The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-01-10

for, but couldn't. Suspicion point
ed to be as the thief. ! am innocent.
/ am as innocent as you, but could
not prove it, and sowhen lsaw ruin
threatened me 1 fed
''You fed, did you 2" said Mabel,
with the inexorableness of sixteen.
"You did very cowardly and silly
thing"
"They would have put me in the
penitentiary. ! have puzzled over
those accounts until | nearly went
mad, and they would not come
straight. Ruin was inevitable if /
stayed, and what would have be-
come of poor Katie? Oh, what has
become OF her?" "r
"Tell me what you wanted with
Katie? Keep to the point" said
Mabel.
"I had arranged everything, and
if my note had not miscarried we
should be now ON our way to Il safe
retreat, and tomorrow morning we
should hnve sailed for foreign port,
in a vessel had already taken pas
sage in"
"Listen to me, Mr.. Hayden" said
Mabel, in tone that would have in
spired cobble-stone. "You had
much better stay here and stand
your trial. should in your place,
l know--but if you won't, I'll help
you and Katie all l can, and you
may get off safely the past, and act.
Now put on your wig and beard and
speclacles and hat, and order the
man to drive to the station"
| The young man locked uncertain,
but only for a moment. An imper-
ious nod from Mabel completed his
subjugation, and he meekly oheyed
her.
1--WE shall find Katie in the wait
ing room," said Mabel, when the or
ders had been given. II saw her on
the traiu and will know her at once.
If you went in, the result you dread
ed this morning might follow, so
you remain in the carriage and |
will bring her out to you. Perhaps
you had better give me something
of yours that she would recognize, in
order that she may trust me as your
ambarrador-that seal ring, for in
stance"
"She gave it to me herself" he
said, as the ring was transferred from
his finger to Mabel's. At the same
moment the carriage stopped at the
station.
When the driver opened the door
Mabel descended with perfect COM
posure and made her way to the
waiting-room. A glance revealed to
her the figure she sought, pacing
about in evident agitation. Mabel
advanced toward her, and, without
a moments hesitation, clasped her
in her arms. As she held her tight
she managed to whisper in her ear
a few significant sentences, which,
with glance at the ring, proved all
sufficient, and in a few moments she
led her out to the carriage, and so
the people in the waitiRg-room saw
nothing more remarkable than the
affectionate greeting of two sisters
after separation.
When the driver had closed the
door upon this innocent-looking trio
and assembled to his box the fears
which had been so portentious an
hour ago seemed almost to have dis
appeared. After the first ardent
greeting between husband and wife
was over Kate could ever laugh a
lettle at her husbands comical dis
guise, and he, for his part, seemed
to have recovered his lost comti-
dence, and assured her that when
the good ship Stella set sail next
morning they would be far away
from fear and danger. At this juno
ture it naturally occurred to them
all to think of Mabel, but she would
not allow any apprehension on her
account, only asking to be set down
at the street in which her uncle
lived. She felt thoroughly self-reli-
ant now, and fully five years older
than when she had left school that
morning. So she parted from her
new friends very bravely, slipping
into Katie's hand a slip of paper on
which was hurriedly written down
her name and school address, that
they might write to her. The two
girls-for Katie was scarcely older
than herself-parted, with ardent
kisses, and George Hayden wrung
her hand, with a "God bless you p
so hearty that Mabel felt it must
bring blessing on her future course.
1t was very imposing residence
which Mabel presently identified
with the number and street written