Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-10-15

sss7A step broket her revsrie, and
athrhsting the letter in her bosom she
looked up.oi Itowas Charley, her i'm
pulsive, het-hesded brother, who was
one Of her idols. 1 ,-,-ee !
Jessie!
Here, GimxIqE Do YOU want me2'
"Ilxan you Yesl fS "a -
HI b bro(het s voico i'd aonething
IL; ! s;s !: N 4: = z ~ ~ ! ''
Charley {..hying . d Nvery tender
hand on hss shoulders; "you have
broken yonrSpromiss; you have been
drinking :, LSl(06
"Only a gbss ar tvs with Vennor.
Pshawl Tn MOI 6sby Jessie, and Ven
nor had to drihk ii or I'd never have
had the courage to cometo you on such
an errand as 7 dd.,i,Y .
All tender, Night Of happiness died
from ethe girrs sweet fsse. -
= S9nsthing has happend dd22 she
asAsfl4 ATsu ma At once dear 1t
annot BE- very tsrribls tot you are
we'll, ndmanrnal ana papa
He did not know how her thoughts
fleNfo anothef,y Who was more than
kin.to hss; but, taking her handgin his,
tho boy--he was barely twenty--led
a her to the seat she had left and placed
lher AgAs - vi9JUsoGuA
aYou know how many times you
warned me against assoclating with
Bob Vennor. jessie" he began, his
voice slightly tremulous. stHUjw
II know, dear. lam sure he will
lead youuyinso .wreng. ssHs lis not a
good man. Charley, and you were bet
ter before you met him..
The, poor fellow, burst into sudden
Wild sobs, SO wild as to frighten her. I.
"Don't, t,smy darling; Charleyadon't"
she cried. lhinging her ,srms aboat1his
neck and holding his head to her
bosom. .sOh,s what, Is it,, L., never
saw vol look like this, Charley; tell
MEAL about ifaad j may be able to
help you" .uaa4'l. r.4. oa
tI--I'd rather diep' he burst out,
''and / would die if that would get
things straight, He would have no mer
cy--on them, They have borne with
everything from mel know now
what curse | have been to you all,
but my heart broke when knew what
sorrow and even shame was to come
to them yet through their only son!
Oh Jessie, If I had died in my cradle
they might have been spared all thls!'
e"Charley, what are you saying2
This is terrible! I do, u3t under
stand, but it is something TERRIBLE
s.Itis something terrible" a.rtl.o
sIt is just this, Jessie: One night a
few wseksAgo-you rem amber howgfll
l vas &terward-I was with Nennor
and ssnetof his friends. They, vers
very gay, and we had champagne
plentyEof it., L don't remember iany-
thing after the first few hours, and
walked up-in, the morning IN Venaop's
rooms with q binding headache. =
promised you after that, that would
not drink, and l did not-till tonight.
Tonight Vennor sent for ne, and l
went to see what he wanted. Oh,
Jessie! I'd rather die than tell you"
ssTell me, Charley
s'He showed me check-a forged
check, sister, for $4,000, which he
told me I had given him that night in
payment Of a gam bling debt. l re-
member seeing cards and dice, but do
not recollect touching them! He says
1 played and lost He tells me his
friends will swear, I gave the check,
and 1 cannot swear did not. The
name is that of the head of our firm,
Jacob Stone I am a felon,' Jessie
Lam doomed; we are all doomed .upF
less you viii save US.
yaIpl she shrank, trembling violently,
sfAha7e not the money; I am but a
girl! How very gladly I would help
yot, you must know, my darling. Oh,
what have you done. Charley" '4'''
What I cannot undo" he cried /;
then desperately, tJessie, be- mays he
lives you. He will spare ST you
will become his wife"
~s'Oh, my God" It was the cry, of
one stricken, to death y His, wife, Bob
vennor's wlfsl She had shHink' from
touching, his hand. She feared and
hated him, and over her young heart
lay the letter of one she loved.
"Jessie, I have not asked it of you,'
the boy exclaimed. az 40 not ask it;
butt is the only way" = ,..,,,,,,,
ooh, had he asked my life-every
drop ofSblood lnmy syeinsr-I gcouid
more readily have granted it." went
shuddsfingly through her mind; her
arms fell from her brothers neck, her
! face was white as it would be in its
fofih; but thoughts thronged to hef
chick and fast while Charley bowed
his head and shook with bis sobs.e..a g9 J,
She knew what she VI could
avert; knew that such a blow would
utterly crush her father and smite her
gentle mother to death; then Charley
- ,,1,,Jl ~ :, ,o1, 4 ~. vs., ,,s. itrotk