St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-21
denp and bitter oath. '.Never, while

| perplexed, and with strange sad cloud
upon my happiness.
| said nothing about it to Robert, how
ever. His relations to his employer con-
| tinued as pleasant as usual; and I did not
feel justified in disturbing them. Ifelt sur
prised when he told me that Mr.. Redfern
had himself congratulated him, and made
appointment to himself; but concluded to
keep silence still. What was the use of
creating ill-will between them?
Probably" I thought, ''Mr. Redfern re-
grets his Incorporate warmth and foolish
words and takes this method to let me know
of it,"
And I thought it very good method, too
Infinitely pleasanter than a personal
apology.
So the time flew by, and I had begun the
preparations for our marriage, and our en-
gagement was understood everywhere,
when the storm which instinct had warned
me of from the moment in which / had
heard that bitter threatening oath, burst
suddenly.
1t was evening, and Robert and I were
sitting together, talking such sweet nom
sense as lovers will. We were alone, save
for an aunt who resided with me, and who
had fallen asleep in her easy chair, when
suddenly and uncerimoniously the door was
flung open wide and three men entered.
Two of them were officers. The indigna-
ton which their rude entrance caused, gave
place to sickening fear when saw the
third-George Redfern!
He fixed his hollow, burning eyes upon
me. Even in that moment of excitement l
was sensible of shocked surprise at the
strange change in him since last we met.
''Men, do your duty" he said, briefly.
Next minute Robert was under arrest.
don't know what said or did in the
first horror of it. I remember clinging
around Roberts, and being pulled away
by auntie, I think-and some one asking,
whats the charge against him?" Then
came the stern answer from George Red
ferns lips; Robbery"
With that word my senses came back to
me. tore myself from autie's arms and
flew to my lovers side.
''Its a lie!'' | Cried looking straight into
Redfern's face. '.Heis innocent"
Robert turned grateful troubled eyes upon
me.
"God bless you, my true love!' he muir
INJURED sadly.
And then Redfern's stern low voice broke
in again:
''Men, search himw
saw it DONE I saw them draw forth
roll of notes-ten of 500 each, and form
ing a larger sum than Robert could have
come by rightly. heard Redfern identify
them as his own, and declare that none but
Robert had access to the safe or vault. And
then heard Robert say, with moan of
agony:
30 God! my motherw
I understood it all. / stepped up to
George Redfern, and looked into his face.
''Come with me into another rOOm;" [
said Il will make bargain with you.
Let your men remain with their prisoner
here" And he Obeyed me.
When we were alone, said, passion
ately;
''Mr. Redfern, you are villain! You
have plotted to separate me from the man
love, and blast his reputation. You shall
fail in both. You know that he is inno-
cent"
He answered quietly:
ST am not his judge, Miss Craven. He
himself will tell you that placed those
notes in the safe in his 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"
wrung my hands in agony.
''The lawp' cried. MAN do you not
know he has mother whom such charge
would kill? Will you be murderer"
He caught my hand.
mo" he said hoarsely. SIT is you-not
I. You murder two of us, his mother
when she learns the story of his guilt, from
which you could save her-and me-you
murder me!-for the hour that sees you
marry him, sees me a corpse"
I snatched my hand away.
81 will marry him." I cried, s'if the
whole world calls him guiltyH'
He answered quietly:
''And kill his motherw
What could l do? Turn as would, he
brought me back to that at last.
The sons imprisonment ON a shameful
charge, and probable condemnation-for the
plot was carefully laid-would surely kill
his mother.
So l accepted the alternative he offered
promised not to marry the man l loved
during the lifetime of the man hated.
''Never while l live" he said.
That was my oath, and | kept it.
We went back together. George Red
fern formally withdrew the charge he made
and gave one of the notes to each officer as
bride for silence.
So Robert and were parted, and his
mothers life was saved.
And the world wondered, and called me
coquette, and ''hard to please" and
year went by and round me 22-unmarried
still-Roberts true love still-and miser-
able
How many times had seen George Red
fern during that year? More than hun
dred times. He had come to me praying,
pleading for love-oh, how vainly! Often
as 1 saw him, though, l noted how he
oho ro6- nrrih Tl1lld
almost to shadow. Pale; with all the life
in him seeming to be centered in his burn
ing eyes. They seemed lit with the fire of
madness.
Poor George Redfern 1t would be hard
if l should not give him pity who gave me
so much love.
The end came suddenly. One winters
night messenger summoned the two whom
he had WrOnged to his bedside. He was dy-
ing.
Just the same as ever-strange. abrupt,
half-crazed. He took Roberts hand with
out noticing me, and stared into his eyes.
five brought you pain and sorrow,
haven't 1 :? All, that's nothing You have
brought me down to death. 1 love that
woman-loved her. All, Heaven, that
doesn't express it ! 1 became villain for
her sake. 1 liked you. Robert. meant
to make you partner some day. Kate, turn
ing suddenly towards me, ''you know took
the notes out of the safe. No matter. I've
made amends. I'm dying, and Robert Dene
is my heir"
1t was true. We remained with him till
the last. In the cold, quiet morning he was
cold and quiet too-at rest
''You may marry her very soen," he said
in dying, ''but not while live"
Poor George Redfen He loved me