Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07

would, therefore, pc unuolnB u part vi tno
wrong that has been done them by your wife
and my father"
"Oh, don't call it doing wrong to
man to give him $4,000" said Musselburgh,
with touch of resentment. He needn't
have taken the money unless he liked.
"Do you know what presentations were
made to him to induce MIN to take 1t?'
Vincent said.
"Well, I DON'T" was the reply. "They
settled all that among themselves; and
was merely made acquainted with the re-
suits. 1t would hardly have been my place
to interfere, you see; it was before my mar
riage, remember; in anv case, don't know
that should have wanted to have any say
in the matter. However, the actual out
| come we all of us know; and you must con-
fess, Vim, whatever persuasions were used,
it looks rather shady transaction"
"Yes-on the part of those who induced
him to accept the bribe!' Vincent said,
boldly.
"Oh, come, come" Lord MusseIburgh in
terposed, rather testify, don't be so bigoted.
1t isn't only your considering that girl to be
everything that is fine and wonderful
can understand that-the glamour of love
can do anything; but yod go too far in pro-
| Tossing the greatest admiration and respect
| for this old man. Leave us some chance of
agreeing with you, of believing you sane.
For you can't deny that he took the money;
there is the plain and simple fact staring
you in the face. More than that, his taking
| it was the justification of those who offered
| it; it proved to them that he was not the
kind of person with whom you should be
| connected by marriage. I say nothing about
the young lady; don't know her; perhaps
her association all these years witch this old
we'll, won't call him names has not
affected her in anyway; perhaps she believes
in him as implicitly as you appear to do:
But as for him-well, take any unprejudiced
outsider, like myself; what am to think
when find him accepting this money from
strangers?"
YES" said Vincent, little absently. "I
suppose, to an outsider, that would look
bad. But it is because you don't know
him. Musselburgh; or the story of his lifel
or his circumstances. confess that at one
time there were things that disquieted me;
rather shut my eyes to them; but now that
understand what this man is, and what he
has gone through, aud how he bears him
self, it isn't only pity feel for him, it is
respect, and more than respect But
It's long story; and it would
have to be told to sympathetic ears; it would
be little use telling it to my father or to my
aunt-they have the detectives version be-
fore them-they have the detectives read
ing of the case"
"Well, tell me, at least" said his friend.
81 want to get at the truth. have no
prejudice or prepossession one way or the
other. For another thing, l like to hear
the best OF teverybody-and to believe it, if
| can; it makes life pleasanter; and can't
| got to know George Bethune.'
It was long story, as Vincent had said;
and it was difficult one to set in order and
| in proper light; but it was chiefly based
on what had been told him by the Toronto
banker; and Mr.. Thompson's generous in
depreciation OF it ran through it all. Lord
Musselburgh listened with the greatest in
| terest and attention. What seemed mostly
to strike him was the bankers phrase
Call George Bethune an imposter if you
| like; but the man he has imposed on, all his
| lite through, has been-George Bethune."
"Well, it's all very extraordinary" he
said, when Vincent had finished. 81 wish
| l had taken the trouble to become little
better acquainted with him; one is so apt to
judge by the outside; 1 thought he was
merely picturesque old fellow with mad
enthusiasm about Scotland. And yet
don't know what to say even Eow. ALI
that you have told me sounds very plausible
aud possible-if you take that way Of look
ing at it; and the whole thing seems so
pitiable, especially for the girl; he has his
delusions and acknowledgements has only
| her loneliness. But at the same time, Vim,
you must admit that these little weaknesses
of his might easily be misconstrued-"
Certainly" said Vincent, with prompti-
tude. SIT is just as Mr.. Thompson said-if
you choose to look at George Bethune
through blue spectacles, his way of life
| must appear very doubtful; if you choose TO
look at him through pink spectacles, there
is something almost heroic about him. And
I think, Mussslburgh, if you knew the lion-
hearted man a little better, you wouldn't
shrink from acknowledging that there was
something fine and even grand in his char
acter. As for Maisrie-as for Miss Bethune
she asks for no generous consideration, or
forbearance, or anything of that kind; she
asks for no lenienoy of judgment, and needs
none; she is beyond and above all that. I
know her-none better than 1; and she has
only to remain what she is-'dass Gott sic
erhalte so schon und rein und hold'"
There was break in his voice as he spoke.
Lord Musselburgh was silent for a moment
or two-he felt like an intruder upon some
thing too sacred. And yet he had his mis-
sion; so presently he forced himself to re-
sumo:
'Well, after all, Vim, think you must
grant that there is something to be said for
your relatives, even if they have been mis-
taken. They could not know all that you
know-all that you learned in Canada be-
sides; they could only judge from the out
side; they could only believe what they
beard"
"Why did they interfere at all?' Vincent
demanded in his turn. "Why had they
Mr.. Bethune's steps dogged by detectives?"
"You should be the last to protest. It
was entirely for your sake that it was done"
eyes" said Vincent, with q certain scorn;
sit was for my sake they were so ready to
suspect-it was for my sake they were so
eager to regard everything from the attor-
ney's point of view! They would not take
my word for anything; thev would rather
trust to their private enquiry Offices. was
supposed to be so easily blinded; the swim
dlers had such willing dupe; no reliance
was to be placed but on the testimony of spies.
What childish rubbish! Why, introduced
nv aunt to Mr.. Bethune and his grand
daughter; she could not find a word to say
against them-but her suspicious remained
all the samel And then apparently she went
and consulted with my father. 1t was so
dreadful that was being cheated by those
two dangerous charactersl Couldn't the
lawyers and their private inquiry agents
couldn't they make out some story that
would appal me? Couldn't they make up
some bogey-straw, and an old coat-that
would terrify me out of my wits? And then
when wasn't appalled, by their idle trash
of stories-oh, for goodness sake, get those
desperate creatures smuggled away out of
the countryi No safety unless they were
hidden away somewhere. And then they
went to the old man; and can imagine how
| fhav 1aI l. i,l.