Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-04-02

1t was Friday He soent the afternoon
thinkin :. He calledi thin Ting. In reali Y
it was ru.ting before 4Halseif IN lively inn
agination all thu terrors OF he situation.
In the evening hs went to the glaD. The
co Mt lent him three pounds, and ne Won a
small sum. But how could he no re to win
back all he owed. and if he did. Low would
tina help him with those checkss
On Saturday m rning he spent another
hour or two with the co mt. AMI learned
more. He now understood for the first Ii ne
that he who plays at public table has to do
with a man who must win as often as he
rle ,ses, or as oft as he tlare'. because he
can do what he likes with the cards For
some reason of his own the count was
teaching him the secrets of the cards The
Sa urslay afternoon he spent in thinking"
as before. AMI on Sa urday evening he
went again to the -. AMI again he won.
but not much On Sunday morning he
awoke. full of ap >relens.oas. Four more
DAYS; he mu invens or make up soin thing
which woui keep his fAthersquiet He was
SO full of fears that he resolved to tn every
thing to Calista.
t has been seen that he told her nothing.
The reason was. partly, that he be bought
him, on the way. of the pain and shame
with VIII ch she would hear his story; and
parity because, as he wen5 on the top of an
omnibus from Camden Town TO the MN
sion house, and again from the Mansion
house down the Commercial road there
went with hin a voics. There may have
been something belonging to the voice a dis
embodied spiri., demon. an aereet-i know
not what. But he heard the voice, and he
did not see the afreet. - as
Said the voice: To-day is Sunday You
have tour days-onlv four days. What can
you make up that will satisfy your father on
Thursday norninga Four days only left. If
YOU go emp handed he will himss take
up the case If he does he will get to the
bottom Of that case somehow or o her, be-
fore he lets it go. As for the count, you can
keep him quiet He wants you for some
purpose of his own; he will teach you all he
knows, and you can buy his silence No
body can prove that he presented the checks
I'm ess hs comes forward He is the only
dangerous one Of the three. But you ust
invent something-you must say some
thing" aa
He could think of nothing He was ready
with no explanation. report. result or any
hing at all In this nagging uncomf r :
able M inner the voice wen5 on all the way
from Camden Town to Sha Iwell High street,
h.ch is. as the crow Lies. four mics and q
nalf
Then while Calista was ia king to him the
pn.ce began again: 1T lies between you and
Norah. 1t must have been either you or
Norah. One of you two did it If you are
not suspected she must be-" Well, he, for
mis- part. would not be su pee. ed If he could
avoid i. by any meant 3
/ his was the reason WIN he spoke in SO
TRANCE a fashion to Calisti about what
woulG happen. He was answering. though
she did not know it, this voice which she
roull not hear.
He left the hospital, and got back to the
early SUNDAY dinner at two. His father, for
once, was a most genial, and talked freely
with his son, which was unu 1ual with m.
His success in the matter of the Cionsilla in
eri ancs pleased him He was landed
gentleman: he had an estate in Ireland and
a..other in England; he spoke OF the land as
one who has stake N the country, and
poil ed ont to his son that he was now an
b ir, and must acquire a knowledge some
where of the law as regards land. This was
all very well; but he proceeded to talk Of
The ROBBERY and of the care with which he
himself would tackle The case # he had the
time, or if he obliged to take it in hand.
Thi, kind of talk male his son writhe.
AlUcT uluucl ILL. 4Au1 AluEo. VII 0uu0dJS,
always mad bottle of port. His son took
one ga.s, and he himself drank the rest of
the bottle With each glass he became
more pleased with his cIeverness in OUT
sitting the doctor, an | m re- eager for re-
venge in the matter of the robbery, SO that
he mixed up his own astuteness with the
craft of the forger--his ducats with his
acres.
make na tel"
81 am doing the best can," said Dick.
Don't hurry man."
Have you got clew yet?' his father
asked.
