The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-04-14

FEELING Of pity for TINT unhappy man-for nc
mus. be- unhappy carrying about with him
such u ucmo~y Of hidden crime His III
gotten gains might bring him Influence hut
they never could purchase him happiness,
Mr. Stree; thought of Alice Wilson, ana sad
20 himself that he was sorry for the fellow.
Oac dny dnshing equipase drew mp IN
front Of the bank, aud a lady leaned out &c
speak TO uuo.Lcr on the walk, Mr.. streets
duickrrrh SIGHT at once recognized, IN the
occuua.t ct the carriage, Mis-, Alice Wilson.
| But VINO was il sitting beside her mud smiling
down upOn her with such confident sdllan
| tryl The cashiers ewes followed them fan
up the street, but that first look had been
cnough-it was Walter Hammond!
ITS queer, isn't itr said the teller at his
elbow, ''how that Hammond got right into
society here. He shot right up like rocket
and nobody knows anything about him,
either, before he came here. Well, money
II tnke u body anywhere nowadays"
But the cashier was not listening. lie
| banGcd the book together and went home &c
his tea, locking the door with such forbid
| ding face that man who met him said he
shouldn't wonder if the First National had
sustained loss; he met {. b. Street coming
| away from there with face ~ long rs your
| arm
That was only the beginning. Mr.. Ham
moni began to attend Miss Wilson like
shadow. He escorted her to parties, the
| theatre and church BE he ever so aSsiduous,
Mr.. Street nearly always found his atten-
tions to the young lady anticipated by Mr..
| Hammond. There was no pleasure in calling
there any more. Mr. Hammond was sure &c
be there Did he aspire 10 take her to place
| Of amusement he only had the modification
of hearing that she was $50 sorry" but had
"just accepted an invitation" And he would
| see her there with Mr.. Hammond.
| Meanwhile the cashiers face grew graver
and still more grave The worried lines in
| his forehead settled into an habtual frown,
That one little cloud which had sailed so un-
cxpectedly across his sky had grown till it
threatened to obscure the whole horizon of
| his happiness
| Sometimes, when he saw his mysterious
! rival lowering about Miss Wilson, he could
not reprcss u feeling Of eXultaton at the
thought that, with one word he could Danish
/ him forever from her presence. He tried to
rid himself OF this feeling, which he knew
was unworthy of him, but it would come at
| times in spite Of himself.
! II seemed us is no was at a sensational
| play, in which the deep dyed villain stalks
about in safe disguise, only the whole com
munity were the ready dupes, and he alone
was the enlightened audience, The balciul
secret began to haunt him like nightmare
/ Like an aveugng spirit it rose between him
| and the recrratlons of his leisure hours. IL
confronted him from the face of his ledger
at the bank IL walked the streets with him,
and sat down 20 dinner with him. 1t whis
pcrcd to him in his dreams Every morning
he awoke with the inquiry: "What ought |
to do about itN and'every night he went to
bed with The question still unanswered
And the cashier knew-how could he help
knowingl-that he WAS not himself of late;
| that he was growing moody and preoccupied
| Ia company. lie could not help noticing the
! SURPRISED looks pt his friends at his changed
| dcmcanor Still, he restrained himself. He
| recognized that fate had commissioned him
an emissary Of justice. In his fingers he held
the fatal MOOSE which, some day, would drop
over the head of his victim. He could afford
| TO bide his time
But, whatever his duty 10 the community
at large he owed il to Alice Wilson's happi-
ness 10 project her from this impostor And
so it came to pass that he found himself, one
evening pulling the Wilson's front door BELL
| with "A fixed resolve to warn Alice before he
| left the house. Fortune favored him; she was
alone, and, intent upon his purpose, he soon
drew Mr. Ilannonds name into the con
vcrsationN
Hes u peculiar man. isn't he" said Mr.
Street.
I'm sure he's very nice man, responded
! Miss Wilson, warmly.
"Yesf said Mr. Street, with an interroga-
ton of dissent
"Why Of course, be is, | don't sec what
you can possibly have against him." she
added, reproachtully
| ~ Oh nothing nothing" hastily dis
claimed the cashier
Then, il you have nothing against him.
what makes you insinuate things about himE
urged the young lady logically.
This was not just the idea he wished TO con
! vey ~ lie made nno, her venture.
Have MT you observed something mysteri-
Gus about Mr. Hammondr he asked.
I He does look like Il man who might have
"A history" admitted the young lady,
Now she was helping him on.
YES" no struck in eagerly; "some dark
, page in his life, some epoch Of trouble Or
crime"
! She caught at the last word.
"What do YOU mean by thatr she de-
handed
Now tho time had come, the cashier hardly
dared divulgc his secret He coughed, hest
tated, aud finally stammered;
"Why. It'll is--Mr Hammond-ln
fnct--slS years ago, was tellern---
The parlor door opened. and who should Ike
,lshered in hut Mr.. Hammond The gentle
man insisted ON shaking hands with Mr..
Street, although the cashier frowned darkly
upon him. Mr. Street, disregarding Miss
Wilson's warning look, opened upon Mr..
Inmlnond with the remark;
we were speaking, just now, Of some one
who had mystery connected with his life"
"'lndecdw returned Mr. Hammond, in
differently.
How is 1t, Mr.. Hammond" asked the
"a,her. do you think man could success
fully hide trl>l tho world II dark secret,
some terrible crime he had committed, for
instance. aud go on living just as if it had
never been donef
Mr.. Hammond shifted his dark eyes I'M
II. a. a..