Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-04-30


over. You are come to pitch into me
Very well, then"
'oh, Dick, l do not come to reproach
you. Butch, Dick, Dick-how could you
do itF'
'Never mind that now. What else do you
want to sayf'
Have you confessed to your father,
Dickr
mo, haven't; what's the good? Confess!
Why, do you take me for a fooll Confess tc
himl'
'Dick, my old friend, there is another per-
son to think Of besides yourself. There is
Norah."
"What about Norahl My father knows
all by this time. But he hasn't got the
checks. Without the checks there is nc
proof
If there are no proofs, come with me tc
your father and tell him that Norah is limo
cent?
Whats the use. He knows it already
Calista pointed to the portmanteau.
You are going awayP she said.
u am going away altogether. You'll get
rid of me, and never see me again So now
you will all be happy"
where are you goingE'
THAT is my business. You would like tc
60 and tell my father, wouldn't youl'
"And how are you going to lives!
"Like the sparrows."
"Oh, Dick, you have in your head some
wild and wicked scheme. What does it
mean? You are deceived and betrayed by
by your advisers-by this man. Consider,
Dick; no one knows except your father and
Norah and Hugh. will beg your father tc
forgive you. Nothing need ever be said
about ii. All shall be forgotten, and we
will go on as if this dreadful time had never
happened-just as we did in the old days,
when we were boys and girls together, and
innocent-oh, Dick!-and Innocent"
Listen to this young lady, Dick,' said
the count, softly, ''and consider. There is
still plenty of time to change your mini.
Consider what she says. You will have a
delightful time. Your father is never in an
ill-temper, is he9 He looks and talks as if he
was the most indulgent Of parents and OF
the sweetest disposition. OF course he will
never remind you of this little indiscretion
never. And he will trust you always-al
ways. And he will advance you in his bust.
ness and make you partner. And you will
always live in this delightful suburb, where
there is nothingl Heavenl nothingl Neither
theatre, nor cafe, nor society, nor amuse.
ment of any kind. As for your secret, it is
known to no one except three other people.
OF course they have told nobody; of course
they never will; so that there is no chance of
the story being told abroad, and people will
not point fingers at you, and say, There is
the man who forged his fathers name, but
repented and came back again, and was for
givenp What a beautiful thing it will be,
all your life, to feel that you have been so
bad, and that everybody else is SO good!'
"Oh, no-nor' said Calista 1T will not
be SO, Dick; it will not"
81 have considered, - Dick cried; 81 have
made up my mind"
"And there is the Office boy, too, who
found the last of the checks and put to-
gether those bits of paper. He will hold his
tongue, too, of course. Consider well, Dick.
You will live despised and suspected Bah!
To be a young man forgiven! The forgive
ness will be a ticket-of-leave; the return to
work will be under surveillance OF the
police. You can never get promotion; you
can never live down the past. Young lady,
Is not this trueF'
Calista hesitated; then she took courage.
Better this, better obscurity and con-
tempt, than a life of wickedness. What is
he to dol What do you yourself dol You
play cards. Do you play honestly7 Better
the most humble life"
matter of opinion, mademoiselle. If be
goes with me, l offer him-what9 He
knows very well that at least he will enjoy
an easy life and profitable work, with plenty
of money in it, and society, and"
"Oh, Dick, it cannot be possiblel How
should this man give you all these thingsT
t'Dick is a free man" said the Italian; "he
is perfectly free. He can go with you or he
can come with me, just as he pleases. l I'M
derstood that he had resolved to accept my
offer, and to come with me. His portman-
teau is ready and packed, as you see. But
if he prefers"
81 do rot prefer; I will go with you.
Go away, Calistal Repentancel Forgive
ness!'
'Then, Dick, if you must go, before YOU
do go ask you for one simple act of JUS
tice. Write me a letter clearing Norah
altogether"
~ won't, thenl After Norah's conduct to
me-"
'sir," said Calista, turning to the stran-
ger, ''you say that you are going to intro
duce Dick to the society Of gentlemen.
do not quite understand how he is to take
his place among gentlemen, or what gentle
men will receive MN; hut that is yonr con-
Germ. Will you kindly tell. these gentlemen
that this man made love to q girl whom he
had known all his life, and when She re-
fused him, charged her solemnly, and in
writing, with the crime which he had him
self committedi / suppose you care moth.
ing about his having stolen the thing him
seifi-Calista, in the satiric vein, surprised
herself-but perhaps
81 have forgiven him, young LADY, the
count interrupted, with a smile. Il have
anticipated your own kindness and his
fathers, and / have already forgiven him.
''But, at least" she went on, regardless,
syou may have manlipess enough left 10
blame him for accusing This innocent girl.
She Is my sister. and once his friend. VIII
you join him in making all that girl future
life miserablel It is not enough that you
know, and | know, and her lover knows, the
truth. This wretched boy has left behind
him q naper 10 which his father clings as a
Kind OF last chance that bis son is notguilty,
after ALI