The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-06-13
tiis facs vas uAisa aa daA,A.

wAtie ttvel l swear Nl
 And As rushed oet of my presence like a mAdman. leaving me shocked, isigA,. ened, peEplexed. aud with strange. sad cloud upon my happiness. | said Aothlng about h Co Robert, however. Hia relations with his employer continued pleasant as usual and did not teel justified in disturbing them. felt surprised when Ae told me that Mir. RedteEn had himself congratulated him and made some sliaht but graceful allu. sion to the disappointment to himself, but concluded to keep silens ss!ll. NAss was the use of creating ill.will between them.
 Probably" | thought, "Mr, Rsdfern regrets his incorporate warmth and fool ish words and takes this method to l,t me know cf it."
 And thought it very good method, soo-lnhniteiy pleasantsr than personal apology,
 So the time few swiftly by, and l had begun preparations for our marriage. and our engagement was understood everywhere, when the storm which in- stinct had warned me oi from the mo- ment in which had heard that bitter, threatening oath, burst suddenly.
 It was evening, and Robert and were sitting together, talking such sweet non. sense as lover will. We were alone, save for an aunt who resided with me and wh Q had fallen asleep In her easy chair, when suddenly and uaesrsmaaieusly the docs vas dung open vide and three meu en- tered.
 Two of them were officers. The indig. nation which their rude entrance caused gave place to a sickening lear when saw the third-Geo,ge Rsdfesnl
 He fixed hts hollow, burning eyes upon me. Even in that moment ot excite ment l was sensible of . shocked sur. prise at the strange change in him since last we met.
 Msn, do your duty" he said, briefly.
 Next minute Robert was under arrest.
 l don't know what said or did in the first horror Of it. 1 remember clinging around Roberts neck and being pulled away-by auntie l think--And some one asking, What's the charge agains, him r Then came the stern answer rom George Redfern's lips; Robberyl"
 With that word my senses came back to me. tore myself from aun,ie's arms and fiew to my lovers side.
 "lt's lie |" | cried, looking straight into Redfern's face. dHe Is innoeeni ! D
 Robert turned grateful, troubled eyes upon me.
 "God bless you. my true love r" he murmuEed sadly
 And then Redferns stern voice broke in again:
 " Men search him
 saw it done. saw them draw isEiA a roll of notes s-ten--Oftwenty-h pounds each, and forming c larger sum than Robert could have come by nightly. heaid Redfcru identify them as his own, aud declare that none but Robert had access to the safe er vault. And then heard Robert say with moan Of agony;
 'Oh, God My mother |"
 l understood lt all. l stepped up 10 George Redfern and looked into his face,
 Come with me into another room," said. "l will m ake bargain with you, Let your men remain with their prisoner here" And he obeyed me.
 When we were alone l said passion a':ly;, q N, D p..,.,, .o, ,,. . .,,,.,. von have plotted to separate me from the man love, and blast his reputation. You sh all fail tn both You know that he is innocent"
 He answered quietly:
 "I am not his judge. Miss Craven. He himself will tell you that 1 placed those notes in the safe ln hts presence, and that no one has since had access to it but him self. An hour ago l missed them. You saw where they were found. Let the law decide the rest"
 The law l"I cried. Man, do ysu no, know he has a mother whom such charge would kill Will you be . mur- derer 2"
 He caught my hand.
 "No," he said hoarsely. "ft is you not 1. You murder two Of us, his mother when she learns the story of hts guilt, from which you could save her--snd ms you murder me for the hour that sees you marry him sees me . corpse"
 snatched my hand away.
 "I will marry him." cried, If the whole world calls h!m guilty l"
 He answered quietly:
 "And kill his mo,hsri' What could dor Turn as l would, he brought me back to that st last.
 The sons imprisonment on s shame. ful charge, and probable con demn siion --. for the plot was carefully laid-would kill his mother.
 So accepted the alternative he offered. l promised not to marry the man loved during the lifetime of the man hated. "Never while live" he said. That was my oath, and l have kept i;. We went back together. George Red fern formally withdrew the charge made, and gave one of the notes to each officer as bibe for silence.
 So Robert and were parted, and his mothers life vas saved. And the world wondered and called me coquetse, and "hasd to please and year went by and found me twenty. two, unmarried ssili, Roberts true love still, and miserable. How many times had ] seen George Redfern during that yeaS2 More than .