Don't ask me anything You gave me
week. l am not going to tell you any,
thing before Thursday morning -
quite right. Dick. Nothing could be better. I
hate prattlng before is ready. But there is
no in word of advice. Now, II had the con-
Gslct of the should advertise substantial
ward for the discovery of the three persons who pre-
sensed the checks; once find them, and the thing is
Gone, To be sure, there may be ring of them-one
to forge the checks steal the check books and
one to present them and they would stand by ach
-ther. wonder bank clerks haven't made a ring
pefore now. They might use it merrily for time.
But don't think there Is ring, Dick The checks
have been taken out of the book and given to some
who has copied nv signature, and got the checks
tashed by people he knew. Now, one of them is a
foreigner, old and gray headed and wanting fore
finger on the right underwriting fOrefnger, Dick
There can't be many men IN London answt ring TO
that description can there? Very well. that's my
.dea You will act on it or not as you please. But
fni him, Dick; let me put him in the dock. Let me
him going of to h seven years. 1t begins with
year plank, believe. AMI solitary con nement
on bread and water or skilly. The law is righteous
law which condemns one who steals hard-t armed
money to solitary confinement and a plank bed
But he ought to be hanged Dick. Nothing but
hanging will meet the merits Of the CASE
Presently Dick escaped, and wandere about the
streets of Can't Town. One thing he c.ear.y per-
ceived must be done at any cost-ht must keep his
father from taking up the
To him who thinks long enough there cometh at
the last suggestion. TO Dick 1t seemed to c,1.o
fret without 1t was a truly vi.lainous and dis
gr ceful suggestion. black Erebus crafty AZ the
serpent and cowardly as the skunk. 1t had tssn
whispered In his ear at the hospital. Now 1t was
whispered again. -
You must accuse some one. It is your only
finance. you acknowledge that you have failed.
Sef. He will advertise and offer reward. He Is
quite sure to find out the truth. You must accuse
some one. Whom will you accuse2
IL must be some one who has access to the ofhce;
some one who knows your fathers habits in draw
Ing checks; some who would get at his signature
easily.
NO. Not the Office boy. There cannot be proof.
or shadow Of proof. against the office boy. Who
else comes to the Officer? Dick waited while that
question was put to him hundred times. who
else but Norah? There is no other. Norah Cronan
OK Murridge had known this girl all his liie
When she five and he eight, they played to-
gether; when she ten and he thirteen he teased
and bulIie her after the manner of boys; when she
was sixteen and he neteen, he began to perceive
that she beautiful; only fortnight before he
had told her that he loved her. And now he could
harbor the thought Of accusing her In order TO save
himself Said the voice in his ear:
1.-THE first rule of life is selfpreservation Before
that everything must give way. man must save
himself at any sacr fee Honor, love- friendship.
truth-what are they2 Shadows The first thing Is
self, reservation"
His father had taught him this precept hundred
times. What was it he was going to do but to pre-
serve himself?
How would his father take 1t? Why, that made
the thing ] the more easv She was, IL any one
favor tie with him He trusted her more than any
other person In the world-more than his own son.
If he interested himself cared a"out any one, 1t
about this clever. quick and industrious girl
clerk. who for seventy-fve pounds year did the
work of two CLERKS at double the salary If his
father could only be persuaded that II was Norah,
he would probably say nothing more about it. He
would forgive her and all would go Def e.
Here Dick was wrong Mr.. Murridge and men who,
hike him, trust few and those not unreservedly are
far more dangerous If they are betrayed than men
who trust lightly and easily.
He thought over this villany all the evening. The
longer he thought Of 1t the easy anil the more
likely 1t appeared. He saw way OF making the
charge plaus BILE and possible He made up his mind
same time he resolved to keep on with the count.
1t might be WELL In things turned out badly. to
listen to the proposals at which he kept limiting with
promises of wealth unbounded
1t was past ten when he went home He took his
candle and without seeing his father went stra ght
to his own room.
"Of course he said, 1T would not have her tried.
or sent to prison. or ANYTHING. It Will be quite
enough tor nv father to think she's done 1t. They
ant md tn rNricO nr