Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-07-30

richer than you think; IL you are am
bilious" fase sr -
interrupted him.
al am not; | have wealth enough
and covet only happiness. al shsl
marry Robert Dene, the man love"
b His face was white as death.
"You shall not marry him!" b,
said with deep and bitter oath. New
er while I livel / swear it.
"I said nothing about it to Robert
however. His relation with his EN-,
ployers continued as pleasant as usual
and did not feel justified IN disturbing
them. l felt surprised when be told
me that Mr.. Redfern had himself con-
graduated him, and made some slight
but graceful allusion to the appoint
ment 10 himself; but l concluded to
keep silence still. What was the use
OF creating ill-will between them2"
1t was evening, and Robert and
were sitting together, talking such
sweet nonsense as lovers will. We
were alone, save for an aunt who re
sided with me, and who had fallen
asleep in her easy chair, when sudden
ly and unceremoniously the door was
flung open wide and three men en-.
tered.
Two of them were officers. The in
dignatlon which their rude entrance
caused gave place to sickening fear
when | saw the third-George Red
fern!
He fixed his hollow, burning eyes
upon me. Even in that moment of ex-
citement was sensible of a shocked
surprise at the strange change in him
since we last met
"Men do your duty" he said briefly.
l don't know what / said or did in
the horror of it. l remember clinging
around Roberts neck. and being pulled
away, by auntie, I th;nk-and some
one asking. "What's the charge
against him2' Then came the stern
answer from George Redfern's lips:
"Robbery!"
"It's llep' I cried, looking straight
into Redfern's face. "He is limo
cent"
Robert turned grateful, troubled
eyes toward me.
"God bless you, my true Lowell" he
murmured sadly.
And then Redfern's low stern voice
broke in again:
"Men search him!'
l saw it done. l saw them draw
forth roll of notes-I0-of 500
each, and forming larger sum than
Robert could have come by rightly.
I heard Redfern identify them as his
own, and say that none but Robert had
access to the safe or vault. And then
I heard Robert sa7 with moan of
agony.
"Oh, God my mother!'
1 understood it all. I stepped up
to George Redfern, and looked into his
face.
"Come with me into another
ROOM" l said. II will make bar
gain with you. Let your men remain
with the prisoner here" And he
obeyed me.
When we we're alone, said passion
ately:
'!Mr Redfern, you are vil!ianl
You have plotted to separate me from
the man l love, and blast his ruputa-
ton. You shall fail in both. You
know that he is innocent"
He answered quietly:
81 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 acces. to
it but himself. An hour ago l missed
them. You saw where they were
found. Let the law decide the rest"
l wrung my hands in agony.
"The law?" I cried. "Man, do you
not know he has a mother whom such |
a charge will kill. Will you be a
murderer
"No,' he said hoarsely. "It is you
not l. You murder two of us, his
mother-when she learns the story of
his guilt, from which you could have
saved her and me-you murder mel
for the hours that see you marry him,
sees me q corpse
Il snatched my hand away.
II will marry him." I cried, 'if the
whole world calls him guilty"
He answered quietly: "What could
I do?"
Turn as l would he brought me
back to that at last.
The sons imprisonment on shame.
full charge, the probable condemna-
ton. for the plot was carefully laid,
would surely kill his mother. So l
accepted the alternative he offered. |
promised not to marry the man loved
during the lifetime of the man l
hated. ~ f r.. l
"Never, while I live," he said,
That was my oath, and I have kept
it,
We went back together. George
Redfern formally withdrew the charge
he made, and gave one of the notes to
each officer as bribe for silence. So
Robert and were parted, and his
mothers life was saved.
Hou N, onv sfipnoc did coo Goorpo