Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-06-01

would never have resting upon him the
responsibility of sealing the doom of a man
who might, for all he knew, be honestly try.
ing to blot out the past and lead all upright
life. He called to mind every little act OF
kindness that Mr.. Hammond had ever ex-
tended to him. His excited imagination
magnifed them to boundless obligations.
And this was his return for them! Mr..
Street would have given years salary to be
back at his desk.
At every station he went out and stood on
the platform with wild desire to get off and
go-anywhere! away from Barrville. The
people in the car began to look at him
strangely and suspiciously. And in the
midst of his agonizing reflections the brake
man dashed open the door and sang out
"Barrvillen
How he got off from the train and over the
distance from the depot to the court house,
Mr.. Street never knew. He spoke to several
persons on the way, but he couldn't have
told for his life, what he said to them. The
first realization of his surroundings was
when he found himself ascending the broad
steps of the court housewife green baize
door in front of him and all hope behind
him.
He hesitated moment. That moment
was decisive The green baize door was sud-
denly opened from within, and he had no
choice but to enter. The room into which he
came was the court room. Court was in SEES
sion, and the room was filled to OVERLOOKING
Mr.. Streets entrance was scarcely noted !;
every eye was strained toward the witness
stand.
man near the door made room for Mr.
Street on the bench beside him. The cashier
sank into the profered seat. The buzz of
voices in the court room came to him in in
distinct murmurs, like sounds a great dis
lance away. And, all the time, the man at
his side kept talking on in desultory fashion.
''The fellows up for larceny" he said.
"Queer you hadn't heard about it. "You're
stranger here, amt you? He's the same
one that robbed the Kerrin Savings bank in
rs. P'raps you recollect? He owned up to
it when he found they knowed it. He's been
on the stand all the morning. They're
awaiting for him now"
The loquacious stranger craned his neck
around to get better view. Mr. Street felt
that he should faint or shrek if something
didn't happen.
Something did happen.
''There he isl" exclaimed the stranger;
"thats him on the witness stand. He's a
AO1ulAS up LIS uStI1u W U0 SWOTu. guess
you'll have to stand up to see him."
The cashier staggered to his feet. He
looked at the people, the ceiling, the clock
it was just 5:15-the jury, the lawyers, the
judge. Then, with an effort, he raised his
eyes to the prisoner-and saw
Not Mr.. Hammond-but a man as like him
as his reflection in glass. Like him, but not
he. There were the same piercing eyes, the
CT I, 4t,..
mans face bore the impress of hard and
reckless life 1t needed not his confession of
the crime; for Mr. Street knew, now, beyond
peradventure, that this was the man with
whom he had grappled on that eventful night,
six years ago, and that Mr.. Hammond was as
innocent of the crime as the cashier himself.
For one moment Mr.. Street stood staring
blankly at the prisoner. Then as the whole
with an indescribable look of horror and re-
morse, he seized his hat and dashed frantic
ally from the building.
The night train bore away from Barrville
man who sat bolt upright in the corner of
the seat, with his hat crushed down over his
eyes. He neither spoke nor stirred. He had
seen the phantom which had pursued him for
the past year, until it had come to seem a
living reality, dissolve and vanish before his
very eyes, And it had left him dazed and
bewildered. He no longer tried to reason it
out. He doubted his very senses, and grasped
the arm of the seat firmly, to make sure he
was not dreaming. The romance of his life
had departed. He was no longer the mys-
ferrous emissary who carried in his breast a
consuming secret, but a commonplace bust
ness man, whose thoughts any one might
read.
But commonplace people sleep soundly.
That night not a dream disturbed his slum-
bers, and the next morning he went to his
desk, matter of actcashier
Mr.. Hammond married Miss Wilson. Mr..
Street never told her his secret She asked
him about it, once, but he evaded her ques-
ton. When Mr. Street congratulated Mr..
Hammond, the latter said:
''Do you know, Street, used to fancy you
had something against me. You seemed al
most suspicious of me. 1t made me posi-
lively uneasy at times"
But the cashier drew himself up with dig
nifty, and said:
"Do you take me for fool, sir?"-Hermin-
Jus Cobb in The Epoch.