The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-04

house which he had built for her. which
they had planned to spend their old age In to-
eether. It faced southwark and looked out
over the greenhouses mud the gardens that
stretched behind the house TO the bulk Of
woods. shutting out the stage picturesaueness
OF the summer settlement OF South Hatboro'.
She had herself put the rocking chair In the
sunny bay window. and Northwick had not al
lowed It to be disturbed there since her death.
In an alcove at one side he had made place
for the safe where he kept his papers; his wife
had intended to keep their silver In II, but she
had boen scared by the notion Of having bur-
glars 80 close to them in the night, and had al
ways left the silver In the safe in the dining
room.
She was all her life hmorous creature, and
after her marriage had seldom felt safe out OF
Northwick's presence. Her portrait, By Hunt,
hanging over the nsntolpiece, suggested
something Of this. though the painter had
made the most Of her thin. middle-aged blond
good looks. and had given her substance OF
general character which was more expressive
OF his own FREQ and bold style than OF the facts
In the case. She was really one OF those hem
minded women. who are so common In all
walks Of life. and are made up Of only
one aim ct . time and OF mani
fold anxieties at all times. Her in
stinct for saving long survived the days Of
struggle In which she had Joined It to North
wick's instinct for getting: she lived and died
In the hope. II not the belief. that she had con-
tributsd to his prosperity BY looking striotly
after all manner Of valuelsss odds and ends.
But he had been passively happy with her.
6ince her death he had allowed her to return
much into his thoughts. from which her
troublesome solloitudes and her entire USE
lessness In important matters had obliged him
to push her while she lived. He often had
hmos whom It seemed TO him that he was
thinking Of nothing. and then he found that he
had been thinking ofh.r. At such times. with
pang. he realized that he missed her: but
perhaps the wound was to habit rather than
Affection. He now sat down in his swivel
chair and turned IL from the writing desk.
which stood on the rug before the fireplace.
and looked up into the eyes Of her efilgv with
sense Of her intangible presence in It, and
with dumb longing to rest his soul against
hers. She was the only one who could have
seen him tn his wish to have not been what he
was: she would have denied II to his face II ho
had told her he was thief: and as he meant
to make himself moro and moro thief. her
love would have eesed the way BY full accept
ance Of the theories that ran along with his
intentions and covered them with pre-.
tences Of necessity. He thought how even his
own mother could not have been 80 much COM
fort to him: she would have had the mercy.
but she would not have had the folly. At the
bottom ofhis heart. and under all his pretences.
Northwiok knew that It was not mercy which
would help him; but he wanted It, as we all
vvant uuhat a NNnnH0p$ah1o And hod Sor AZ
times. With the performance and purpose Of
q thief In his heart. he turned to the pictured
face Of his dead vile ss his refuge from the
face Of all living. It could not look at him as
II he were thief
The word 30 filled his mind that Il seemed
always about to slip from his tongue. It was
what tho President Of tho Board had called
him when the fact Of his fraudulent manipula-
don Of the eompsny's books was laid 30 dis
hnctly before him that even the insane refu-
sal which the criminal instinetively makes Of
his crime In itS presence was impossible
Tho other directors sat blankly round and said
nothing; not because they hated scene. but
because tho ordinary course Of life among Us
had not supplied them with the emotional ma
tsrials for making one The President. how
ever. had jumped from his seat and advanced
upon Northwick what does all this mean.
~ . ~ WV wv WAos ~ AOOAns - AA40Sho
that you're thief. sir; the same - u you had
picked my pocket Or stolen my horse or taken
my overooat ont Of my hall"
Hs shook bis olenched dst In Northwicks
fsee. and seemed about to take him By the
throat Afterward he inclined more to mercy
than the others: u was he who carried tho
vote which allowed Northwick three days
sraoe to look into his Affairs aud lay before tho
directors the proof that he had ample means
% he maintained. to meet the shortage In tho
accounts. II wish you well out Of IL for your
family's sake" he said at parting. but all tho
same. sir. you are thief"
He put his hands SYSTEMATICALLY In his pock-
cts when some others meaninslessly shook
hands with Northwick at parting, as North
wick himself might have shaken hands with
another In his place; and he brushed BY him
out Of the door without looking at him. He
came suddenly back to say. III It were q
question Of you alone. would cheerfully lose
something more than you've robbed me Of for
the pleasure Of seeing you handeuffed In this
room and led to jail through the street BY
constable. No honest man. no man who was
not always rogue ct heart. could have done
what you've done; jugsled with the books
for years. and bewitched the record 30 by your
internal craft that 1t was never suspected till
now. You've given mind to your scoundrelly
WOIks bHs III tu0 OluQ YOU uhuS kOE ~ you
hadn't been 20 anxious to steal successfully
you'd have given more mind 70 the use OF your
stealinss. You may have some Of them left
but It looks a. II you'd made ducks and brakes
Of them. like any petty rascal In the hands Of
the Employeas Insurance Company. Yes. sir.
believe you're Of about ths intellectual cslibre
Of that sort Of thief can't respect you even
on your own ground But I'm willing to give
you the chance you ask. for your daughters
sake Shes been In and out OF my house with
my girl like one OF my own children. and Iwon't
send her father to jail II can help it. Under
gtandi haven't any sentiment for you.
Northwick. You're the kind Of rogue I'd like
10 see In Q convlots Jacket learning to mako
shoe brushes. But you shall have your chance
10 60 home and see II you can pay up some
how, and you shR'n't be Swallowed while you're
1t It. You shall keep your outside to tho world
three days longer. you whtted sepulchre: but
L you want to know. think the best thing that |
,ould happen to you on your way homo would |
DO good railroad accident"