New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-07-30
present, and The


present, and the
young man had thoughtlessly seized
it.
All that had happened more than
1our years ago.
Strange that no suspicion had fall
en- on him 1t is true, he enjoyed the
confidence and favor Of his employer,
but also a happy chance had a good
deal to do with it. 1t happened
that just at that time an Office boy
had been detected in some INSIDE
meanor and forced to leave.
Naturally, Of course, he was sus-
pected Of having committed the theft
likewise. An able young lawyer had
been retained to investigate the case.
and he was not a little chagrined at
his failure to discover the prepe-
TRAITOR
Hartman experienced a moment OF
relief, but only moment, as a bur-
den as of lead seemed to weigh on
him.
Might not some new clew be found,
some unforeseen occurrence throw light
on the matter? The torture lasted
for four horrible years. The very
thought of it made the perspira ton
start on his forehead in the coolest
days.
Why did he not invent some pre-
text for going abroad? He was often
on the point Of doing so. but the fear
OF arousing suspicion by any singu-
larity otconduct proven ting him from
putting this idea in execution. So he
lived on with this threatening spectre
ever before his eyes, unable to dispel
it or to hide himself from it.
'"The others''-he would not even
to himself use a more definite express
sion-"are in jail for their wrong
dOing-do they suffer more? They are
deprived Of freedom indeed; the blow
has fallen heavi yupon them with the
sentence OF the court: but afterwards
there IS peace around and within
them"
To accuse himself? That would be
foolish. Chance had favored him
/ hitherto; why should it not continue
to do so?
So more hoping more trembling.
Hartman had become by his mis-
4 demeanor, strange to say-a dilet-
tante in matters of law. He had fur
nished himself with a book on the
criminal code and the criminal pro-
: cedure, together with various conn
mentaries. These books formed his
T favorite reading after shutting his
=, door at night. With a hasty eager
> ness he dewoured their contents.
: AS chess player would treat an
interesting problem, so he treated
Hhis case. Mitigating circumstances,
! : IL chances in atrial, everything pos
sible and impossible that q, layman
could extract from this juristic ma
terial, were brought into action.
More than once he caught himselfde-
claiming a brilliant defense in a loud
tone, and then he would listen anx-
iOusly; somebody might have heard
him.
Hartman had also his faEorite
chapter, which treated of the statute
Of limitation. There he read: ~The
prosecution for crimes that are pun
ishable with no more than three
months imprisonment must begin
within five years, etc.
Although he knew the passage BY
heart, yet he read it again every day.
as if it's contents might have changed
in one night.
Four years and a halfhave passed:
six mon tks more, he will be free, Ie-
gally free. The voice of conscience
would soon learn to be silent when
the pressure of anxiety should be re-
moved. Six months should
they not pass as a moment; why
mightnota miracle happen, and time
tor once, just once, make a leap?
The almanac became, from that
time on, his best friend. He could
sit bent over it for hours, counting
first the months, then the weeks,
then the days again and again. In
the middle of the night the thought
would strike him that he had made