The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-04-13
SCIENCE IN PRIVATE LIFE.
How an Impractical Young College
Graduate Saved a Girls. Heart
and Her Fathers Honor.
BY CHARLES BARNARl
coNrINuED FROM LAST SUNDAY.

i was my pictureY
eyes. l confess with shame that /
stole it when you were asleep under the
influence of the gas / gave you. 1t hap
pened to be in the lantern when you came
I'M
And SO saw it pictured on the wall2'
eyes. In that way did 1t betray me.
Forget it, Alma. Forget me. Forget
everything. Forget that ] ever came
here '--
No-never. / cannot
You will be married soon and so
away / presume we may never meet
again. y
.'0h, Elmer, forgive me. 1 am the
one to be forgiven. | am alone to
blame for all this sorrow. thought
alone should suffer. But~-but, Elmer,
you viii not forget me, and you see
you must see that what do is for the
best, 1t is the only way. carnot see
nay father beggared, =
The ciea- headed son of science seemed
! to be losing his SELF control This was all
SO neg7. so exciting, SO different from the
calm and steady flow Of the student life,
that he know not what to say or do He
began to turn over his books and papers
in a nervous manner, as IL trying to win
back control of his own tumultuous
thoughts. Fortunately Alma came to his
rescue.
Elmer, hear me.
Eyes, y he said with an effort. sTell
me about it; then perhaps we can under
stand each other better
Il will. Come and sit by me. It grows
dark, and well, it is no matter. 1t will
do me good to speak of it,
Yes, do Sorrow shared is divided by
half.''
sAnd joy shared is doubled, = she added.
But we will not talk of the might have
been. !"
Then she paused and looked out on the
gathering night for some minutes in
silence Elmer sat at her feet upon a low
stool and waited ill she should speak.
Elmer, say that you will forgive me
whatever happens. No matter how dark
it looks for me, forgive me-and-do not
forget me. I couldn't bear that. On
Wednesday am to be married to Mr.
Belford. II is the only way by which /
can save my father There seems no help
for it, and consented this afternoon. Mr.
Bedford took up the mortgage, and am
to be his reward. 2
Elmer heard her through in silence, and
then he stood mp before her, and his pas
sion broke out in fury upon her
asAlma Denny, you are fool. .
She cowed before him and covered her
face with her hands.
Have you no sensef Can you not see
the wide pit of deceit that is spread before
you? Do you believe what he says9 Win
you walk into perdition to save your
fathersn
ooh, Elmeri Elmerl Spare me, spare
me, for my fathers sakeiu
Her sobs and tears chol1ed her utter
ance, and she shrank away into the depths
Of the chair, in shame and terror, thank
full that the darkness hid her from his
view. Still his righteous Indignation
blazed upon her holly.
Where have you livedS What have
you done, that you should be SO deceived
by this man9 How can you save your
/ fathers If you cannot find that missing
will, of what avail is this withdrawal of
the mortgage 2"
II do not know. Oh, Elmeri I am
weak, and ! have no mother, and father
is must save him if / can-at any
price
You cannot save him. The devisee
who held the will has heirs. They can
still claim the property. Besides, how
could Mr.. Bedford pay off that mortgage?
Depend upon it, q gigantic fraud
"Elmerl Thank God, you have
saved'--
She tainted quietly away, and slid
down upon tho floor at his feet He
called two Of the maids, and with their
help he took her to her room and placed
her upon her own bed Then, bidding
them care for her properly, he returned
to his own room, and the heavy night
reli down on the sorrowful house. Far
away In the northwest climbed up
ragged mass of somber clouds. Affair
off the deep voics of the thunder muttered
fitfully. The son of science drew up his
curtains and looked out on the coming
storm. There was solemn hush and
calm in the air. Nature seemed resting
and nerving herself for the warfare of the
elements.
He too had need of calm. lie drew q
chair to the window, aud sitting astride
of it, he rested his arms upon the back,
and his chin upon his folded hands, and
for an hour watched the lightning flash
from ragged cloud to ragged cloud, and
gave himself TO deep and anxious thought
/ The thunder grew nearer and nearer. The
dark veil Of clouds blotted out the
/ stars one by one. The roar of the water
falling over the dam at the mill seemed to
fill all the air with its murmur. Every
leaf and flower hung motionless.
1 He heard the village clock strike 9,
with loud, deep notes that seemed almost
1 at hand Every nerve of his body seemed
strung to electric tension, and all nature
tuned 10 higher pitch rs il dark and
terrible things were abroad in the night.
I He heard sound of closing blinds and
windows. The servants were shutting
up the house and preparing it for the
! storm.
One of them knocked ut his door and
asked if she should come in and close The
windows.
! He opened the door, thanked her and
said he would attend to it himself AS
he closed the door and stepped back into
the room, he stood upon something and
there WAS little crash. Thinking it
! might be glass, he lit candle and looked
for the broken object, whatever it might
| be.
IT was Alma's engagement ring, broken
in twain. 1t had Slipped from her nerve
4 less finger when they took her 10 her
room. With a gesture of Impotence, lie
1 picked mp the fragments and threw them,
diamond and all, out OF the window, into
the garden below.
Then for another hour he sat alone in
the darkness of his room, watchful and
| patient. He drew up the curtain toward
ltna,s room There xvae n IiOht there