Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-07-13
"Ah, there he ism


"Ah, there he isrn
ut Is all out now, Benson" continued
Levens, feebly; "Fve made a clean
breast Of it, and I'm not frightened of
you now"
"Let him have everything no wants,
Benson," l said, rs l found my hat.
Don't spare anything on the ground of
expense. can't stay to see to it myself.
have something else to do that cannot
wait"
turned and groped my way out
through the close bar and leaned against
the wall outside, for was dizzy with
excess Of joy. Iclearly remembered the
incident the poor drink sodden creature
had alluded to. l could even recall the
wording of the letter was attaching my
signature to when he came into my Office
and asked for cheque which had prom.
ised to some charity. recollected what
great hurry I was in on account Of my
Masonic dinner, and how filled in the
cheque, tore it out, and passed it to him
so hastily that l did not even wait to
blot the ink on 1t. There was nothing in
the least improbablein his assertion that
had torn two cheques out and handed
them to him together, and there was
something very improbable In tho idea
that ho should have imagined such a
thing in his dclirium. No; he had spoken
the truth! knew it; was absolutely
certain Of it! Cynthia's self accusation
was falsel
took of my hat and raised my eyes
to the morning sunlight with u feeling
~ t,,lA To- l.
the less real because it did not express
itself in any set form. Then I went
home, looked at my newspaper, and
found that ship sailed for Australia in
two days time.
reached our office in Collins street,
Melbourne, n few minutes before closing
timo one day towards the end of Deccm-
Der. Every one was groaning under the
intolerable heat, but l did not feel it; my
thoughts were so much taken up with
my approaching happiness that was
utterly insensible to all nero physical
impressions.
When Horace looked up from his desk
in q great shout.
"Where is Cynthia?" I said. "Take
me to her directly"
He glanced at tho clock.
"Never mind tho ofiice routine!" !
cried, impatiently. "Ill set that straight
for you tomorrow. Como at once!"
He put on his hat and l followed him
out into the glaring sunshine
"We are living at st. Kilda," he said;
you'll have to exist another half hour
without seeing her, although I'm afraid
it's of no use. She has always held to
what she said-that she would not
marry you with that stain upon her
character"
l let him SO and get my ticket; and
when we were in the train leaned for
ward and said quietly:
''But II tho stain upon her character
never existed, what then?"
He looked at me incredulously for q
moment, and then murmured:
"Impossible!'
Horace" l whispered, "she never did
1t! She believed you had done 1t, and
she took the blame on herself because she
was afraid of the consequences for you.
have found out tho real thief. She had
no hand at all in it. There's sister for
you"
His eyes met mine inquiringly, and his
color came and went nervously. He
seemed to find it difficult to grasp the
idea; but he mastered it presently, and
his face softened under the influence of
great sense Of gratitude.
Heaven bless her!" he said earnestly.
Heaven forever bless her! She is q
noble hearted woman! How l thank
heaven to be able to say that have
never caused her an anxious thought
since we left home!"
We gripped hands, though I do not
know what for. unless it was to let off a
little Of our suppressed emotion, and that
hand grip was the vanishing point Of our
old mutual animosity and the commence
ment Of lasting friendship,
When we got to the street where they
hved-such an essentially colonial street
very wide, very sandy, with a row OF
tiny one storied cottages with corrugat-
ed iron roofs and deep verandas-Horace
stopped and pointed out the house to me.
Its possible she may not be home
from her music lessons for a few min
utes yet" he said, because I'm here a
train sooner than usual; but you won't
have long to wait She's always homo
in time to greet me, Tell her I'll be in
to dinner at T."
went ON alone then To the house he
had indicated. The gate of the little
flower filed courtyard in front was on
the swing and the house door stood wide
open under the shady yeranda. went
in and stood in the little tiled hall,
and wondered what | should do next
Three out Of the four room doors were
ajar, but there was not sound to be
heard in the house.
A cool breeze blew through the hall.
and took OFT my hat, conscious of the
relief after the walk under the burning
sun