St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-28
BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER.

situation. My brother Robert and ]
worked in the same warehOuse-he was
the master and was the head clerk
and untifhis eyes fell on Olive Slough
ton we got along very well together.
L cannot blame him that he fell in love
with her, but it was sad day for me. He
was a man of strong passions, and
knew he would do anything to win her
for his wife, but did not believe he
would fix crime on me as he did to get
me out of the way.
1t was a trumped up charge of forgery
he arranged easily i'll the warehouse,
and there was no escaping him. He of
fered to let me go if l would leave the
country, but | refused to acknowledge
a crime | had not committed by fleeing.
Il will go to prison first" | said, cOldly,
land abide my time until find out who
has injured me-" He was surprised at
my answer. He had probably expected
me to flee without word; yet knew
the police were even then in the ware
house examining my papers.
l heard them in the next room, and
throwing open the door exclaimed
My brother wishes me to go away, but
l am innocent and will bide by the re-
suit"
"How is this, Mr.. Bernardo" asked
one of them. did you seek to deprive
the law of its just prey? You who were
so eager just nOw!"
Robert wiped his eyes. I do believe
the men gave him credit for brotherly
affection and sympathy. But he had
shown it too late. L was taken away
Immediately and put in confinement.
And Olive would hear of my trouble
from strangers! And hOw-Oh. how
would she bear it? So near our great
happiness-and now!
There was no hope. 1t was useless to
record my trial. Even Robert, repent
ant as he must have been. could not
save me now. The bill was too faithful
a transcript Of my writing. No other
clerk wrote in imitation of Roberts
hand; and my cOunSelS suggestion that
MI. Bernard might have VIII, ten it HIM
self was considered too mOnstrouS to
have moments sway with the court.
but myself to care for her. But there
was deeper grief even than this. The
blow was struck by the hand of my
brother!
l was in prison five years. Three of
these years Olive visited me often. The
fourth she was wearing away to an
other land. and before its close she died.
What cared | then to live? | would not
have raised my hand for release from
prison. Another year went on. / never
heard from Robert, not even when
Olive died. 1t would injure his respect
ability to show any sympathy with a
forger.
Well, the day of release came. I was
Indifferent to its approach. even
fingered after l was told that was free
to go. At length I walked out once
more into world which had taught me
such bitter lessons. l hurried out of
town and sought my old home-the
home which had been shrined in my
heart as a picture for five long, dreary
years. | threw myself upon olives
grave. [ knew where to find it, for she
had selected the spot years before.
Even this scene did not melt my heart
| was hard and cold still. Olives sweet
life had been sacrificed: and mine-oh,
what bitter, bitter offering had been
made of mine to him who had made it
so dark!
With this thought came one of deep,
fierce revenge. What right had he,
were he my brother, to throw this
shadow and darkness over me? Had my
mother known how he would repay my
devotion to her wishes would she have
counseled me to keep back his dark
deeds and sacrifice myself and my fam
lily to him?
l do not know how I reached the su-
burban town where Robert had always
resided since he left my mothers roof.
l found myself in the dusk of even
ing opposite his house. A dim light
burned in one room where the window
was slightly raised. l determined to 60
in and charge him with the forgery, and
l had some uniformed idea about de-
nouncing him to the authorities and
cOndemning him to the life he had
cursed me with so long, Or-worse still
the dreadful thought of killing him on
the spot.
Let me here acknowledge all my
guilt. did think of this. How madly
l strobe across the street and entered
the house! went directly to his room.
On couch, pale, haggard and enact
ated. lay the wreck of my brother, once
a nOble-loOking, handsome man. He
was praying when pushed open the
door, but his voice was weak and low;
still. caught enough to know that he
was asking forgiveness for the injury
he had done to me. Over his couch
hung my mothers picture. A sad,
sweet look. such as had haunted me
siNO ySoiO Ia pli pOl sdttCo tllC 1dCC l..
and Roberts had Softened down from
its proud, hard expression into resem-
blance of hers. That look arrested my
uplifted hand, which l had raised to
strike him, so wild and terrible were
the feelings / held towards one who
had thus poisoned my whole life. But
when saw that look, so like my dying
mothers, [ felt sure that he was diving
too. 1t SOftened, diSarmed me.
A moment after he discovered me.
can not describe his cry; it was like
nothing earthly. AS he reached out his
thin, emaciated arms toward me all my
anger melted. l saw, not the villain
who had thus wrought the evil of my
life, but the wretch who was
wearing out his own in sorrow for the
past. All my mothers teachings oc-
Cured to me as if spoken by living lips.
, Al that he had done had been for the
hope of winning Olive Stoughton's love.
He did not give up the hope until he
heard of her death, anu knew that she
died of grief for me. Oh, the shame,
the agony, which his confession en-
bodied! Sickness had shown all his
guilt in its true light, and for MANY
weeks his great and only desire had
been to see me and to be forgiven. II
had wrought upon his feeble nerves to
that extent that he had that very day
decided to give himself up to Justice,
weak and dying as he was; but the
deadly languor that crept over him
made it impossible. He had written
his confession. and begged me to have
it published. He died that night. Gould
it wipe out those dreary prison years.
Could it restore my Olive? Alas! no:
better that our name should pass away
from the memory of those who knew its
stain.
And so, with miniature taken from
my mothers portrait. l came away
under an assumed name. / entered
into active, stirring, outdoor life in my
new abode. Roberts property was nov
mine; but l preferred to work, sine,
labor alone could drive away the phan
toms that troubled nv life, One pnan