes and in such dim crypts as they
.ock up suspected felons in. Gideon's
man of law was right, nevertheless, and
before the noon of Monday he was free
10 walk past the closed doors of the old
He knew he was stared
1t by a number Of men who passed him
rs he came up the street, but only one
Did acquaintance actually spoke to him.
e What's the cause of the failure ?''
was Gideon's reply: "can't say. Pm
told the money gave out, and they had
TO close. left them the day before.
You will have to ask somebody else.''
Ruth Faraday was in her own room
that afternoon when servant knocked
1t the door and told her Mr.. Street was
in the parlor and wished to see her:
. Tell him I'll come right down.
Then she sat right down upon trunk
she had been packing: "Gideonl I
thought he was in prison. What shall
say to him Guilty? No, indeed:
don't believe a word of it. If keep
lin waiting he will think I do"
He stood in the middle of the parlor
when she flashed in, and she paused
or a moment. He had never before
ooked SO very large and strong and
loble, only his face was ghastly white.
Miss Faraday-'
"Gideonl 1 don't believe it."
C But, Miss Faraday, I spent last
light, the day before, the night before
hat, in a felon's cell. 1 am dis
IGNORED"
You did not do it You did not
axe their money or my bonds P''
"Their money,-the deficit Pit was
one before ever entered the bank. I
i'd take your bonds, all of them.n
"You did, Gideon ~
Yes, l did. Your uncle gave them
o me to keep for you. I have kept
hem. Here they are"
She had seen the valise he was now