Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1885-09-18


fern regrets his intemperate warmth
and foolish words, and takes this me-
thod to let me know it,
! And | thought it very good me-
thod too-infnitely pleasanter than a
personal apology.
/ So the time flew swiftly by, AMI |
hal begun the preparations for our
marriage, and our engagement was
understood everywhere, when the ter
rible 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 |
were sitting together, talking all such
sweet nonsence as lovers will. We
were alone, save for an aunt who re-
sided with me, and who had fallen
sleep in her easy chair, when suddenly
and unceremoniously the door was
/ ilungopen wide and three men entered.
/ Two of them were officers. The in
/ dignation which their rude entrance
clused, gave place to sickening fear
when | saw the thrl-George Red
| fern
lie fixed his hollow, burning eyes
on me. Even in that moment of ex-
element | was sensible of shocked
surprise at the strange change in him
since last we met.
"Men do your duty" he said brief
IL.
Next minute Robert was under ar
rest.
don't know what | said or did in
the first horror of it. | remember
clinging around Roberts neck, and
being pulled awav-by auntie, | think
and some one asking, .'What's the
charge against him. Then came the
stern answer from George Redfern's
/ lips: .'Robbery,.'
With that word my .elses came
back to me. | tore myself from my
tnntles arms aud flew to my lovers
side.
"It'sa lie, :" I cried, looking straight
| into Rrdf-rn's face. "Ie is innocent" )"
hobert turned his grateful, troubled
eyes upon lie.
| God bless You, my true love-" he
nurmured sadly.
And then Red'ern' sstern voice broke
/ in again:
Men, search him.
/ saw it done. | saw them draw
! forth "A roll of notes -ten-of one hun
| ireI dollars each, and forming lar
ger sum than Robert could have come
~ rightly. | heard Redfern identify
them Is his own, ,and declare that
move bur Robert has access to the safe
or vault. And then | heard Robert
say. with moan Of agony:
20 Gcl, nv mother.'
| 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 the
prisoner here"
And he obey-d me.
When we were alone said passion
ately:
MIR. Redfern. vou are villain
Iou have plotted to separate me from
| the man | love, and blast his reputa-
tion You shall fail in both. 1on
know that he is innocent"
| lie answered quietly:
Il am not his Judge, Miss Craven.
He himself will TIL you that placed
those notes in the safe in his presence,
and that no one has since had access
20 it but himself. An hour ago |
missed them. Iou saw where they
were found. Let the law decide the
rest
| wrung my hands in agony.
The law. cried. "Man. do you
not know he has mother whom such
4 charge will kill: Will you be a
murderer p
He caught my hand.
"Fy.' he said hoarsely. at is you
not |. You murder two of us, his
mother-when she learns the story of
his guilt, from which you could save
ner- and ma-you murder me.-for
the l.our that s es you marry him, sees
me corpse
| snatched my hand away,
Il will marry him. | cried, ''if the
whole world calls him guilty."
lie answered quietly:
"And kill his mother.
" hat could do? Turn as | would
he brought me back to that at list.
The sons Imprisonment on shame
ful charge, and probable condemna-
tion-for the plot was carefully laid
would surely kill his mother.
SO | accepted the alternative he Of
fercd, | promised not to marry the
man loved during the lifetime of the
man | hated.
"Never while | live,' he said.
That was my oath, and | have kept
it.
We went back together. George
Redfern formally withdrew the charge
he made, aud gave one of the notes to
each officer as bribe for silence.
SO Robert and | were parted, and
his mothers life was saved.
And the world wondered, and called
me a coquette, and "hard to please; :
aud a year went by and found me
twenty -two-unmarrrled stlll-Rob-
erts true love still-and miserable.
How many times had | seen George
Redfern during that year? More than
a hundred times. He had come to me
praying, pleading for love-oh, how
vainly Often as | saw him, though,
| note how he chang:d-so terribly
SO rapidly. Worn almost to shad-
ow. Pale, with all the life in him
seeming to be centered in his burning
eyes. They seemed lit with the fires
of madness.
Poor George Redfern! 1t would be
hard if should not give him pity who
oaye me so much love.