The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-04-02

y
adjourned to the veTHuda. 1t was one OF those
sultry nights when no ore feels like talkiUE
and Agnes had been idly playing on her guitar
and humming suatches of old tunes, when Mr.
Lawrence suddenly said;
"a had good news to-day. My chum is COM
ing back"
Veal looked interested, and Mr. Parmcrly
said, with little laugh:
That is a good thing. We need ono moro
gentleman 10 keep these ladies IN order"
don't know about that" was the reply.
+" Forest is NO ladies man.
How odd said Agnes. that j ncvcr heard
you mention his name before. Is be a misIu-
thopc2 What Is the matter with hing
80 was the reply. j Is not fair 10 call
him that: lut hc has had some dark pages IN
bis lite that give him Gistas.c Tor society. Aud
be yet Is The most cDmpauI1uable fellow in the
world ID he can be led 10 forget himself
But what is the matter with him2" per
sisted Agnes. j have no patience with people
who wrap themselves perpotualiy In their per-
sUnHl sorrows aud forget that there Is q whole
world OF people around them who need help
and comlor, aud cncouucCmeutn
Mr.. Lawrence sighed a little and then said;
There is no doubt that chat Is the proper
way 10 look 40 H. but we none of as know what
We viii do until we are tried. ] conceive that
IN time one would rise superior 10 a trouble nc
was convinced WAS rrCparablc; hut how would
y
row. aud felt ali the time that there was an
Entdote somewhere ii you could only find il?
Would y0u not be like wild bird in a cage,
and beat your life away against your prison
bars2"
Agnes opened her eyes a little wider, aud
said:
is your friends trouble SO bad as that? il
Is like tragedy, Can no one do anything to
help him2"
am afraid not" was the reply. "And yet,
do you know that one day he laDcied be had
found the solution of the mystery that has
darkoued his life beneath this very roof. ]
could scarcely convince him that his hopes had
deceived him, as they have done SO often be.
fore. Alter that the old restless spirit took
possession OF him, aud he has been on the move
ever since ho left here ] fancy he is weary
now and is coming back 10 rest"
Would ID be a breach Of confidence 20 tell
Us what this sad trouble isf" ] asked
do not know" was the reply. 81 am sure
my friend would not want has trouble talked
about; but fOresee that you ladies will Ice Of
great use Ia diyertuF his mind If you will lot
me present him 10 you, aud ] cannot expect
you % do that unless I tell you something about
him."
"stop!n said 7; of you have any scruples
about ID, forget my indiscreot question aud We
viii drop the subject but J must assure you il
was no impertuent curiosity prompted IT,"
lie looked surprised, aud said, cordially, 81
an sure OF that now, and 10 prove IL will tell
the story IN a few words
as j believe i told you, my friends name
as fOFest-LuRoue lOrest--aud he belongs to
one Of the best families IN the West His father
D. man ol large wealth but insisted thar each
oil has children should learn thoroughly some
branch OF business. Eugene was put n a bank,
aud after serving some time as boulEucprr was
made assistant cashier His fathers money.
added 10 las own pleasant manners, made him
q great iavorltc ln society and soon after his
promotion he WAS married with considerable
eclat % q beautiful young girl, his equal in
every respect His father offered him hand.
some income after bis marriage but he wished
70 carve his own fortune aud still attended TO
business with the assiduity Of the humblcst
clerk.
soon after this irregularities were discovered
an tho accounts Of the bank With seeming
reluctance the bead cashier called attention 10
EuPeuc.s books, which showed manifest signs
Of having been changed aud corrected but re-
fused 10 balance. No innocent man was ever
more completely overwhelmed than he The
proof seemed clear, and he was imprisoned
Tie story is "a long one iu its details but briefly,
tie head cashier WAS ofici0us n lis prohers Of
assistance especially 10 the little bride. who
was bIukcHheaHed 90 EugeDcs mis.ortuncs.
but st0utly maintained his Innocence in time
good lawyer uut4Hgled the web by which he
d have altered the books himself aud nv
friend triumphantly acquitted.
but here comes the strongest part of the
whole proceeding. When discharged by the
court be iaw % comfort bis ilaIizcd Wife and
found her ICED. There was no doubt that she
HAD departed deliberately, for her clothes wore
gone and everything in tho house left .n perfect
ORDER, but not a line, not O sign by which lie
could conjecture whore she might have gone.
Aud SO b Has becn for two long years lie gave
mp hls business, aud simply lives 10 trace The
wife hc sJll loves SO dearly.
Ic Will not give her up. will not believe
her dead, Will not believe hcr guilty OF any
thing that might bring repr0ach upon her
nud yet, In spite OF time, money and effort she
sa. eludes him. is il strange that a man
possessed Of such mania should be Wcll-nigh
frantic 90 lmesY lie will wake 10 in tho
night and fancy be hears her moaning: twill
pei b glimpse 81 familiar fgnre iu crowd
aud pursue b iu spite OF all obstacles only 70 De-
disappointed az lhst Ire HaHts the murpue aud
p0uTs over tie advertisements in the dailv
paper. always 10 the same intent When ht
lcast expects her be says she viii appear. and
W.T.. that hope he lives on."
Alter hearing THIS story, Of course, we took
renewed interest in Mr. Forest aud quito
lOHged FOR his return, but some lanc.ed clew
detained lAm illl Sunday afternoon. We had
rather expected him 20 CII that evening. but
hc was tired, and blr Lawrence made his usua
Visit alone. Tie evening was not a lively one
f0T Agnes and were lItt,c BuZiuus on account
OF hrs ho1dsUn who had gone out Just N
dusk and had not returned This might u0
huye seemed singular only that besides our
selves, Alice hOOds4n bad not made giugl,
friend. aud was very timiG about being GU
after dark
4 suppose Mr. Lawrence noticed that we wer,
uneasy, and. long before bis usual hour, rose Il
80. ! was 30 afraid OF seeming 10 arnrouriat
him us my guest that ] seldom took Tie iuitia
tive in the conversation, but as Agnes sal,
nothing j veuturcd 10 remark, Z" IL is quit
early do not be Ina haste"
JIG smiled and said, The fact is though
you wanted 10 pet rid Of me-"
Excuse me-" ] replied I'm afraid w
have not boon very polite, but Ga truth we ar
lltLlc anxious. Our friend, Mrs Woodson /
Out 90 much later than usual that we hav
been wondering what could have detained her.
Airs. MO0dsou :" bo said with some eur
prise; do you mean Mrs Parmerly2"
20, no" j replied, smiling; Mr. Parmerl
never Tets her far enough out OF his sight r.
anything 10 happen 10 her. is il possible d
al tins time you have never met Mrs Wood
SOM Did you not know there were three q
ue came here 10 live togcther2 Alice Is shy &
Wooa-p'geon bat did not realize that 20
had never seen her sc Rlln
must admiti" was the reply, "that neye