Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-09-21


Helen heard the bitter taunt. and ail
her noble soul aroused. she cried;
Judge Arnold, | never put tr?i
bracelet in my carpet-bag. ! never
stole il, am innocent, and you kno"
it."
"Oh yes and the chin and short
roam whiskers rose higher, 81 have seen
many as equally innocent; / never
heard one plead guilty on the first
accusation.
..Some Of your own family put that
jewel in my carpet bag to ruin me.
sobbcd Helen.
90 dear" cried Halle, with tri-
umphant irony.
That's an old dodge" said the man
in the doorway. "A thief is always
inns @ining that somebody's trying To
ruin his character Now, that bracelet
is worth twenty dollars; you will have
to explain how the stolen property got
into vour possession, or you may get
into trouble"
"Judgc Arnold" said Helen. rising
and bringing all the energy which she
felt in her case required at her COM
mand. Il swear, So help me Heaven!
that never touched that bracelet since
my mother owned it. 1t was put in
my carpet bag By other hands than
mine"
"Helen Lakeman." said Mrs. Arnold.
confronting the beautiful girl. with he.
head high in the air, lit is bad enough
for You to steal bracelet without add
! ing perjury to your crime"
/ Helen was shocked. She realized
how hopeless was her condition. She
had been completely trapped. Every
thing was against her. and yet she was
! innocent. 1t was no Use to accuse
these people, whose standing in society
was higher than her own, of putting
the bracelet in her carpet bag to ruin
her. No one would believe her.
Helen, with firmness born of
despair, sat down in her chair again.
All the emotion attendant upon the first
shock being gone, she was calm. Her
calmness could be called either con-
scious innocence, or the brazen indif-
ference of guilty soul.
'Do your worst" she said. II am in
your power"
what do you think We would want
] to ruin your character for ?" sneered
Halle. rubbing her bracelet to get of
the stain of the ''thiefs fingers" ''do
you suppose we find you in our way ?"
Helen was silent. 1t was useless to
exchange words with these people.
II don't think young girl of sixteen
who comes in after dark through the
rain with 4 peddler can have much
character to boast Of" said Mrs.
Arnold, her head turned upward and
sideways. SO that she might get view
of the culprits face from beneath her
glasses.
That's what you get by takin' such
trash in your house." said the stern
man at the door, his chin coming up
again.
1--WE can go now II you wish to get
rid of us" said Helen.
"Oh, no. don't trouble yourself. We
don't want to get rid of you just yet.
SO you need not hurry yourself"
'.Do you mean. Judge Arnold. that
am to be arrested for this?" Helen
asked, calmly.
II am inclined to the opinion you
WILL" the Judge answered. Why the
farmer was called Judge. Helen did not
know. Titles are cheap, and the num-
Der of colonies. judges, and generals
We have in our country is astonishing.
and the list increases every day.
Then, sir" said Helen. II will wait
here. / am innocent, and know that
God in His goodness will, in some way,
see that l am vindicated."
"You had better depend upon Him,
for He is the only one who can do you
any good" said the iron man, with al
irreverent wit. which he enjoyed.
Helen again relapsed into silence,
; and her little brother, grooming with
pain. drew chair up by her side
climbed into it and lay down with his
head i'll her lap. She folded her arm.
! about him. feeling that it was the last
! time in life she would ever be permit.
| ted to take him to her heart.
! Mrs. Arnold. having satisfied herself
that nothing else was gone, was called
out by her husband, and the door closed
! and locked. The hired man was lcf,
~ guard. and Mr.. Arnold got into
, his carriage and drove away to Newton
alone. Helen sat there with the little
hot head in her lap. Great tears arose
| in her eyes, and she tried to pray, but
could not; God would surely not desert
/ her. She had read of so many person.
, punished for crimes they had never
committed that she feared she must
| suffer for this. Helen was not one
of those romantic girls who wished
: to be a heroine or martyr. She wa
, content to live hunbly, to have no mis-.
| sion save that OF Helping her crippled
r brother. The chill closed his feverish
l eyes and slept. .'Sleep on. little
; BROTHER" said Helen, softly, Heaven
, only knows where your little head will
rest tonight"
, She did not weep now, her great
. calamity had dried up the fountain OF
, her grief. Bat silent, cold and deter
mined, she sat there. trying to bring
, herself to face the inevitable.
''If they will only let ME take my lit.
tie brother with me. shall not muir
mur," she said TO herself.
Then she thonlght Of the tempest Of
! the day before. How much better it
would have been if both herself and
brother had been killed by tho light
ming than lived to see this day. What
evil had brought her to this house. A
. natural chain of reflections brought
} Pete. the peddler, to her memory.
; Where was Pete now. Doubtless many
miles on his way with his heavy pack,
tzudging along the read. Pete had
promised to befriend heF-would he do
it,
Most of all, she thought of Warren.
Would he sneer at his avowed love fos
her when he hend of her disgrace.
Somehow the bitterest pang she felt
was that Warren would hear Of her
fall. The future was dark-black. She
knew whittier Mr.. Arnold had gone.
He would return in three Or four hours
with the sheriff and warrant for her
self.
Little Amos slept on. his last sleep
in his sisters arms. Helen could not
disturb him, and when his hacking
cough seemed likely to arouse him, she